Finally, after a lot more research, I found that maybe it's my problem: XAMPP 64 bit version.

From here I started to search for information about that issue and ended on the following page: https://weekly-geekly.github.io/articles/91575/index.html

I followed those steps (watch out for the --with-php-conig flag in that post, it's mistyped and it is missing the 'f'. It should be --with-php-config). This finally got Xdebug v2.8.0beta1 running on XAMPP 7.3.5 64 bits.

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EDIT: Added copied steps directly from the source

XAMPP on Linux + Xdebug (Linux 64bit)

So, today I managed to put XDebug on XAMPP for Linux. If you have a 32-bit Linux, you can not read the remaining text, you have a simple solution, and not one that can be easily found on the Web.

About the insane benefits of debugger for PCP do not even need to tell. On 64-bit whist / vindous7, the hdebag did not want to work at all (whist collapsed; there was no compiled version of the library for the seven)

For those who do not know: XAMPP - software package from apache + mysql + php + perl + proftpd + ... XDebug is a library for PHP. Allows you to clear scripts on PHP. (Mainly used together with IDE, for example Eclipse + PDT. Allows you to set breakpoints, debug step by step and watch the contents of variables)

If you come here from a search, then you are not interested in my adventures and searches, therefore, immediately to the point.

Update: Dear future readers, this article is for you if:

• You often need to switch between different web server configurations (for example PHP4 / 5.2 / 5.3) or for other reasons you are using XAMPP under Linux.
• You need XDebug
• You have 64-bit Linux
• By the time you start reading this post there is no 64bit HAMRP.

The rest, you can not read. I do not compare HAMRR with other existing solutions, I just have it, I use it with pleasure. I rummaged in the network and did not find a solution for my problem, so I decided to share with you here.

System

Linux: Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala 64bit XAMPP: v1.7.1 (with PHP 5.2.9) - I think for another version the process will be very similar.

Installing XAMPP

Go here, choose the version you want. sourceforge.net/projects/xampp/files

In my case, this is Linux XAMPP / 1.7.1.

We download files (for example, to the ~ / Downloads / xampp / directory):

xampp-linux-devel - *. tar.gz: contains the header files needed for compiling xdebug

xampp-linux - *. tar.gz: the XAMPP

Install Ksamp and libraries in the / opt folder

# cd ~/Downloads/xampp

# sudo tar xzf xampp-linux-1.7.1.tar.gz -C /opt 

# sudo tar xzf xampp-linux-devel-1.7.1.tar.gz -C /opt 

Download xdebug

From here: xdebug.org/download.php we download the source code of the required version (I downloaded 2.1.0RC0 and 2.0.5). I downloaded in ~ / downloads / xdebug /

Unpacking

# tar xzf xdebug* 

# cd xdebug* 

Installing other libraries

Honestly, I do not even know if they really are needed. But in order to compile FF for 32-bit from 64, it seems to be necessary

# sudo apt-get install ia32-libs gcc-multilib 

Configuring Environment Variables

For some reason, phpize flatly refused to work, complaining about $ PHP_AUTOCONFIG and $ PHP_AUTOHEADER without the following thing:

Open with your editor:

 ~/.bashrc 

In the end we add the line:

export PATH=/opt/lampp/bin:$PATH 

Now in the shell:

# export PATH=/opt/lampp/bin:$PATH 

# export PKG_CONFIG_LIBDIR=/usr/lib/pkgconfig 

# export CC="gcc -m32" 

# export CXX="g++ -m32" 

We collect Xdebug for 32-bit

# phpize 

# ./configure --enable-xdebug --with-php-config=/opt/lampp/bin/php-config --x-libraries=/usr/lib --target=i686-pc-linux 

# make 

We copy in a folder to Ksamp (Note from me: I don't know what is Ksamp, and why it's necessary here. Anyway, do this step, because it's basically the file who make work xDebug on your XAMPP.)

# sudo cp modules/xdebug.so /opt/lampp/lib/php/extensions/ 

Configuring PHP

# sudo gedit /opt/lampp/etc/php.ini 

Turn on the library (I added this on line 545)

zend_extension="/opt/lampp/lib/php/extensions/xdebug.so"

Start / restart and check

# sudo /opt/lampp/lampp restart 

# /opt/lampp/bin/php -i | grep xdebug 

xdebug 
xdebug support => enabled 
xdebug.auto_trace => Off => Off 
xdebug.collect_includes => On => On 
xdebug.collect_params => 0 => 0 
xdebug.collect_return => Off => Off 
xdebug.collect_vars => Off => Off 
xdebug.default_enable => On => On 
xdebug.dump.COOKIE => no value => no value 
xdebug.dump.ENV => no value => no value 
... 
.. 

Happy debugging!

PS: you can remove the added line from ~ / .bashrc

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To see if you have xDebug enabled, go to your XAMPP dashboard, or create a .php file with that content in your htdocs path:

<?php phpinfo(); ?>

Load in your webbrowser -> CTRL+A -> CTRL+C -> Go to xDebug wizard -> Paste it with in the textarea and click Analyze my phpinfo() output to see if you have enabled or not.