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

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