Can't install xdebug on Mac with Homebrew - xdebug

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 xdebug
But it doesn't work. I get: Error, no available formula.
I did brew search xdebug and it returned:
josegonzalez/php/php53-xdebug josegonzalez/php/php54-xdebug
I tried several different iterations of brew install with this including brew install php53-xdebug, but still no luck. Can someone help me? I can't find anything on Xdebug's site about using Homebrew, but yet posts on the web seem to indicate it's possible.

Answer 1

// Working as of 2023
As homebrew removed the extra php repository containing a version with xdebug already installed, you have to install it manually.
Summary
brew install <php version> for php
update your path
pecl install xdebug for xdebug
Full step-by-step 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.
If you need a special version of xdebug (e.g. your IDE doesn't like the 3.x.x versions), you can install a specific version xdebug-$VERSION, e.g. pecl install xdebug-2.9.8.
You can find them on the list of available versions (Thanks Bower)

Answer 2

Add this repository: https://github.com/josegonzalez/homebrew-php#readme
Then use brew install php54-xdebug for PHP 5.4
Or brew install php53-xdebug for PHP 5.3
Or brew install php55-xdebug for PHP 5.5

Answer 3

Forget about homebrew for a moment. I have tried doing with it and it is not a that good idea stability-wise. Instead stick to the default installation guide:
Installing XDebug on Mac OSX
Go to http://xdebug.org/wizard.php and paste your phpinfo() content
there.
Download xdebug-2.2.5.tgz (http://xdebug.org/files/xdebug-2.2.5.tgz)
Unpack the downloaded file with:
tar -xvzf xdebug-2.2.5.tgz
Run:
cd xdebug-2.2.5
Run phpize (install it via homebrew if you don't have it already)
phpize
As part of its output it should show (If it does not, you are using the wrong phpize):
Configuring for: ...
Zend Module Api No: 20100525
Zend Extension Api No: 220100525
Run:
./configure
Run:
make
Run:
cp modules/xdebug.so /usr/lib/php/extensions/no-debug-non-zts-20100525
Edit /etc/php.ini and add the line:
zend_extension =
/usr/lib/php/extensions/no-debug-non-zts-20100525/xdebug.so
Restart the web server by typing in the terminal:
sudo apachectl restart

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

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 6

Xdebug on Big Sur for php8
php8 previously installed with brew.
~ % pecl install xdebug
ERROR: `phpize' failed
Ouch! Check xcrun. Thank you Louis Charette:
~ % xcrun --show-sdk-path
xcrun: error: invalid active developer path (/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools), missing xcrun at: /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/usr/bin/xcrun
Error. Update Xcode. I just installed, and retest:
~ % xcode-select --install
xcode-select: note: install requested for command line developer tools
~ % xcrun --show-sdk-path
/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/SDKs/MacOSX.sdk
That's better! Now go back and try pecl again:
~ % pecl install xdebug
...
Build process completed successfully
Installing '/usr/local/Cellar/php/8.0.0_1/pecl/20200930/xdebug.so'
install ok: channel://pecl.php.net/xdebug-3.0.2
Extension xdebug enabled in php.ini
And check it worked:
~ % php -v
PHP 8.0.0 (cli) (built: Nov 30 2020 13:51:52) ( NTS )
Copyright (c) The PHP Group
Zend Engine v4.0.0-dev, Copyright (c) Zend Technologies
with Xdebug v3.0.2, Copyright (c) 2002-2021, by Derick Rethans
with Zend OPcache v8.0.0, Copyright (c), by Zend Technologies

Answer 7

This is my solution! Try it! ;)
1 Install developer tools:
xcode-select --install
2 Instal Autoconf. This is a tool for producing shell scripts that automatically configure software
brew install autoconf
3 If you use PHP >5.6
sudo pecl install xdebug
Have fun ;)

Answer 8

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 9

macOS 10.14 Mojave, Homebrew, PHP 7.3, April 2020
The description given in the following article was the only thing I could get to work on macOS 10.14 Mojave with Homebrew to install PHP 7.3 with working xdebug:
brew list | grep php | awk '{ print "brew uninstall --force "$1}' | bash # Remove any old version of php.
rm -rf /usr/local/Cellar/php # To be sure, manually remove the php cellar folder.
brew untap homebrew/php # Then clean any php tap (extra repo).
brew cleanup # Cleanup and Update your brew.
brew update
brew install php # Install the latest version of php.
pecl uninstall xdebug # Clean up old xdebug.
pecl install xdebug-beta # Install the latest version of xdebug-beta (The xdebug is not compatible with 7.3 so you need to use the xdebug-beta).
php -v # Should now say "with Xdebug v2.9.4, Copyright (c) 2002-2020, by Derick Rethans"

Answer 10

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

Answer 11

If you get this error after adding the tap and installing:
$ brew install "josegonzalez/php/php55"
==> Installing php55 from josegonzalez/php
Error: Formulae found in multiple taps:
* homebrew/php/php53
* josegonzalez/php/php53
Please use the fully-qualified name e.g. homebrew/php/php53 to refer the formula.
it is because josegonzalez/php has been moved to homebrew-php/php recently, so you will face the previous error.
The idea is pretty simple, remove the old deprecated repo josegonzalez/php
brew untap josegonzalez/php
brew tap --repair
brew update
See the source of this solution to fix any other related bugs.

Answer 12

It helped me to solve zend version and xdebug
Xdebug requires Zend Engine API version 320160303.
The Zend Engine API version 320180731 which is installed, is newer.
https://xdebug.org/wizard.php

Answer 13

As at May 2021, after installing PHP via Homebrew just run this:
pecl install xdebug
You'll need XCode installed as above answers have indicated.
The other answers involving other brew repositories or php74-* package namespaces are based on the old way Homebrew worked with PHP.

Answer 14

Improved Answer for MacOS
If you have followed the instructions written on the official docs and cannot see XDebug info using php -v command and instead getting errors, the last step you should do is the following:
Go to the 99-xdebug.ini file you made in the described path and add this line:
zend_extension="/usr/lib/php/extensions/no-debug-non-zts-20180731/xdebug.so"
(still errors? check your xdebug.so path if it is valid)
After saving the changes, restart php using the command below:
brew services restart php#7.3 (change 7.3 with your php version)
Then check if you can now see XDebug info using php -v command.
NOTE: "Described path" for 99-xdebug.ini is something like:
/usr/local/etc/php/7.3/conf.d (change 7.3 with your php version)
To be sure, type php --ini command.