Developer Builds Open-Source MCP Server to Let AI Agents Debug PHP via Xdebug in Docker

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A developer frustrated with the limitations of PhpStorm's built-in MCP server has released xdbg, a custom open-source MCP server designed to give AI agents full Xdebug debugging capabilities inside Docker containers. PhpStorm's native MCP server, introduced in version 2025.2, only supports GET requests and lacks header control, CLI path support, and in-container Xdebug management. The xdbg tool enables an AI agent to enable Xdebug, set breakpoints, fire real HTTP requests, step through code, and inspect runtime state autonomously. Available on GitHub under the MIT licence with a one-line install, it is compatible with AI coding clients such as Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-capable tool. The project was motivated by real-world debugging failures where LLMs alone produced plausible but incorrect diagnoses, highlighting the need for runtime inspection alongside static code analysis.

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ProgrammingDEV Community ·

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ProgrammingHacker News ·

GNU Radio Now Runs Directly in the Browser

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