Initialize-PhpSwitcher : not a junktion

[Carsten]

Why does the following error occur?

Remove-PhpSwitcher

Initialize-PhpSwitcher D:\PHP7

D:\PHP7 already exist and it's not a junction.
In C:\Program Files\WindowsPowerShell\Modules\PhpManager\1.24.4\public\Initialize-PhpSwitcher.ps1:54 Zeichen:17
throw "$Alias already exist and it's not a junction."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CategoryInfo : OperationStopped: (D:\PHP7 already...not a junction.:String) [], RuntimeException
FullyQualifiedErrorId : D:\PHP7 already exist and it's not a junction.

[Michele Locati]

Is D:\PHP7 an existing directory?

[Carsten]

yes, i have already installed two versions (D:\Php7 and D.\php7-nts)
Now I just want to install the imagick extension

[Michele Locati]

yes, i have already installed two versions (D:\Php7 and D.\php7-nts)

Here's what I'd do:

Initialize-PhpSwitcher D:\php
Add-PhpToSwitcher ts D:\Php7
Add-PhpToSwitcher nts D:\php7-nts

Next, to have D:\php pointing to D:\Php7:

Switch-Php ts

To have D:\php pointing to D:\php7-nts:

Switch-Php nts

[Michele Locati]

And, to install imagick, you simply have to write

Install-PhpExtension imagick

[Carsten]

I have done the following without errors:
Initialize-PhpSwitcher D:\php
Add-PhpToSwitcher ts D:\Php7
Add-PhpToSwitcher nts D:\php7-nts

get-php:

Folder : D:\php7-nts
ExecutablePath : D:\php7-nts\php.exe
ExtensionsPath : d:\php7-nts\ext
ApiVersion : 20190902
MajorMinorVersion : 7.4
Version : 7.4.19
FullVersion : 7.4.19
UnstabilityLevel :
UnstabilityVersion :
DisplayName : PHP 7.4.19 x64 (64-bit) Non-Thread-Safe
Architecture : x64
ThreadSafe : False
VCVersion : 15

When executing the command Switch-Php ts , the following error message now appears

PHP is currently available in the following directories:
D:\php7-nts
PHP Switcher is meant to have PHP in PATH only as D:\php
You can override this behavior by calling Switch-Php with the -Force flag.
In C:\Program Files\WindowsPowerShell\Modules\PhpManager\1.24.4\public\Switch-Php.ps1:68 Zeichen:17
... throw ("PHP is currently available in the following direc ...
CategoryInfo : OperationStopped: (PHP is currentl...he -Force flag.:String) [], RuntimeException
FullyQualifiedErrorId : PHP is currently available in the following directories:
D:\php7-nts
PHP Switcher is meant to have PHP in PATH only as D:\php
You can override this behavior by calling Switch-Php with the -Force flag.

Switch-Php ts -force
get-php

Folder : D:\php7-nts
ExecutablePath : D:\php7-nts\php.exe
ExtensionsPath : d:\php7-nts\ext
ApiVersion : 20190902
MajorMinorVersion : 7.4
Version : 7.4.19
FullVersion : 7.4.19
UnstabilityLevel :
UnstabilityVersion :
DisplayName : PHP 7.4.19 x64 (64-bit) Non-Thread-Safe
Architecture : x64
ThreadSafe : False
VCVersion : 15

Folder : D:\php
ExecutablePath : D:\php\php.exe
ExtensionsPath : d:\php7\ext
ApiVersion : 20190902
MajorMinorVersion : 7.4
Version : 7.4.19
FullVersion : 7.4.19
UnstabilityLevel :
UnstabilityVersion :
DisplayName : PHP 7.4.19 x64 (64-bit) Thread-Safe
Architecture : x64
ThreadSafe : True
VCVersion : 15

[Michele Locati]

I have nothing more to add to what the error message says:

PHP is currently available in the following directories:
D:\php7-nts
PHP Switcher is meant to have PHP in PATH only as D:\php

So, you should remove D:\php7-nts from your PATH environment variable

[Victor Okech]

Hello all, I am also having this problem. I have PHP installed in the path C:\laragon\bin\php\php8.1 and I have also set this path in the environment variables. When I run the command Initialize-PhpSwitcher C:\laragon\bin\php\php8.1 I get the error $Alias already exist and it's not a junction.

Could you please help resolve this?

[Michele Locati]

THe usage of the PHP Switcher is well described in the README file.

You need to invoke Initialize-PhpSwitcher passing it the path to a non existing directory.
This command will create a new symlinked directory at that path: as you can see from your error message, C:\laragon\bin\php\php8.1 already exists: that's why it fails.

For example, if you have two PHP versions available at:

• C:\laragon\bin\php\php8.1
• C:\laragon\bin\php\php8.2

You have to

1. call Initialize-PhpSwitcher -Alias C:\laragon\bin\php\php -Scope CurrentUser
2. add C:\laragon\bin\php\php to the PATH environment variable (and remove from it any other folder containing PHP)
3. add the two PHP versions to the PHP Switcher:
   • Add-PhpToSwitcher -Name 8.1 -Path C:\laragon\bin\php\php8.1
   • Add-PhpToSwitcher -Name 8.2 -Path C:\laragon\bin\php\php8.2

That way, you can switch the current PHP version (that is, the one in the PATH), simply by running Switch-Php 8.1 or Switch-Php 8.2

[Victor Okech]

Awesome @mlocati, my understanding of the README.md line Then you initialize the PHP Switcher, specifying where the current PHP version should be available: was the directory of your current PHP version which in my case was C:\laragon\bin\php\php8.1 hence the error but you have clarified this well. Thank you.