- What is Laravel Inspector used for?
- Laravel Inspector is a debugging and profiling toolkit for Laravel applications. It captures requests, database queries, logs, events, and performance data and presents them in a dashboard so developers can diagnose issues and understand application behavior during development. It is best treated as a local or staging observability aid, not a production runtime dependency.
- How do I install lsrur/inspector in a Laravel app?
- You would typically install it as a Composer dev dependency with composer require --dev lsrur/inspector, then rely on Laravel package auto-discovery or register the service provider if needed. Confirm the package's Composer constraints and publish any optional configuration before enabling it. Test the install in a branch or disposable container and gate access by environment.
- Which Laravel and PHP versions does Inspector support?
- The provided context does not list exact Laravel and PHP version constraints. Check the package's composer.json and Packagist metadata against your application's PHP and Laravel matrix before installing. Because maintenance status is unclear, validate compatibility in an isolated environment and pin the version you test.
- Is Laravel Inspector safe to use in production?
- No, it should not be treated as safe for production by default. Debug and profiling tools can expose sensitive request data, headers, queries, and exception traces, and can add overhead or storage growth. Use it only in local or staging environments with strict access controls unless you have completed a security and performance review.
- How do I restrict Laravel Inspector to local or staging environments?
- Gate the package behind APP_ENV and APP_DEBUG checks, keep it as a dev-only Composer dependency, and ensure its routes or middleware are not publicly accessible. Review what routes and middleware it registers, then block access at the web server or application authorization layer. Validate the setup in CI so debug routes are not exposed in deployed environments.
- What data does Laravel Inspector collect and store?
- The overview says it captures requests, database queries, logs, events, and performance data and presents them in a dashboard. The exact storage location and retention behavior are not specified in the provided context. Review the package configuration and code before use, especially in shared or regulated environments, to understand whether data is stored in files, a database, or memory.
- Does Inspector conflict with Laravel Telescope or Debugbar?
- It may conflict with Laravel Telescope, Laravel Debugbar, or existing APM tooling because multiple debug packages can register middleware, routes, listeners, and data collectors. The provided context does not confirm specific conflicts, so test middleware order, route registration, and duplicate profiling hooks in an isolated app. Standardize on one primary debugging tool where possible.
- Does Laravel Inspector add performance overhead?
- Profiling and data collection can increase memory use, I/O, log or storage volume, and request overhead. The exact impact depends on what is enabled and how much data is captured. Keep it disabled outside local or staging, and sample or cap collection if you use it in shared environments.
- Is lsrur/inspector actively maintained and tested?
- The available assessment indicates low confidence: there are zero dependents and no visible stars or social proof, and maintenance status is unclear. The package may be unmaintained or may drift from newer Laravel releases. Budget for periodic compatibility checks, confirm whether tests exist, and keep a removal or fork contingency.
- What alternatives to Laravel Inspector should I consider?
- Consider Laravel Telescope, Laravel Debugbar, Xdebug, or your existing APM and logging stack as alternatives, depending on whether you need request inspection, query profiling, or production monitoring. The provided context recommends comparing Inspector against current tooling and adopting it only if it offers unique value. Because adoption and maintenance evidence are limited, favor widely adopted tools for anything beyond a time-boxed POC.