cli switch to ignore a certain extension

[staabm]

Description

when running php on the CLI its sometimes usefull to use the default config, but ignore only certain extensions.
(e.g. because these extension bring a perf hit when loaded, like blackfire or xdebug)

atm its quite some work to invoke PHP via cli, with all the default settings but just a single extension not loaded.
see e.g. composer/xdebug-handler which needs a lot of code to just make the use-case work for xdebug alone. I would need a similar thing for blackfire (and maybe another one for tideways).

I manually tried using php -n -dextension= ..<all loaded extensions here except xdebug> but this does not work.
(I think I would need to replicate most of the logic in composer/xdebug-handler)

would this problem be more easily solved with a new cli option at php-src level, which would allow to use the default but disable certain given extensions?

[nielsdos]

What's stopping you from temporarily commenting a line in the php.ini file?

[staabm]

I want to disable a/the extension(s) for certain subprocesses which are created e.g. via proc_open without interfering with the global config which might be use by other processes at the same time

[cmb69]

You can use an own php.ini (possibly copied from the global php.ini, and modified) either via -c or via PHPRC. Or you can use a php-cli.ini, or on Windows you have a gazillion options using the registry.

[staabm]

I agree there are multiple complicated options which kind of fix this problem.

my issue was asking about whether there might be a easy thing todo which works on all php supported platforms and works good for tools like phpunit which create maybe hundreds of subprocesses which each might need a separate copy of the php.ini with only a few extension not loaded, if done like suggested.

it seems there is currently no easy way todo it (especially not in a extension agnostic way) and thats the reason why userland hacks like composer/xdebug-handler exist (which are used in phpstan, rector and other cli tools but only work for xdebug)

I am fine with closing this issue, incase you think php is good enough in this use-case.

[cmb69]

incase you think php is good enough in this use-case.

I'm not sure. I understand your use-case, but I'm also afraid that there are already too many possibilities to set INI options. Maybe a discussion on the internals mailing list is in order?