pecl install memcache fails on OS X Yosemite with "memcache support requires ZLIB"

Question

I'm trying to perform a pecl install memcache with XAMPP on OS X Yosemite, but it fails to find zlib, producing this error:

checking for the location of ZLIB... no
checking for the location of zlib... configure: error: memcache support requires ZLIB.

Use --with-zlib-dir= to specify prefix where ZLIB include and library are located

ERROR: `/private/tmp/pear/temp/memcache/configure --enable-memcache-session=yes' failed

How to I install zlib so that this pecl install memcache can succeed?

Answer 1

brew install zlib

If you haven't already done so

Next find the zlib headers:

locate zlib.h

You may find you have a few options to choose from.

/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/ etc

or

/usr/local/Cellar/zlib/1.2.8/include/zlib.h

I use brew wherever I can so I chose the brew version:

brew install php55-memcached --with-zlib-dir=/usr/local/Cellar/zlib/1.2.8/include/zlib.h

I assume passing this flag to pecl will have the same result.

Answer 2

I had the same issue with another extension (SPX)

checking for zlib header... checking for zlib location... configure: error: spx support requires ZLIB. Use --with-zlib-dir=<DIR> to specify the prefix where ZLIB headers and library are located

I did fix it when running ./configure using the --with-zlib-dir flag. Make sure what you have zlib installed (brew install zlib).

phpize

# replace "./configure" with:
./configure --with-zlib-dir=/usr/local/Cellar/zlib/1.2.11
# or "--with-zlib-dir=/opt/homebrew/Cellar/zlib/1.2.11" for Apple silicon

make
sudo make install