Introducing PHAR
 

PHP contains a feature called PHAR, which stands for **PH**p **AR**chive, that allows developers to package entire directories or applications into a single file. PHAR is similar to a ZIP or TAR file but includes executable PHP. This functionality has been added to the vBulletin Package Manager starting with 5.5.0 A2. In this version, we have added a download option to have the `/core/vb/` directory converted into a PHAR file. This saves three megabytes from the total space needed for files and reduces the file count by several hundred files. If you have problems with SFTP timeouts with uploading files to your hosting provider (i.e. GoDaddy) then choosing this option will allow easier uploads to your server during upgrades.

To choose the option, select "More Download Options" when downloading vBulletin 5.5.0 A2 (or higher). From there you can customize your download package and select Use PHAR as one of those options.