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Use PHPbrew to build and select PHP versions in your home directory; use VirtPHP to keep command-line PHP packages, extensions, and configuration separate by project. They address different layers and can be combined, but check VirtPHP’s installed CLI help for current environment commands rather than relying on an old walkthrough.
What do PHPbrew and VirtPHP each do?
PHPbrew builds and installs multiple PHP versions under a user’s home directory, so those installations do not require root privileges. It also offers build variants for choosing features, supports shell-based version selection, and documents extension management. Building PHP still requires development tools and libraries; requirements depend on the operating system, PHP version, and selected features.
VirtPHP is intended to create isolated Unix-like command-line PHP environments. Its stated purpose is to let projects use different PEAR packages, PECL extensions, and php.ini settings. It can use different installed PHP versions, but it is not itself a PHP compiler or version manager.
| Need | Tool | What it addresses |
|---|---|---|
| Choose a PHP interpreter version or build features | PHPbrew | Builds and selects PHP versions and variants. |
| Separate CLI packages, extensions, or configuration between projects | VirtPHP | Creates project-level isolated CLI environments. |
| Both different PHP versions and project-specific CLI state | PHPbrew and VirtPHP | Use PHPbrew for the build and interpreter selection, and VirtPHP for the project’s CLI environment contents and configuration. |
This distinction matters: changing PHP versions is not the same as isolating a project’s packages or configuration. The tools can complement one another, but the available documentation does not establish a current compatibility matrix.
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How do I install PHPbrew?
PHPbrew’s README documents obtaining its PHAR release, making it executable, putting it on your PATH, initializing it, and loading its shell integration. Follow the current project instructions for the exact release and shell-specific details.
- Get the PHPbrew PHAR release as directed by the PHPbrew project README.
- Make the PHAR executable and place it in a directory on your PATH, following the README’s instructions.
- Run
phpbrew init. - For Bash or Zsh, source
~/.phpbrew/bashrcfrom your shell startup configuration as documented. Fish uses a separate initialization file; use the README’s Fish instructions rather than the Bash/Zsh line.
PHPbrew compiles PHP, so a successful setup depends on the build tools and development libraries for your system and the features you select. Consult the project’s requirements documentation and read the build output for missing dependencies; database support and FPM are examples of features that can affect what a build needs. Do not assume a dependency command for one operating system applies to another.
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How do I switch PHP versions with PHPbrew?
First ask the installed PHPbrew for the versions it knows about. The commands below show the documented command shapes; 8.2 is only an example, not a promise that this release is available to your installation.
phpbrew known
phpbrew install 8.2 +default
phpbrew use 8.2
phpbrew switch 8.2
phpbrew offphpbrew knownlists versions available to the installed tool.phpbrew install 8.2 +defaultillustrates installing a version with the default build variant. Choose a version and variant appropriate to your project and system.phpbrew use 8.2temporarily selects a managed version for the shell.phpbrew switch 8.2changes the default selected version.phpbrew offturns PHPbrew selection off.
PHPbrew’s example version lists are illustrative, not a current-release guarantee. Check phpbrew known and the README for the command model supported by your installed version.
How do I isolate PHP settings per project?
VirtPHP’s documented role is to isolate CLI PHP packages, PECL extensions, and php.ini configuration for different projects. Its official documentation explains how to obtain the PHAR, make it available on PATH, and invoke the CLI to see its available usage. The retrieved documentation does not establish exact create, activate, deactivate, or remove command syntax.
- Install VirtPHP by following the instructions on its official documentation.
- Run the installed CLI’s help or usage output and use its current instructions for creating and entering an environment. Do not copy lifecycle commands from an old example without checking them against your installed tool.
- From the project environment, confirm which PHP executable and configuration are active before installing or changing extensions or packages.
These are practical checks based on the tools’ documented roles, not a tested sequence guaranteed for every installation. VirtPHP states a Unix-like, PHP CLI scope; its documentation does not claim to isolate web-server PHP deployments.
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How do PHPbrew and VirtPHP work together?
Use PHPbrew when a project requires a particular PHP interpreter version or build variant. Use VirtPHP when projects using a PHP build need separate command-line packages, extensions, or configuration. The intended workflow is therefore to select the PHP build first, then work within the project’s VirtPHP environment and verify the active executable and configuration before making changes.
- Use
phpbrew knownto check what versions your PHPbrew installation offers. - Install and select the PHP version and build variant required by the project, using the commands supported by your installed PHPbrew.
- Install or invoke VirtPHP and follow its current CLI help to create and enter the project’s environment.
- Check the active PHP executable and configuration from inside the project environment before installing packages or changing extensions.
VirtPHP recommends pairing it with PHP version tools when multiple PHP versions are needed. A PHPbrew-plus-VirtPHP example appears on Packagist, but it is historical guidance and does not establish current compatibility or current command syntax.
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Which tool should I choose?
- Choose PHPbrew if you need to build PHP versions in your home directory, choose build features, or select among managed versions, and you are prepared to maintain the required compiler tools and libraries.
- Choose VirtPHP if you need separate CLI package, extension, or php.ini state for projects using installed PHP versions, and your environment fits its stated Unix-like CLI scope.
- Consider both if you need both interpreter/build selection and project-level CLI isolation. Verify behavior with your installed versions: the documentation cited here does not provide a current compatibility matrix.
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