How to debug php artisan serve in PHPStorm?

Question

I am using PHPStorm for develop my PHP web pages. All work fine with my Apache Server, XDebug, and a simple web PHP project. No problem.

But, when I try to debug a Laravel 5.1 Web Project using php artisan serve, I can't debug the breakpoints. It's like the php artisan serve use another server...

And on my PHPStorm, I always see:

Waiting for incoming connection with ide key '(randomNumberHere)'

I have configured all in PHPStorm (enabling remote debug, correct port, etc.), and with "normal" PHP projects all works fine.

Can someone tell me if I need to change something?

Thanks!

`php artisan serve` **does** use another server, more exactly the [PHP Built-in web server](http://php.net/manual/en/features.commandline.webserver.php). — Bogdan, Sep 25 '15 at 10:34
Ok, thanks @Bogdan, but do you know what I need to do to debug the PHP Built-in web server? Or I need to move all to my apache server... Thanks! — chemitaxis, Sep 25 '15 at 10:37
Haven't tried this so far, but try having a look a the [PHPStorm documention](https://www.jetbrains.com/phpstorm/help/php-built-in-web-server.html) on the subject. — Bogdan, Sep 25 '15 at 10:48
Are you using Debian/Ubuntu? If so, keep in mind that it uses different php.ini files for the apache webserver php module and the php-cli. The `php artisan serve` command uses the cli .ini files. On my Ubuntu it uses `/etc/php5/cli/php.ini` and `/etc/php5/cli/conf.d/20-xdebug.ini`. If you put a `phpinfo();` in the top of your `public/index.php` you could check the used .ini files by starting `php artisan serve` again and then open the given url. You then see you used .ini files under "Loaded Configuration File" and "Additional .ini files parsed". Xdebug will also have an own section if loaded. — marco, Dec 03 '15 at 13:02

score 63 · Answer 1 · edited Jun 22 '21 at 18:23

63

Debugging using php artisan serve does not work unless you have enabled debugging in ini file.

@Bogdan pointed out the reason. artisan serve will call PHP Built-in Web Server but does not pass on the php command line options (named interpreter options in PHPStorm).

i.e. if you execute from command line:

$ php -dxdebug.remote_enable=1 -dxdebug.remote_mode=req -dxdebug.remote_port=9000 -dxdebug.remote_host=127.0.0.1 artisan serve

Then these options given by -d are not passed to called PHP Built-in Web server. You can see the calling of built-in server here.

Workaround in PHPStorm is to create a Run configuration that calls PHP Built-in Web server directly. Instructions:

Open Run -> Edit Configurations...
Create new 'PHP Built-in Web Server'
Set values:

Host: localhost
Port: 8000
Document root: select Laravel's public catalog/directory
Check Use route script and select server.php in Laravel projects root directory.
Interpreter options: -dxdebug.remote_enable=1 -dxdebug.remote_mode=req -dxdebug.remote_port=9000 -dxdebug.remote_host=127.0.0.1

click OK and run.

Now the PHPStorm will execute same command as php artisan serve does with additional interpreter options. Actually the php artisan serve only purpose is to append the server.php to PHP Built-In Web Server. server.php just emulates Apache's mod_rewrite functionality.

Update: Good reminder from @attila-szeremi: make sure "Start Listening for PHP Debug Connections" is enabled which you manually need to do if you don't run a PhpStorm configuration with "Debug"

edited Jun 22 '21 at 18:23

Sᴀᴍ Onᴇᴌᴀ

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answered Jan 08 '18 at 19:22

raigu

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Ok this approach worked, so now instead of running the command php artisan serve from terminal, I just click the Run button in PHPStorm and am able to break at breakpoints. – Haris ur Rehman Mar 24 '18 at 11:39
2

Please include a reminder to make sure "Start Listening for PHP Debug Connections" is enabled which you manually need to do if you don't run a PhpStorm configuration with "Debug". – Attila Szeremi Jun 07 '18 at 16:13
use `route*r* scripts` – Jay Chakra Jul 09 '19 at 07:19
2

where is "Laravel's public catalog"? – Cesar Martinez Dominguez Aug 22 '19 at 16:21
When I do this, then Telescope assets are not loaded. Works only when I run `php artisan serve` in the terminal... any idea how to fix this? – Cesar Martinez Dominguez Sep 13 '19 at 10:00
This worked for me on Windows (XAMPP) but I had to format the command with a space after each `-d` option for it to work: `php -d xdebug.remote_enable=1 -d xdebug.remote_autostart=on -d xdebug.remote_mode=req -d xdebug.remote_port=9001 -d xdebug.remote_host=127.0.0.1 -f artisan serve` – MarijnK Jan 30 '20 at 08:19
@MarijnK, the difference is in _xdebug.remote_autostart=on_. It means connect always to remote listener. If it is turned off, then request must have additional [XDEBUG_SESSION_START](https://xdebug.org/docs/remote#browser_session) parameter. For HTTP request there are extentions for [Chrome](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/xdebug-helper/eadndfjplgieldjbigjakmdgkmoaaaoc?hl=en) and [Firefox](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/xdebug-helper-for-firefox/) to automate turning on or off the debug mode. I think your way is more convenient. – raigu Jan 31 '20 at 09:16
5

for xdebug 3+ use this Interpreter options: ```-dxdebug.mode=debug -dxdebug.start_with_request=trigger -dxdebug.client_port=9003 -dxdebug.client_host=127.0.0.1``` – Bruno Luiz K. Jun 29 '21 at 20:02
With more recent version of Laravel, you may need to make some changes: 1. Use the server.php located at `/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/resources/server.php` 2. Set the "custom working directory" to the public directory (by default its `/public`) – acomputerdog Oct 06 '22 at 17:10

Josh · Answer 2 · 2017-08-31T04:35:50.950

I don't use phpstorm, but perhaps the solution that I use for debugging in netbeans will prove useful.

artisan serve uses a different ini file from the one loaded by your web container

Find this by typing

php --ini

On my ubuntu box it's located at

Loaded Configuration File:         /etc/php/7.0/cli/php.ini

Edit the ini for your cli environment and use the same configuration you used to enable it for your web container;

Example...

