Enable debugging in PHP via Xdebug

The debugger will be used for debugging PHP code

Test PHP

    $ php --version
    PHP 7.3.11 (cli) (built: Jun  5 2020 23:50:40) ( NTS )
    Copyright (c) 1997-2018 The PHP Group
    Zend Engine v3.3.11, Copyright (c) 1998-2018 Zend Technologies

Find the location of php.ini file in use

    $ php -i | grep "php.ini"
    Configuration File (php.ini) Path => /etc

Enable Debugging

Check if Xdebug already exists in the php extension directory / folder

    $ ls /usr/lib/php/extensions/
    no-debug-non-zts-20180731

If /usr/lib/php/extensions/no-debug-non-zts-20160303/ folder is present it means you don’t have to worry about anything just open your php.ini and make some changes.

Make changes to php.ini

Earlier step showed you how to find the location of php.ini by using command $ php -i | grep "php.ini"

    $ ls -lh /etc/php*
    -rw-r--r--  1 root  wheel   5.2K Jun  6 02:53 /etc/php-fpm.conf.default
    -r--r--r--  1 root  wheel    70K Jun  6 02:55 /etc/php.ini.default

    /etc/php-fpm.d:
    total 16
    -rw-r--r--  1 root  wheel    19K Jun  6 02:53 www.conf.default

Copy php.ini.default to php.ini

    $ cd /etc
    $ sudo cp php.ini.default php.ini

Edit php.ini

    $ sudo nano php.ini

or use Visual Studio Code

    $ open -a /Applications/Visual\ Studio\ Code.app/ php.ini

At the end of the “Dynamic Extensions” section of the php.ini file, add following

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

At the end of php.ini, add following

    [xdebug]
    xdebug.remote_enable=1
    xdebug.remote_handler=dbgp
    xdebug.remote_host=localhost
    xdebug.remote_port=9000

Save the file. Check to ensure the values are there

    $ cat php.ini | grep xdebug
    zend_extension=/usr/lib/php/extensions/no-debug-non-zts-20180731/xdebug.so
    [xdebug]
    xdebug.remote_enable=1
    xdebug.remote_handler=dbgp
    xdebug.remote_host=localhost
    xdebug.remote_port=9000

Test if the debugger is configured. Check for Xdebug

    $ php --version
    PHP 7.3.11 (cli) (built: Jun  5 2020 23:50:40) ( NTS )
    Copyright (c) 1997-2018 The PHP Group
    Zend Engine v3.3.11, Copyright (c) 1998-2018 Zend Technologies
        with Xdebug v2.7.0, Copyright (c) 2002-2019, by Derick Rethans <-- See this

---

Note: If you like the instructions here, please refer it on your posts/documentation. Contact me if there are corrections needed.