PHP +MySQLI

[NathancruzDev]

I have a systems project that works normally on my PC, with version 8.0 of PHP, however when uploading it to GitHub and using it through Codespace, it gives several errors related to MySQL, a PHP library that even through the terminal and reinstalling everything, adding it correctly and removing the ; in the Codespace php.ini still returns a mysqli_module() error, does anyone have a solution?

[Carnacky79]

Could you please provide the exact error you get? Thank you

[12liyab]

Steps to Fix MySQLi Module Error in GitHub Codespaces
Verify MySQLi Installation:
GitHub Codespaces uses a Linux-based environment (often Ubuntu-based). The MySQLi extension may not be installed by default in the PHP setup.
Run the following command in the Codespaces terminal to check if MySQLi is available:
bash

Collapse

Wrap

Run

Copy
php -m | grep mysqli
If no output is returned, the MySQLi extension is not installed or loaded.
Install MySQLi Extension:
In Codespaces, you can install the MySQLi extension using the docker-php-ext-install command, as Codespaces often uses Docker-based environments.
Run the following commands in the terminal:
bash

Collapse

Wrap

Run

Copy
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y php-mysql
sudo docker-php-ext-install mysqli
The php-mysql package includes mysqli and pdo_mysql extensions, and docker-php-ext-install ensures the extension is compiled for the PHP version in use (PHP 8.0 in your case).
Check and Configure php.ini:
Locate the php.ini file used by Codespaces. You can find it by running:
bash

Collapse

Wrap

Run

Copy
php --ini
This will display the path to the loaded php.ini file, typically something like /usr/local/php/8.0.0/ini/php.ini.
Open the php.ini file in the Codespaces editor (e.g., using nano or VS Code’s built-in editor):
bash

Collapse

Wrap

Run

Copy
sudo nano /usr/local/php/8.0.0/ini/php.ini
Ensure the following line is present and uncommented (remove the ;):
ini

Collapse

Wrap

Copy
extension=mysqli
If you don’t see this line, add it under the [PHP] section or where other extensions are listed.
Additionally, ensure the extension_dir is correctly set. Run:
bash

Collapse

Wrap

Run

Copy
ls /usr/local/lib/php/extensions/
Look for a directory like no-debug-non-zts-20200812 (the exact name depends on PHP 8.0’s build). Inside, check for mysqli.so:
bash

Collapse

Wrap

Run

Copy
ls /usr/local/lib/php/extensions/no-debug-non-zts-20200812/
If mysqli.so exists, set the extension_dir in php.ini:
ini

Collapse

Wrap

Copy
extension_dir = "/usr/local/lib/php/extensions/no-debug-non-zts-20200812"
Ensure MySQL Native Driver (mysqlnd) Dependency:
MySQLi relies on the mysqlnd (MySQL Native Driver) extension. If mysqlnd is missing or loaded after mysqli, you may encounter errors like undefined symbol: mysqlnd_global_stats.
Verify mysqlnd is installed:
bash

Collapse

Wrap

Run

Copy
php -m | grep mysqlnd
If missing, install it:
bash

Collapse

Wrap

Run

Copy
sudo apt-get install -y php-mysqlnd
sudo docker-php-ext-install mysqlnd
Ensure mysqlnd is loaded before mysqli in php.ini. Check the additional .ini files in the conf.d directory (listed in php --ini output, e.g., /usr/local/php/8.0.0/ini/conf.d/).
Rename the mysqli ini file to load after mysqlnd if needed:
bash

Collapse

Wrap

Run

Copy
sudo mv /usr/local/php/8.0.0/ini/conf.d/20-mysqli.ini /usr/local/php/8.0.0/ini/conf.d/30-mysqli.ini
This ensures mysqlnd is loaded first, as the order of .ini files matters.
Restart the Web Server:
After modifying php.ini or installing extensions, restart the web server (e.g., Apache or PHP-FPM) to apply changes:
bash

