Configure PHP on macOS X

This short entry will show you an easy way of updating, configuring and using the built-in PHP on macOS, tested on High Sierra.

Updating

As already mentioned PHP is already installed, the current PHP Version could be determined using php -v on the terminal.

If you want to switch on 7.2 you could just execute this command, or install it manually

curl -s http://php-osx.liip.ch/install.sh | bash -s 7.2

Make it available at the CLI

Now that we have updated PHP you still get your old version with php -v, so we need to update your path.

For that make or edit your ~/.bash_profile and add the line export PATH=/usr/local/php5/bin:$PATH.

Create local webspace

When using the built in PHP you can just edit /etc/apache2/other/+php-osx.conf, this file is automatically loaded.

This scheme could be used for the beginning:

#
# Additional PHP Apache directives,
# part of the entropy.ch PHP package for Mac OS X
#
# For more information, go to http://www.entropy.ch/software/macosx/php/
#

LoadModule php7_module        /usr/local/php5/libphp7.so

<IfModule mod_php7.c>

    AddType application/x-httpd-php .php
    AddType application/x-httpd-php-source .phps

    <IfModule mod_dir.c>
        DirectoryIndex index.html index.php
    </IfModule>
</IfModule>

Also must be set that apache really listens to the IP/Port. Go to /etc/apache2/httpd.conf and search for an entry like Listen 127.0.0.1:80. Add the IP's and Port's needed you want that the server will be accessible from.

And now just restart Apache to fetch the new config:

apachectl restart

Debug vhost Configuration

Syntax Check

apachectl -t

List configured vhosts

apachectl -S

Install Dev Components and Tools

Composer

Head to the composer page and fetch your copy of composer like it is described there.

After you got the phar file, move it to the bin folder like:

mv composer.phar /usr/local/bin/

Now edit your ~/.bash_profile and add this line:

alias composer="php /usr/local/bin/composer.phar"