- What does bedard/debugbar do in an October CMS application?
- It is an October CMS plugin that integrates barryvdh/laravel-debugbar into October's plugin registration lifecycle. It adds an in-browser developer toolbar for inspecting database queries, routes, logs, timings, and runtime details. It is not a general Laravel package; it only applies to October CMS projects.
- Is bedard/debugbar the same as barryvdh/laravel-debugbar?
- No, it is a thin wrapper around barryvdh/laravel-debugbar. The toolbar and data collectors come from the upstream package, while this plugin registers the service provider, middleware, and configuration inside October CMS. On plain Laravel, you should install barryvdh/laravel-debugbar directly instead.
- How do I install bedard/debugbar?
- Install it with Composer using composer require bedard/debugbar, then register or enable the plugin in your October CMS project. Publish or adjust the plugin configuration as needed and confirm the debugbar middleware is active in your local environment. Because the package is archived, review its compatibility with your October and PHP versions before adopting it.
- Does bedard/debugbar support October CMS 3.x and Laravel 9 or 10?
- That is unverified. The last release was in September 2021, before October CMS 3.x and newer upstream debugbar 2.x changes, so class-not-found errors or method signature mismatches are plausible on modern stacks. Test it on a branch first, or reimplement the small wrapper against barryvdh/laravel-debugbar directly.
- Can bedard/debugbar be used in production?
- No, not safely. Debugbar can expose query text, request parameters, session data, configuration values, and environment variables to anyone who can reach it. Gate it on APP_DEBUG and the application environment, and add a CI or deployment check so it cannot be enabled outside local or staging.
- Is bedard/debugbar still maintained?
- No. The repository is archived, the last release was 2021-09-25, and it has essentially no downstream dependents. That means no security patches or compatibility fixes will flow to you. If you adopt it, fork it under your own namespace or replace it with a small in-house wrapper.
- What are the alternatives to bedard/debugbar for October CMS?
- The usual alternative is to depend on barryvdh/laravel-debugbar directly and register it from a small in-house October plugin or an existing plugin's boot method. This is only a service provider registration plus a config file, and it gives you a maintained dependency you control. For plain Laravel projects, use barryvdh/laravel-debugbar or Laravel Telescope directly.
- How do I disable debugbar outside local development?
- Publish the plugin configuration and tie the enabled flag to APP_DEBUG or an explicit environment allowlist. Register the debugbar middleware conditionally so it is not loaded in production, and verify the behavior in staging. Do not rely on convention alone, because accidental enablement is a data-exposure risk rather than a minor tooling issue.
- Is bedard/debugbar safe to use in automated tests?
- It is a development tool, so it adds overhead and output that most test suites do not need. Disable it in the testing environment through configuration or by setting APP_DEBUG=false in your test bootstrap. If you need query assertions, use Laravel's query log or database events instead of relying on debugbar.
- How do I remove or replace bedard/debugbar?
- Run composer remove bedard/debugbar and remove the plugin registration from your October CMS project, then clear cached config and plugin metadata. If you still want the toolbar, add barryvdh/laravel-debugbar directly and register it from an in-house plugin. That migration is small and converts an archived dependency into a maintained one.