- What is neo/little-sail and how does it differ from Laravel Sail?
- Little Sail is a smaller runtime image for Laravel Sail, aimed at reducing image size and pull time for local development. It is a developer-environment optimization, not an application runtime dependency, and it should not be used in production deployment. It should be treated as Dockerfile or image configuration rather than a long-term Composer dependency.
- How do I install or use Little Sail with an existing Laravel Sail project?
- Because the package has low community signal and its last release was February 2022, prefer publishing or vendoring the Dockerfile and image configuration instead of adding it as a runtime Composer dependency. Pilot it in one repository, rebuild the Sail containers, and compare behavior against the official Sail image. Keep the official Sail configuration as a documented fallback.
- Which Laravel, PHP, and Sail versions does Little Sail support?
- The provided context does not list exact supported versions, and the last release date is February 2022. Pin PHP, Laravel, Sail, and Alpine versions during any pilot and validate required extensions and tooling. Treat it as a reference implementation that your team may need to update for current Laravel Sail and PHP releases.
- Does Little Sail work on Apple Silicon, ARM, and in CI?
- Alpine and musl can expose extension and binary compatibility issues, so ARM and Apple Silicon behavior must be tested rather than assumed. Confirm that Sail commands and Docker Compose services behave identically to official Sail in your pilot. CI image builds should also be validated with pinned PHP, Laravel, Sail, and Alpine versions.
- What PHP extensions, Node tooling, database clients, and Xdebug are included in Little Sail?
- The exact image contents are not specified in the provided context, so audit the Dockerfile before adoption. Validate required PHP extensions, Composer, Node tooling, database drivers, Redis and queue dependencies, Xdebug, and file permissions. Add any missing pieces in a vendored Dockerfile rather than assuming the stale image matches your application needs.
- Is neo/little-sail safe for production deployment?
- No, Little Sail is intended as a developer-environment optimization for Laravel Sail and optional CI use. It should not enter the production deployment path, and production runtime concerns should remain separate.
- How do I maintain Little Sail if I adopt it?
- Adopting it effectively means forking the image configuration, so base-image updates, PHP end-of-life upgrades, extension changes, and security patches become internal work. Assign a platform or DevOps owner, document the support boundary, and define a rollback path before broad rollout.
- Can I use Little Sail as a long-term Composer dependency?
- That is risky because the package has 37 stars, zero dependents, and its last release was February 2022. Prefer copying useful Dockerfile changes into your repository's docker directory and keep official Sail as a documented fallback.
- How much smaller or faster is Little Sail compared with official Laravel Sail?
- Little Sail aims to provide a smaller runtime image, but the provided context does not include measurable image-size or pull-time improvements. Baseline image size, build time, pull time, and onboarding time before piloting it in one non-critical repository. Measure the results against official Sail before deciding whether to standardize a vendored Dockerfile.
- What is the migration path from official Sail to Little Sail?
- Do not replace official Sail wholesale. Pilot Little Sail in one non-critical repository, compare it with the official Sail Dockerfile, and vendor only the useful Dockerfile changes into your own docker directory. Keep official Sail configuration available as a fallback, and avoid adding a stale runtime dependency if the package is only available via Composer.