blog: Feb 2026 newsletter (#551)

Author: rfay

public/img/blog/2026/02/beauty-of-buford.jpg

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+---
+title: "DDEV February 2026: v1.25.0 Ships, 72% Market Share, and New Training Posts"
+pubDate: 2026-02-19
+summary: "DDEV v1.25.0 released with improved Windows support and modern defaults, CraftQuest survey shows 72% market share, plus new training posts on Mutagen, Xdebug, and ddev share"
+author: Randy Fay
+featureImage:
+  src: "/img/blog/2026/02/beauty-of-buford.jpg"
+  alt: "Nancy Lewis: The Beauty of Buford"
+  caption: "Nancy Lewis: The Beauty of Buford"
+categories:
+  - Newsletters
+---
+
+DDEV v1.25.0 is here, and the community response has been strong. This month also brought three new training blog posts and a survey result that speaks for itself.
+
+## What's New
+
+- **DDEV v1.25.0 Released** → Improved Windows installer (no admin required), XHGui as default profiler, updated defaults (PHP 8.4, Node.js 24, MariaDB 11.8), faster snapshots with zstd compression, and experimental rootless container support. [Read the release post↗](release-v1.25.0.md)
+- **New `ddev share` Provider System** → Free Cloudflare Tunnel support, no login or token required. A modular provider system with hooks and CMS-specific configuration. [Read more↗](share-providers.md)
+- **Mutagen in DDEV: Functionality, Issues, and Debugging** → Based on the January training session, this post covers how Mutagen works, common issues, and the new `ddev utility mutagen-diagnose` command. [Read more↗](mutagen-functionality-issues-debugging.md)
+- **Xdebug in DDEV: Understanding and Troubleshooting Step Debugging** → How the reverse connection model works, IDE setup for PhpStorm and VS Code, common issues, and the new `ddev utility xdebug-diagnose` command. [Read more↗](xdebug-step-debugging-understanding-and-troubleshooting.md)
+
+## CraftQuest Survey: DDEV at 72%
+
+The [2026 CraftQuest Community Survey↗](https://craftquest.io/community-survey/2026) collected responses from 253 Craft CMS developers and found DDEV at 72% market share for local development environments. The report notes: "This near-standardization simplifies onboarding for newcomers, reduces support burden for plugin developers, and means the ecosystem can optimize tooling around a single local dev workflow."
+
+## Conference Time!
+
+I'll be at Florida Drupalcamp this week, and will speak on how to [use `git worktree` to run multiple versions of the same site](https://www.fldrupal.camp/session/use-git-worktree-ddev-run-multiple-versions-same-site). I'd love to see you and sit down and hear your experience with DDEV and ways you think it could be better.
+
+Then in March I'll be at [DrupalCon Chicago](https://events.drupal.org/chicago2026) and as usual will do lots of Birds-of-a-Feather sessions about DDEV and related topics. Catch me in the hall, or [let's sit down and have a coffee](https://cal.com/randyfay/30min).