Collapse

Wrap

Run

Copy
sudo systemctl restart apache2
or, for PHP-FPM:
bash

Collapse

Wrap

Run

Copy
sudo systemctl restart php8.0-fpm
If Codespaces uses a custom server setup, restart the Codespace environment:
Stop the Codespace from the GitHub interface and restart it.
Test MySQLi Functionality:
Create a simple PHP script to test the MySQLi extension:
php

Collapse

Wrap

Copy

Save this as test.php, run it in the browser or via the terminal (php test.php), and check the phpinfo() output for a mysqli section. If it’s missing, the extension is still not loaded correctly.
Use a Devcontainer for Consistent Setup:
If the above steps fail, consider using a custom Devcontainer to explicitly define the PHP environment. GitHub Codespaces supports Devcontainers, which allow you to specify dependencies in a devcontainer.json file.
Example devcontainer.json configuration:
json

Collapse

Wrap

Copy
{
"name": "PHP 8.0 with MySQLi",
"image": "php:8.0-apache",
"features": {
"ghcr.io/devcontainers/features/php:1": {
"version": "8.0"
}
},
"postCreateCommand": "apt-get update && apt-get install -y php-mysql php-mysqlnd && docker-php-ext-install mysqli mysqlnd && systemctl restart apache2"
}
Place this in a .devcontainer directory in your repository. This ensures MySQLi and mysqlnd are installed when the Codespace starts.
Check for Common Errors:
Error: “undefined symbol: mysqlnd_global_stats”: This indicates mysqlnd is missing or loaded incorrectly. Reinstall mysqlnd and ensure it loads before mysqli as described in step 4.
Error: “Class 'mysqli' not found”: This suggests MySQLi is not enabled. Double-check php.ini and the extension directory. Also, ensure you’re using the correct PHP version in Codespaces (run php -v to confirm it’s 8.0).
Error: “MySQL server has gone away”: This could indicate a database connection issue rather than a MySQLi module problem. Ensure your MySQL server is running and accessible from Codespaces. Update your database connection settings in your project (e.g., .env file for Laravel) to point to the correct host, user, and password.
Debugging Tips:
Check PHP error logs for detailed messages:
bash

Collapse

Wrap

Run

Copy
cat /var/log/php_errors.log
or, for Apache:
bash

Collapse

Wrap

Run

Copy
cat /var/log/apache2/error.log
If you’re connecting to an external MySQL database, ensure Codespaces can access it (e.g., check firewall settings or use a public IP). For testing, consider running a local MySQL instance in Codespaces:
bash

Collapse

Wrap

Run

Copy
sudo apt-get install -y mysql-server
sudo systemctl start mysql
Verify the MySQL server is running and create a test database:
bash

Collapse

Wrap

Run

Copy
mysql -u root -e 'CREATE SCHEMA test;'
If Issues Persist:
If you’ve tried all steps and still face errors, it’s possible there’s a version mismatch or a bug in the Codespaces PHP setup. Consider:
Switching to PDO_MySQL instead of MySQLi, as PDO is often more reliable and supported across PHP versions. Update your code to use PDO:
php

Collapse

Wrap

Copy

setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION); echo "Connected successfully!"; ?>

Reinstall PHP and extensions completely:
bash

Collapse

Wrap

Run

Copy
sudo apt-get purge php*
sudo apt-get install -y php8.0 php8.0-mysql php8.0-mysqlnd
sudo docker-php-ext-install mysqli mysqlnd
File an issue on the GitHub Codespaces repository (github.com/codespaces) or check the GitHub Community for similar reports.

[EricNeves]

You probably need to install the mysqli extension for PHP to work properly.

Inside the Codespace, run the following command:

sudo apt update -y && sudo apt install php-mysqli

If you're using a .devcontainer/devcontainer.json file, you’ll need to follow the documentation steps to install the mysqli extension properly.

Finally, if the PHP CLI is available in your Codespace, run the command php -m | grep mysqli. If the output shows mysqli, then the extension is successfully installed.

[github-actions[bot]]

🕒 Discussion Activity Reminder 🕒

This Discussion has been labeled as dormant by an automated system for having no activity in the last 60 days. Please consider one the following actions:

1️⃣ Close as Out of Date: If the topic is no longer relevant, close the Discussion as out of date at the bottom of the page.

