- What does goszowski/laravel-vendor-minify do?
- It is a Laravel package for reducing third-party vendor assets. The package overview says it removes tests and documentation from the vendor directory and minifies all PHP files; the blurb also describes minifying vendor CSS and JavaScript for production. Treat the exact behavior as something to confirm in the repository, because the assessment found no dependency manifest or package metadata.
- How do I install laravel-vendor-minify in a Laravel app?
- Install it with Composer using composer require goszowski/laravel-vendor-minify, then confirm the service provider is discovered or registered. The assessment expects standard Laravel package conventions, including a service provider and possibly a publishable config, but no manifest was available. Pin the resolved version in composer.lock and run your test suite after installation.
- Does laravel-vendor-minify support Laravel 6?
- The v1.0.3 changelog entry says Laravel 6 support was added, so that release is the compatibility signal to inspect. However, Laravel 6 reached end of security support in September 2022, and the assessment could not confirm a CI matrix or the composer constraint set. Check composer.json and the release date before treating Laravel 6 as a supported runtime.
- Is it safe to minify the vendor directory in production?
- It can be safe if you run it as part of a controlled build or deployment step and keep a backup or rebuildable artifact. Minifying PHP files and removing tests or docs can expose assumptions in packages that load non-standard files or rely on autoload behavior. Test the application, facades, commands, and config keys after the operation, then promote to staging before production.
- How do I configure which vendor files are excluded from minification?
- The package is inferred to follow standard Laravel conventions, so look for a publishable config file and the service provider after installation. The available assessment does not include package metadata or a dependency manifest, so the exact exclusion keys cannot be confirmed here. Inspect the repository README and config source before relying on any exclusion behavior.
- Can I use laravel-vendor-minify with Laravel 5.x?
- The recorded release adds Laravel 6 support, and the assessment says teams on Laravel 5.x gain nothing from that change. The package may still install on 5.x depending on its composer constraints, but that is not evidence of support. Confirm the illuminate/support range and PHP floor before attempting a 5.x install.
- How is this different from composer install --no-dev?
- Composer install --no-dev omits development dependencies, but production vendor packages can still contain their own tests, documentation, and unminified PHP files. Laravel Vendor Minify targets those files inside vendor rather than changing which packages Composer resolves. The two approaches can be complementary in a production build pipeline.
- Will removing tests and documentation from vendor break my Laravel app?
- Tests and documentation are normally not needed at runtime, so removing them is usually low risk. Risk increases if a package autoloads files outside its declared autoload rules or if your deployment relies on vendor docs or test fixtures. Run the full test suite and a smoke test of package-provided routes, commands, facades, and config after the change.
- Does laravel-vendor-minify have CI tests for supported Laravel versions?
- The assessment found no evidence of a CI matrix; the only cited signal is the v1.0.3 changelog entry for Laravel 6 support. Without a dependency manifest or package metadata, test coverage and supported PHP and Laravel combinations are unconfirmed. Inspect the repository workflows and composer.json before relying on compatibility claims.
- What are alternatives to laravel-vendor-minify for slimming vendor dependencies?
- Common alternatives are Composer production installs with --no-dev, optimized autoloading with --optimize-autoloader or --classmap-authoritative, and build-time vendor pruning scripts. You can also use deployment artifacts that exclude tests and docs or package-specific exclude-from-classmap rules. Evaluate these against your deployment process, because aggressive vendor modification needs repeatable rollback and verification.