PHP CLI Debugging in Vagrant using Xdebug and PHPStorm

README.md

In host:

1. Go to PHPStorm Settings > Project settings > PHP > Servers
2. Add server with following parameters:
   • Name: vagrant (same as serverName= in debug script)
   • Host, port: set vagrant box IP and port
   • Debugger: Xdebug
   • [v] Use path mappings
   • Map your project root in host to relative dir in guest
   • Hit OK
3. PHPStorm > Run > Start listen for PHP Debug connections
4. Put a breakpoint

In guest:

1. Find where your Xdebug config is stored. Run $ php -i | grep ini and look for *xdebug.ini or *custom.ini - depends on configuration (mine was in /etc/php5/cli/conf.d/zzzz_custom.ini)
2. Add following xdebug.remote_host = 11.22.33.1, when box ip is 11.22.33.*
3. Create file /usr/bin/debug with contents added below (file debug below)
4. Make it executable $ sudo chmod 0777 /usr/bin/debug
5. Run your script prefixed with debug:
   • $ debug app/console cache:clear
6. Debugger window should open in IDE

debug

#!/bin/sh
env PHP_IDE_CONFIG="serverName=vagrant" XDEBUG_CONFIG="idekey=PHPSTORM" $@

# for Symfony apps use following
# env PHP_IDE_CONFIG="serverName=vagrant" XDEBUG_CONFIG="idekey=PHPSTORM" SYMFONY_DEBUG="1" $@

you can also

• in phpStorm Settings > Run > Edit Configurations
• add a PHP Script configuration
• set the file to the full local filesystem path eg /your/path/to/app/console
• set arguments eg cache:clear
• set environment variables to PHP_IDE_CONFIG="serverName=vagrant";XDEBUG_CONFIG="idekey=PHPSTORM"