+
+## Community Highlights
+
+- **ddev-mngr** → A Go-based command-line tool with an interactive terminal UI for managing multiple DDEV projects at once — start, stop, check status, and open URLs across projects. With this add-on [Olivier Dobberkau](https://github.com/dkd-dobberkau) inspired a new TUI approach for DDEV core as well! [View on GitHub↗](https://github.com/dkd-dobberkau/ddev-mngr)
+- **TYPO3 DDEV Agent Skill** → Netresearch built an Agent Skill (compatible with Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, and GitHub Copilot) that automates DDEV environment setup for TYPO3 extension development, including multi-version testing environments for TYPO3 11.5, 12.4, and 13.4 LTS. [View on GitHub↗](https://github.com/netresearch/typo3-ddev-skill)
+- **Using Laravel Boost with DDEV** → Russell Jones explains how to integrate Laravel Boost (an official MCP server) with DDEV, giving AI coding agents contextual access to routes, database schema, logs, and configuration. [Read on Dev.to↗](https://dev.to/jonesrussell/using-laravel-boost-with-ddev-1kc6)
+- **Laravel VS Code Extension v1.4.2** → Now includes Docker integration support and a fix for Pint functionality within DDEV environments. [Read more↗](https://news.extly.com/more-news/2030-dev-news/24693-docker-support-in-laravel-vs-code-extension-v1-4-2.html)
+
+## Community Tutorials from Around the World
+
+- **Getting Started with DDEV for Drupal Development** → Ivan Zugec at WebWash published a guide covering installation, daily commands, database import/export, Xdebug setup, and add-ons. [Read on WebWash↗](https://www.webwash.net/getting-started-ddev-drupal-development/)
+- **Environnement de développement WordPress avec DDEV** → Stéphane Arrami shares a practical review of adopting DDEV for WordPress development, covering client projects, personal sites, and training (in French). [Read more↗](https://stephane-arrami.com/articles/environnement-developpement-wordpress-ddev/)
+
+## What People Are Saying
+
+> "I was today years old when I found out that DDEV exists. Now I am busy migrating all projects to Docker containers." — [@themuellerman.bsky.social↗](https://bsky.app/profile/themuellerman.bsky.social/post/3mdq22hu3uc2c)
+
+> "ddev is the reason I don't throw my laptop out of the window during local setup wars. one command to run the stack and forget the rest. simple as that." — [@OMascatinho on X↗](https://x.com/OMascatinho/status/2017005770944971031)
+
+## v1.25.0 Upgrade Notes and Known Issues
+
+Every major release brings some friction, and v1.25.0 is no exception. These will generally be solved in v1.25.1, which will be out soon. Here's what to watch for:
+
+- **deb.sury.org certificate expiration on v1.24.x** → The GPG key for the PHP package repository expired on February 4, breaking `ddev start` for users still on v1.24.10 who needed to rebuild containers. We pushed updated images for v1.24.10, so you can either `ddev poweroff && ddev utility download-images` or just go ahead and upgrade to v1.25.0, which shipped with the updated key. [Details↗](https://github.com/ddev/ddev/issues/8106)
+- **MariaDB 11.8 client and SSL** → DDEV v1.25.0 ships with MariaDB 11.8 client (required for Debian Trixie), which defaults to requiring SSL. This can break `drush sql-cli` and similar tools on MariaDB versions below 10.11. Workaround: add `extra: "--skip-ssl"` to your `drush/drush.yml` under `command.sql.options`, or upgrade your database to MariaDB 10.11+. [Details↗](https://github.com/ddev/ddev/issues/8119)
+
+[//]: # '- **Docker 29 compatibility** → Docker 29 changed the default storage driver, which can cause intermittent build failures when DDEV builds `web` and `db` images in parallel. Workarounds include pinning to Docker 28 or setting `"storage-driver": "overlay2"` in `daemon.json`. [Details↗](https://github.com/ddev/ddev/issues/8136)'
+
+- **MySQL collation issues** → Importing databases can silently change collations, leading to "Illegal mix of collations" errors when joining imported tables with newly created ones. Separately, overriding MySQL server collation via `.ddev/mysql/*.cnf` doesn't work as expected. [#8130↗](https://github.com/ddev/ddev/issues/8130) [#8129↗](https://github.com/ddev/ddev/issues/8129)
+- **Inter-container HTTP(S) communication** → The ddev-router doesn't always update network aliases when projects start or stop, which can break container-to-container requests for `*.ddev.site` hostnames. [Details↗](https://github.com/ddev/ddev/issues/8110)
+- **Downgrading to v1.24.10** → If you need to go back to v1.24.10, you'll need to clean up `~/.ddev/traefik/config` — leftover v1.25.0 Traefik configuration breaks the older version. [Details↗](https://github.com/ddev/ddev/issues/8120)
+- **Traefik debug logging noise** → Enabling Traefik debug logging surfaces warning-level messages as "router configuration problems" during `ddev start` and `ddev list`, which looks alarming but is harmless. [Details↗](https://github.com/ddev/ddev/issues/8102)
+- **`ddev npm` and `working_dir`** → `ddev npm` doesn't currently respect the `working_dir` web setting, a difference from v1.24.10. [Details↗](https://github.com/ddev/ddev/issues/8148)
+
+As always, please [open an issue↗](https://github.com/ddev/ddev/issues/new/choose) if you run into trouble — it helps us fix things faster. You're the reason DDEV works so well!
