More install options

There is more than one way to get PHP Debugger onto a machine. They differ in how much work they are and in what you end up with — either a self-contained PHP interpreter with the debugger compiled in, or the extension loaded into a PHP you already have.

If you have no particular reason to choose, use the installer.

Option	Installs	Good for
Installer	Either	Almost everyone. One command, and it can undo itself.
Docker	Either	Containerised projects.
PIE	Extension	Keeping the PHP you have, managed by a standard tool.
Prebuilt binaries	Either	No build tools, no installer — just a file to download.
From source	Either	A platform nothing else covers, or local changes to the code.
From source on Windows	Either	The same, on Windows, where the toolchain differs.

Which one gives me what

The interpreter is a complete PHP with the debugger built into it. Nothing to enable, and it cannot be accidentally unloaded. The trade-off is that it replaces the php you run.

The extension leaves your existing PHP in place and loads the debugger into it. That keeps whatever else you had configured, at the cost of a zend_extension line and matching a build to your exact PHP.

Notes before you pick

• Building from source is a last resort. Every other option gives you a tested build. Reach for it when nothing else covers your platform, or when you are changing the code.
• The extension has to match your PHP exactly — same minor version, same thread safety, same architecture. The installer and PIE work that out for you; with prebuilt binaries you match it yourself.
• Only the installer knows how to undo itself. It backs up what it replaced and restores it on uninstall. The other routes leave you to reverse them by hand.