Strace PHP

Stracing PHP is a powerful debugging tool to monitor what a script or site is doing in real-time, including detecting bugs, hangs, or other issues.


Steps to Strace PHP

  1. Switch to the Website's Environment

    • Use the following command to switch to the PHP process user:
      su - [user]
      
      Replace [user] with the username associated with the website.
  2. Identify PHP Processes

    • Run the following to list all processes for the user:
      ps aux
      
      Note the Process ID (PID) of the PHP process you want to trace.
  3. Attach Strace to the Process

    • Attach strace to the identified PHP process using:
      strace -p [process_id]
      
      Replace [process_id] with the PID from the previous step.

Output Insights

The strace output will show:

  • System Calls: Track calls to resources like files, databases, or external APIs.
  • Delays: Identify where the process is hanging or waiting.
  • Errors: Detect system-level errors affecting script execution.

Use Case

Strace is particularly helpful when:

  • A PHP script is unresponsive.
  • Database or network connections are failing.
  • Unexpected resource behavior is occurring.
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