[Zend]
zend_extension=/usr/lib/php/20151012/xdebug.so
xdebug.remote_enable=1
xdebug.remote_handler=dbgp
xdebug.remote_mode=req
xdebug.remote_host=127.0.0.1
xdebug.remote_port=9000

The only caveat for this, is that as long as you have this configured, it will impact other things that you use php cli for.

Additional note

If you want your debug session to always start automatically (instead of initiating a remote debug via URL request parameter XDEBUG_SESSION_START=name, for example, when debugging CLI stuff), you can set XDEBUG to always start a remote debugging session with this additional configuration;

xdebug.remote_autostart = 1

See https://xdebug.org/docs/all

Normally you need to use a specific HTTP GET/POST variable to start remote debugging (see Remote Debugging). When this setting is set to 1, Xdebug will always attempt to start a remote debugging session and try to connect to a client, even if the GET/POST/COOKIE variable was not present.

for xdebug 3.0 Use xdebug.mode=debug with xdebug.start_with_request=yes. — Cui Qing, Aug 27 '21 at 09:18

score 7 · Answer 3 · answered Dec 01 '20 at 10:49

Xdebug 3.0 update

Working with XDebug 3.0 is a big easiness now. How I switched on in phpstorm.

My php.ini configuration:

zend_extension = php_xdebug-3.0.0-7.4-vc15-nts-x86_64.dll
xdebug.client_port = 9000
xdebug.mode = debug

Install proper Xdebug extension for your OS: https://xdebug.org/docs/install

Settings in PHPStorm (my version 2020.2.3):

Start listening for PHP Debug Connections
Managing first connection to server.php after running php artisan serve and first debugging

Browser

Xdebug extension specified for your browser (for firefox: https://addons.mozilla.org/pl/firefox/addon/xdebug-helper-for-firefox/)
turn on debug extension on your desired webpage

thanks. this worked for my on MS-Windows – SuB May 16 '23 at 16:11 — SuB, May 16 '23 at 16:11

score 4 · Answer 4 · answered Feb 24 '18 at 18:41

So, after going through Jeffry's Be Awesome in PhpStorm, I had been stuck in a similar situation to the OP (in the chapter regarding Xdebug and Laravel). I was setting up the breakpoints, but PhpStorm was not able to break the execution according to those points. And, to be honest, Josh's answer here somewhat helped me to understand the problem, but was not clear enough for me. So, I went out and found the solution myself by hit and trial method, the final solution of which I want to share. May be it will come in handy for some folks still wondering.

Firstly, as OP said/guessed, php artisan server does use another server. It is PHP's built in web server plus the server.php router file. And the configurations it uses are the CLI configurations. Try php --ini to find all the included configurations.

In my case (Ubuntu 17.10), the Xdebug configuration file being included was from the location /etc/php/7.2/cli/conf.d/20-xdebug.ini. I added the second line to enable remote xdebug and now the file looks like this with total 2 lines:

zend_extension=xdebug.so xdebug.remote_enable=1

Now for configuring PhpStorm:

Run > Edit Configurations and give any name or just leave it as Unnamed
Click ... after the Server: option
Click + and give any name (for example Laravel App)
Set Host as localhost, Port as 8000 and Debugger as Xdebug and leave any other check marks unchecked!
Click Apply / OK
From the drop down list of Server: select the one we just set up.
Set the Start URL: the URL where you want to start debuging (for example \user)
Select the browser you prefer.
Click Apply / OK

Please remember that the debugger will only work after the actual web server starts, which is the server that starts with php artisan server command.

Now, start the web server ie. php artisan serve and in PhpStorm click Run > Debug 'your-debug-config', and everything should work fine!

score 4 · Answer 5 · edited Aug 16 '21 at 16:51

OS: Windows 10 pro

this is working for me:

php 8.0 and xdebug 3+

1.  zend_extension="c:\phplts\ext\php_xdebug.dll"
2.  xdebug.mode=debug
3.  xdebug.start_with_request=yes
4.  xdebug.idekey=PHPSTORM
5.  xdebug.client_host=127.0.0.1
6.  xdebug.client_port=9003
7.  xdebug.remote_handler=dbgp
8.  xdebug.discover_client_host=1

php 7.4 and xdebug 2+

1. zend_extension="c:\phplts\ext\php_xdebug.dll"
2. xdebug.remote_autostart=1
3. xdebug.default_enable=1
4. xdebug.remote_port=9001
5. xdebug.remote_host=127.0.0.1
6. xdebug.remote_connect_back=1
7. xdebug.remote_enable=1
8. xdebug.idekey=PHPSTORM
9. ;xdebug.profiler_enable = 0;
10. ;xdebug.profiler_enable_trigger = 1;
11. ;xdebug.profiler_output_dir="D:\www\php-projects\xdebug" # make sure folder created first and it is writable
12. ;xdebug.profiler_output_name = "cachegrind.out.%t"

PhpStorm

In the Settings/Preferences dialog (Ctrl+Alt+S) click PHP under Languages & Frameworks.
in php -> debug change port 9001
in File > Settings > Languages & Frameworks > PHP > Debug > DBGp Proxy
1. add ide key PHPSTORM
2. change port 9001
  1. 9003 for xdebug 3+