Installing PHP5 Debugger On OpenSUSE 11.3

This tutorial shows how to install php5 debugger (xdebug) on OpenSUSE 11.3.

I suppose you have installed Apache2 and PHP5 packages through zypper or yast. If not, please run:

zypper install php5 apache2 apache2-mod_php5

The reason I use xdebug is, as far as I know now, xdebug supports php 5.3 or above.

I have the following installation environment:

OS: OpenSUSE 11.3 32 bit

Webserver: Apache 2.2.15 linux/suse

PHP: 5.3.2, with xdebug 2.1.0

Now let's begin (I run the following step as root, although you may not need it for some steps).

Step 1. Download xdebug 2.1.0 from http://www.xdebug.org/files/xdebug-2.1.0.tgz into /tmp directory, run tar command to unzip it, and cd into the xdebug2.1.0 directory:

cd /tmp

tar zxvf xdebug-2.1.0.tgz && cd xdebug-2.1.0

Step 2. Install additional packages before compiling xdebug, for my system, I need gcc, make, and php5-devel:

zypper install gcc make php5-devel

Step 3.  Make sure /usr/bin/phpize and /usr/bin/php-config exist (soft links to /etc/alternative/):

ls -l /usr/bin/php*

Step 4. Please read the README file, installation procedure is clearly explained.

Step 5. Run the phpize command:

phpize

You should see the following message on your screen:

Configuring for:

PHP Api Version: 20090626

Zend Module Api No: 20090626

Zend Extension Api No: 220090626

Step 6.  Now compile xdebug:

./configure --enable-xdebug && make

If everything is ok, you should see that output on the screen, like:

libraries have been installed in: /tmp/xdebug-2.1.0/modules

build complete

Step 7. Find where the php5 modules are, and copy the xdebug.somodule to that directory. Since I installed php5, apache2 through zypper, the php5 module directory is under /usr/lib/php5/extensions/:

cp modules/xdebug.so /usr/lib/php5/extensions/

Step 8. Find where the php.ini configuration file is. Again if you install php5 and apache2 through yast or zypper, it is under the /etc/php5/apache2/ directory.

vi /etc/php5/apache2/php.ini

Add the following line at the end of this configration file:

zend_extension="/usr/lib/php5/extension/xdebug.so"

Step 9. Restart apache server, if there are no error messages, everything should work now.

/etc/init.d/apache2 restart

Step 10. Write a php page with a single line phpinfo();, load it in a browser, and you should see the following message:

 This program make use of the zend scripting language engine:
Zend engine v2.3.0 copyright (c) 1998-2010 zend technologies
  with Xdebug v2.1.0. Copyright(c) 2002-2010, by Derick Rethans

You should also find an xdebug section near the end of this page. Bingo!

Please let me know if you have any question. Thanks.