The Tool Desk
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How Xdebug and Sublime Text work together
Xdebug runs as a PHP extension; Sublime Text’s Xdebug Client package acts as the debugging client. When a session starts, Xdebug connects to the client using DBGp, allowing you to pause execution, step through code, and inspect data. As the Xdebug step-debugging documentation puts it, “Xdebug’s step debugger allows you to interactively walk through your code to debug control flow and examine data structures.”
Both sides must be configured for the same session. Installing the Sublime package alone does not install or enable Xdebug in PHP.
Set up Xdebug and Sublime Text 3
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Identify the PHP runtime and its configuration
First determine whether you are debugging command-line PHP or a web request handled by PHP-FPM or a web-server module. These runtimes can load different PHP configuration files. For CLI PHP, run
php --inito see the loaded configuration file and scanned INI files. For web PHP, check the configuration information for the web-server runtime, then edit the INI file that process actually uses. Xdebug’s installation guide covers installation in different PHP environments.Recommended: PC Feels Slow? A Free Scan Shows What's Dragging Windows Down →Recommended: Crashes or Glitches? A Free Driver Scan Usually Finds the Culprit →Recommended: Fix Windows Errors and Clear Junk Files in Minutes - Free Scan →Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.#1 Best Overall
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Install a build compatible with your PHP version
Choose an Xdebug version that supports the PHP version used by the target runtime. The Xdebug compatibility table lists supported combinations. The official installation guide describes options that include a suitable distribution package, PIE, or a source installation; the right method depends on your operating system and PHP setup. The installation page reported Xdebug 3.5.3 as the latest release on October 5, 2026, but that does not mean it supports every older PHP version.
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Enable step debugging in the active INI file
In the configuration used by the PHP process you intend to debug, enable Xdebug’s debug mode:
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xdebug.mode=debugMake sure Xdebug itself is loaded by that runtime as well. If you change configuration for a web server or PHP-FPM process, apply the change using the appropriate service restart or reload for that environment.
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Install the Sublime Text client
In Sublime Text, open the command palette, choose Package Control: Install Package, and select
Xdebug Client. The package’s repository also documents installation and client settings. Avoid installing both SublimeTextXdebug and SublimeXdebug: the package documentation warns that they may compete by listening on the same port and using similar key mappings.What’s actually slowing this PC down?
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Match the client port and start a session
Xdebug 3 uses client port 9003 by default. Configure the Sublime client to listen on the port Xdebug will contact; unless you have deliberately changed it, use 9003. Start listening in Sublime before triggering the PHP request or command.
The Sublime package can use a configured URL to start or stop a session with
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Map paths for remote PHP
When PHP runs remotely—for example, on another host or in a container—the file path reported by the server may not match the path on your computer. Configure the package’s
path_mappingwith the server path as the key and the corresponding local project path as the value. Correct mapping lets Sublime resolve incoming file locations to local files and apply breakpoints.
Use current Xdebug 3 settings, not the package’s legacy example
The Sublime package page includes an older PHP configuration example using settings such as xdebug.remote_enable, xdebug.remote_host, and xdebug.remote_port, with port 9000. Treat that as legacy guidance, not as a template for a current Xdebug 3 setup. For Xdebug 3, use its current step-debugging configuration, including xdebug.mode=debug, and match the client to the default port 9003 unless you have explicitly configured a different port. The current settings are documented in the Xdebug step-debugging guide and Xdebug settings reference.
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Troubleshoot a session that will not start
Xdebug does not load
- Confirm that the installed Xdebug build supports the PHP version used by the process.
- Check that the active INI configuration contains the correct extension-loading directive.
- Use
php --inifor CLI PHP, or inspect the loaded and scanned configuration files for the relevant web runtime. Do not assume a CLI configuration change also affects PHP-FPM or a web server.
A web request runs without stopping at breakpoints
- Verify that Xdebug is enabled in the web server’s PHP runtime and that the active configuration sets
xdebug.mode=debug. - Confirm that Sublime is listening before the request begins.
- Check that the request sends a session trigger, such as the configured URL behavior in the package. If no URL is configured, start the session through another supported trigger.
The client cannot connect
- Make sure Sublime’s Xdebug Client is listening and that the PHP process can reach the configured client host and port.
- Check that both sides use the same port. Xdebug 3 defaults to 9003; the package’s legacy example uses 9000 and does not represent the current default.
- For remote PHP, check network reachability from the PHP environment to the machine running Sublime.
The session connects but files or breakpoints do not resolve
Review path_mapping. Its keys should be paths as seen by the server, and its values should be the corresponding paths on your local machine. Check that the mapping matches the project directory actually used by the running PHP process.
Opcache or JIT affects behavior
Xdebug can load with Opcache, but the two are not fully compatible in every case. Xdebug recommends loading after Opcache for better compatibility. Xdebug does not work with PHP’s JIT engine; if Xdebug is loaded while JIT is enabled, PHP emits a warning and disables JIT. See the compatibility notes before changing these settings.
Check the runtime again when versions change
Xdebug’s supported PHP versions and available releases change over time, as can package availability and client defaults. Recheck the official compatibility table, installation guide, and Sublime package listing when upgrading or setting up a different environment. The appropriate configuration always depends on the PHP runtime that executes the code you are debugging.
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