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brew

Install brew-php-switcher with Homebrew

Switch Apache / Valet / CLI configs between PHP versions. Version 2.6 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install brew-php-switcher

local Homebrew formula metadata

overview

Package summary

Switch Apache / Valet / CLI configs between PHP versions

Commands and aliases

  • brew-php-switcher
  • phpswitch.sh

history

Project history and usage

Brew PHP Switcher is a macOS shell utility for switching Homebrew-installed PHP versions across command-line, Apache, and Valet-oriented development setups.

Project history

The project was created in March 2014 and published v1.0 in April 2014. Its README frames the tool as a one-command answer for developers supporting multiple PHP projects that require different PHP major versions.

The script tracks Homebrew PHP layout changes over time. The README documents support for older PHP 5.6 and 7.x versions through modern 8.x versions, and recent commits mention Apple Silicon Homebrew Apache path handling.

Adoption history

The package gained a durable niche among macOS PHP developers because it automated edits that were otherwise easy to get wrong: Apache module lines, CLI symlinks, and optional Valet configuration. GitHub metadata shows over a thousand stars, and Homebrew analytics reported thousands of installs over the prior year at lookup time.

How it is used

Users install it with Homebrew and run commands such as `brew-php-switcher 8.3` or `brew-php-switcher 5.6`. Options allow skipping Apache or Valet changes, or targeting only a specific config area.

Why package nerds care

The package is a classic Homebrew-era local development helper: small shell code wrapped as a formula, solving the impedance mismatch between language runtime versions and macOS web-server configuration. It is historically tied to the long tail of PHP projects that require multiple runtime versions on one laptop.

Timeline

  • 2014: Repository created and v1.0 released.
  • 2019: v2.2 released during the PHP 7.x Homebrew era.
  • 2021: v2.4 released with continued PHP version updates.
  • 2024: v2.6 released.
  • 2026: Homebrew stable version reported as 2.6.

Related projects

  • Homebrew PHP formulae are the runtime packages switched by the tool.
  • Apache configuration is one of the script's central targets.
  • Valet configuration is supported through skip and target options documented in the README.

security posture

Risk level: green

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

  • narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

Signals

  • metadata:no-higher-risk-signals

Install behavior

  • No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
  • Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 1 platform targets.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

executables

Installed executables

CommandKindExposureNote
brew-php-switchercliglobal executable
phpswitch.shcliglobal executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-07-08
manager version2.6
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv2.6

https://github.com/philcook/brew-php-switcher

  • infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:brew-php-switcher
Version2.6
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/brew-php-switcher
Homepagehttps://github.com/philcook/brew-php-switcher
Repositoryhttps://github.com/philcook/brew-php-switcher
Upstream docshttps://github.com/philcook/brew-php-switcher#readme
LicenseMIT
Source archivehttps://github.com/philcook/brew-php-switcher/archive/refs/tags/v2.6.tar.gz
Bottleavailable (on all)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Namebrew-php-switcher
Version Scheme0
Revision0
Head VersionHEAD
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
URL Keys
  • head
  • stable

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

Same workflow

  • ndenvShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, runtime-management.
  • node-buildShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, runtime-management.
  • antShares av.db curated category or tags: apache, cli, developer-tools.
  • apache-opennlpShares av.db curated category or tags: apache, cli, developer-tools.
  • aprShares av.db curated category or tags: apache, cli, developer-tools.
  • apr-utilShares av.db curated category or tags: apache, cli, developer-tools.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Used sources

  • Geiger risk classifier
  • Nucleus package database
  • av.db category and tag curation
  • cross-ecosystem install command graph
  • curated package history
  • package relationship graph
  • package version freshness
  • package-page enrichment