+
+---
+
+## DDEV Training Continues
+
+Join us for upcoming training sessions for contributors and users.
+
+- **February 26, 2026 at 10:00 US ET / 16:00 CET — Git bisect for fun and profit**
+  [Add to Google Calendar](https://calendar.google.com/calendar/render?action=TEMPLATE&text=Git%20bisect%20for%20fun%20and%20profit&dates=20260226T150000Z/20260226T160000Z&details=Join%20the%20DDEV%20training%20session%20via%20Zoom.%0ALink%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fus02web.zoom.us%2Fj%2F7315692237%3Fpwd%3DRHR6NUkwb0g5WXIzS2NOcXRucCthZz09%0AMeeting%20ID%3A%20731%20569%202237%0APasscode%3A%2012345&location=Online&trp=true) •
+  [Download .ics](/files/ics/ddev-2026-02-26.ics)
+
+- **March 26, 2026 at 10:00 US ET / 15:00 CET — Using `git worktree` with DDEV projects and with DDEV itself**
+  [Add to Google Calendar](https://calendar.google.com/calendar/render?action=TEMPLATE&text=Using%20git%20worktree%20with%20DDEV%20projects%20and%20with%20DDEV%20itself&dates=20260326T140000Z/20260326T150000Z&details=Join%20the%20DDEV%20training%20session%20via%20Zoom.%0ALink%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fus02web.zoom.us%2Fj%2F7315692237%3Fpwd%3DRHR6NUkwb0g5WXIzS2NOcXRucCthZz09%0AMeeting%20ID%3A%20731%20569%202237%0APasscode%3A%2012345&location=Online&trp=true) •
+  [Download .ics](/files/ics/ddev-2026-03-26.ics)
+
+- **April 23, 2026 at 10:00 US ET / 16:00 CEST — Creating, maintaining and testing add-ons**
+  2026-updated version of our popular add-on training. [Previous session recording↗](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmXqQe48iqE)
+  [Add to Google Calendar](https://calendar.google.com/calendar/render?action=TEMPLATE&text=Creating%2C%20maintaining%20and%20testing%20add-ons&dates=20260423T140000Z/20260423T150000Z&details=Join%20the%20DDEV%20training%20session%20via%20Zoom.%0ALink%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fus02web.zoom.us%2Fj%2F7315692237%3Fpwd%3DRHR6NUkwb0g5WXIzS2NOcXRucCthZz09%0AMeeting%20ID%3A%20731%20569%202237%0APasscode%3A%2012345&location=Online&trp=true) •
+  [Download .ics](/files/ics/ddev-2026-04-23.ics)
+
+Zoom Info:
+Link: [Join Zoom Meeting](https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7315692237?pwd=RHR6NUkwb0g5WXIzS2NOcXRucCthZz09)
+Passcode: 12345
+
+---
+
+## Sponsorship Update
+
+After the community rallied in January, sponsorship has held steady and ticked up slightly. Thank you!
+
+**Previous status (January 2026)**: ~$8,208/month (68% of goal)
+
+**February 2026**: ~$8,422/month (70% of goal)
+
+If DDEV has helped your team, now is the time to give back. Whether you're an individual developer, an agency, or an organization — your contribution makes a difference. → [Become a sponsor↗](https://github.com/sponsors/ddev)
+
+[Contact us](/contact) to discuss sponsorship options that work for your organization.
+
+## Stay in the Loop—Follow Us and Join the Conversation
+
+- [Blog↗](https://ddev.com/blog/)
+- [LinkedIn↗](https://www.linkedin.com/company/ddev-foundation)
+- [Mastodon↗](https://fosstodon.org/@ddev)
+- [Bluesky↗](https://bsky.app/profile/ddev.bsky.social)
+- [Discord↗](/s/discord)
+
+Compiled and edited with assistance from Claude Code.