2️⃣ Provide More Information: Share additional details or context — or let the community know if you've found a solution on your own.

3️⃣ Mark a Reply as Answer: If your question has been answered by a reply, mark the most helpful reply as the solution.

Note: This dormant notification will only apply to Discussions with the Question label. To learn more, see our recent announcement.

Thank you for helping bring this Discussion to a resolution! 💬

[Prasad-hg]

Hi NathancruzDev,

This sounds like the mysqli extension isn’t properly enabled in your Codespace’s PHP setup. A few things to check:

Confirm PHP version in Codespace: Run php -v to verify you’re on PHP 8.0 or compatible.

Check loaded PHP modules: Run php -m and see if mysqli is listed. If not, it’s not enabled.

Edit the right php.ini: Sometimes there are multiple php.ini files. Use php --ini to find which one is active, then make sure extension=mysqli is enabled there (no leading semicolon).

Restart the Codespace or PHP service after making changes so they take effect.

Install the mysqli extension if missing: Depending on your Codespace environment, you might need to install the extension via the package manager. For Debian-based systems:

bash
Copy
Edit
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install php-mysqli
Or if using a different package name, check your distro’s documentation.

Verify that your PHP code uses the right connection parameters matching the Codespace MySQL server.

If after this it still doesn’t work, sharing the exact error message and your environment details (like base image or Codespace config) will help diagnose further.

Hope that points you in the right direction!

[jfullstackdev]

so you mean you also have a proper Codespaces setup ? or you are installing everything while Codespaces is running ? because that is not the proper way to do that,

I have prepared the latest stable Codespaces env for Devs,

the problem might be if your project is still in PHP 8, just check what needs to be adjusted

https://github.com/jfullstackdev/codespaces-template-laravel

[github-actions[bot]]

🕒 Discussion Activity Reminder 🕒

This Discussion has been labeled as dormant by an automated system for having no activity in the last 60 days. Please consider one the following actions:

1️⃣ Close as Out of Date: If the topic is no longer relevant, close the Discussion as out of date at the bottom of the page.

2️⃣ Provide More Information: Share additional details or context — or let the community know if you've found a solution on your own.

3️⃣ Mark a Reply as Answer: If your question has been answered by a reply, mark the most helpful reply as the solution.

Note: This dormant notification will only apply to Discussions with the Question label. To learn more, see our recent announcement.

Thank you for helping bring this Discussion to a resolution! 💬

[bruuhim]

Hi @NathancruzDev! 👋

You've received excellent detailed answers above. Here's a quick summary of the most effective solutions:

🛠️ Quick Fix (Try this first):

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y php8.0-mysql
php -m | grep mysqli  # Verify it's installed

✅ Best Practice: Use a devcontainer

Create .devcontainer/devcontainer.json in your repo:

{
  "image": "php:8.0-apache",
  "postCreateCommand": "apt-get update && apt-get install -y php-mysql && docker-php-ext-install mysqli"
}

This ensures MySQLi is installed automatically every time you open the Codespace.

💡 Alternative: Switch to PDO

If MySQLi continues causing issues, consider using PDO instead - it's more reliable in containerized environments and works the same way:

$pdo = new PDO('mysql:host=localhost;dbname=test', 'user', 'pass');

Check out @jfullstackdev's template for a pre-configured setup: https://github.com/jfullstackdev/codespaces-template-laravel

Good luck with your project! 🚀

[iamgurjitsingh]

This is likely a PHP extension configuration issue in your Codespace environment. Try these steps:

1. Verify MySQLi is enabled:

php -m | grep mysqli

2. If missing, install it:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install php-mysqli

3. Add to your .devcontainer/devcontainer.json:

{
  "postCreateCommand": "sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y php-mysqli"
}

4. Restart the Codespace after making changes.

The issue is that Codespaces doesn't automatically include all PHP extensions that might be on your local machine. You need to explicitly configure them in your devcontainer setup.

Does your project have a .devcontainer folder? If not, you may need to create one to persist these settings.