Complete Guide to Remote PHP Debugging with Eclipse

M66 2025-07-02

Complete Process for Setting Up Remote PHP Debugging in Eclipse

Debugging is a critical part of PHP development, directly impacting productivity and code quality. Eclipse, a powerful IDE, supports remote PHP debugging through Xdebug. This guide walks you through the setup process to help you quickly identify and resolve issues.

Prerequisites

Before configuring your environment, make sure the following requirements are met:

Xdebug is installed and enabled on the remote server
Eclipse IDE is installed with the PHP Development Tools (PDT) plugin enabled
Network connectivity exists between your local machine and the server

Configuring Xdebug

Edit the php.ini file on your remote server with the following settings:

zend_extension=/path/to/xdebug.so
xdebug.remote_enable=1
xdebug.remote_host=YOUR_LOCAL_IP
xdebug.remote_port=9000
xdebug.remote_handler=dbgp

Replace YOUR_LOCAL_IP with your actual local machine IP. Restart your web server for changes to take effect.

Setting Up Remote Debugging in Eclipse

Once your server is ready, follow these steps in Eclipse:

Configure Project Debugger

Right-click your PHP project, go to Properties, then PHP > Debug, and select Xdebug as the debugger.

Create a Debug Configuration

Go to Run > Debug Configurations, right-click PHP Web Application, and choose New. Configure the following:

Project: Select your project
File: Choose the entry file for debugging (e.g., index.php)

Set Listening Port

Ensure the Eclipse listening port matches the one configured in Xdebug (default is 9000).

Start Debugging

After all configurations are complete, you can begin debugging:

Select the debug configuration and click the Debug button
Access the PHP script on your remote server via a web browser
Eclipse will automatically pause execution at breakpoints, allowing you to inspect variables, call stacks, and more

Common Issues and Solutions

Unable to Connect to Xdebug

If Eclipse fails to connect to Xdebug, check the following:

Ensure Xdebug is properly configured
Verify that port 9000 is open on your local firewall
Confirm that network communication between devices is functional

Debugging is Slow

If debugging feels sluggish, try tweaking these settings:

xdebug.remote_connect_back=0
xdebug.remote_timeout=5

After applying the changes, restart your web server.

Conclusion

By configuring Eclipse and Xdebug properly, you can seamlessly enable remote PHP debugging. This setup significantly enhances development efficiency by allowing you to troubleshoot and fix issues faster. Mastering this workflow will improve your productivity and reduce debugging time.