Can't install xdebug on Mac with Homebrew

Question

I\'m kind of new to using Homebrew, but I love it. It\'s so easy. I\'m trying install Xdebug. Some of the posts on the web say to do this:

brew install xd         


        

Answer 1

I'd found this page while googling how to install xdebug for php 7.1 on osx, and I've decided to leave here my solution:

brew install homebrew/php/php71-xdebug

Maybe it'll be helpful for someone else in future...

Answer 2

Catalina

Starting with Catalina (Mac OS 10.15) PHP seems to be pre-installed (check with php -v) It could be installed along xcode or another software (I'm not sure) But I just installed Catalina yesterday and haven't installed Homebrew yet, Also xdebug is available too. I just had to rename /etc/php.ini.default and add this line

zend_extension = /usr/lib/php/extensions/no-debug-non-zts-20180731/xdebug.so

Answer 3

It looks like the repo moved, but it is available here, complete with instructions on how to access it from Homebrew.

Answer 4

Updated: 09-10-2019

For PHP 5.6 & 7.0 (not anymore in brew core)

brew tap exolnet/homebrew-deprecated

Use brew bundled pecl (when php installed with brew)

PHP 5.6 example

brew install php@5.6
$(brew --prefix php@5.6)/bin/pecl install --force xdebug-2.5.5

PHP 7.0 example

brew install php@7.0
$(brew --prefix php@7.0)/bin/pecl install --force xdebug

PHP 7.1 example

brew install php@7.1
$(brew --prefix php@7.1)/bin/pecl install --force xdebug

PHP 7.2 example

brew install php@7.2
$(brew --prefix php@7.2)/bin/pecl install --force xdebug

PHP 7.3 example

brew install php@7.3
$(brew --prefix php@7.3)/bin/pecl install --force xdebug

or link with brew first

PHP 5.6 example

brew install php@5.6
brew link --force php@5.6
pecl install --force xdebug-2.5.5
brew unlink php@5.6

PHP 7.0 example

brew link --force php@7.0
pecl install --force xdebug
brew unlink php@7.0

PHP 7.1 example

brew link --force php@7.1
pecl install --force xdebug
brew unlink php@7.1

PHP 7.2 example

brew link --force php@7.2
pecl install --force xdebug
brew unlink php@7.2

PHP 7.3 example

brew link --force php@7.3
pecl install --force xdebug
brew unlink php@7.3

If php -v gives you an error stating xdebug.so could not be found (assuming the pecl install went well) then you could have "old" settings like php.ini Un-/reinstalling php with brew does not remove ini files. Upgrading php to the new format does not update ini files. Just reinstall php with brew after you removed the folder /usr/local/etc/php/5.6/ and xdebug should work.

The new brew php installation does not link. You could do that yourself if you would like to (brew link --force php@5.6) Als you could install brew-php-switcher to switch between versions.

brew install brew-php-switcher
brew-php-switcher 5.6 -s
php -v
brew-php-switcher 7.0 -s
php -v

Keep in mind if you loaded php as a service you have to restart the service.

brew services restart php@7.0

Answer 5

// Working as of 2020

^{Edit: Well at least something is still working this year.}
 

As homebrew removed the extra php repository containing a version with xdebug already installed, you have to install it manually.

Summary:

1. brew install <php version> for php
2. update your path
3. pecl install xdebug for xdebug

Full example:

# update homebrew
brew update

# install a version of php, e.g. 7.0
brew install php@7.0

# now they tell you how to link it, in my case
echo 'export PATH="/usr/local/opt/php@7.0/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bash_profile
echo 'export PATH="/usr/local/opt/php@7.0/sbin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bash_profile

# reload the file with the updated path, so we can use pecl
source ~/.bash_profile

# check that the path is to the correct php executable,
# and pecl is available
which pecl
# returns: /usr/local/opt/php@7.0/bin/pecl

# install xdebug, see https://xdebug.org/docs/install#pecl
pecl install xdebug

# check that everything worked
php --version
# should show a xdebug version
# like:  with Xdebug v2.6.0, Copyright (c) 2002-2018, by Derick Rethans

The pecl install xdebug step above ended with

Build process completed successfully
Installing '/usr/local/Cellar/php@7.0/7.0.30/pecl/20151012/xdebug.so'
install ok: channel://pecl.php.net/xdebug-2.6.0
Extension xdebug enabled in php.ini

So I didn't even need to enable the xdebug.so in php.ini.