Symplify Kernel Laravel Package

Getting Started

This package is an internal kernel—do not use it directly. If you’re a Laravel developer, you’ll only interact with it indirectly when installing Symplify tools (e.g., symplify/easy-coding-standard). Start by:

1. Installing a supported Symplify package via Composer (e.g., composer require symplify/easy-coding-standard --dev)
2. Following that package’s documentation to set up commands/configs
3. Trusting that the kernel boots silently in the background—no manual bootstrap or container setup is needed on your part

💡 First use case: Run ./vendor/bin/ecs check src after installation. The symplify-kernel layer handles container initialization, config loading, and command registration automatically—no intervention required.

Implementation Patterns

You’ll never extend or modify this kernel yourself, but consumer Symplify packages do rely on its patterns under the hood:

• Consumer packages extend AbstractSymplifyKernel to register config paths (e.g., getConfigPaths() returns config files like config/set/coding-style.php)
• DI composition happens via getContainerParameters() and registerSymfonyConfiguration()—allowing modular, layered config loading without framework bloat
• Autodiscovery of commands/services is handled by the kernel’s findSymfonyConsoleCommands() and service autowiring logic

🛠️ Laravel integration tip: If building a custom CLI tool, do not reach for this kernel. Instead, use Laravel’s native Application + Bootstrap\HasDependencies or community alternatives like symplify/package-builder (actively maintained).

Gotchas and Tips

• Critical red flags: Archiving + low score = no security patches, no PHP 8.2+ guarantees, and no official support. Laravel 10+ compatibility is unlikely and untested.
• Silent failures: If Symplify commands fail oddly (e.g., “service not found” in vendor code), the issue may lie in the kernel’s cache resolution (var/cache/)—clear caches (rm -rf var/cache/*) inside the consuming tool, not your project.
• Never install directly: composer require symplify/symplify-kernel will work but is unsupported, insecure, and breaks Symplify’s intended DI contracts.
• Migration path: If stuck with legacy tools relying on this, audit dependencies (composer why symplify/symplify-kernel), then upgrade to actively maintained Symplify packages (e.g., symplify/rule-doc-generator → symplify/easy-ci).

⚠️ Laravel-specific warning: This kernel predates modern Laravel service container practices. Avoid it—use App::extend() or service providers instead. Trusting an archived kernel for core infrastructure is technical debt you cannot afford.