README

A modern PHP framework with a Go-powered application server

BareMetalPHP is a lightweight, high-performance PHP framework designed around a simple idea:

PHP should run fast by default — without FPM, without heavy stacks, and without hacks.

Instead of relying on traditional PHP-FPM, BareMetalPHP includes an optional Go application server that manages persistent PHP workers. This provides:

• Huge performance gains over cold-start PHP
• True parallelism (fast + slow worker pools)
• Zero-config hot reload
• Static asset offloading
• A fast, modern DX similar to Node, Go, or Rust

If you want Laravel’s experience but not Laravel’s overhead, this is your framework.

✨ Key Features

🟨 1. Go-Powered App Server (the BareMetal Runtime)

BareMetalPHP includes a Go runtime that functions like a lightweight alternative to Swoole or Laravel Octane:

• Persistent PHP worker pool
• Fast + slow request classification
• Hot reload for PHP & routes
• Static file serving
• Efficient Go→PHP bridge protocol

Enable it with:

APPSERVER_ENABLED=true

Start it with:

php mini go:serve

Dry run:

php mini go:serve --dry-run

🎯 2. A modern, minimal PHP framework

BareMetalPHP provides:

• Simple router
• Controller + method resolution
• PSR-7-style Request & Response
• Lightweight dependency injection container
• View layer
• Migrations + SQLite testing utilities
• mini CLI (generators, migrations, test tools)

It is intentionally small, readable, and fast.

✔️ 3. Fully tested

The framework is covered by a deterministic test suite:

• Routing, container, HTTP kernel
• Database + migrations + rollback
• Go app server installer
• Go -> PHP worker bridge

Run all tests:

vendor/bin/phpunit

🧰 Installation

Create a new BareMetalPHP project:

composer create-project baremetalphp/baremetalphp my-app
cd my-app

Run the built-in PHP server:

php mini serve

Install the Go application server

php mini go:install
go mod tidy
php mini go:serve

Default Go server URL:

http://localhost:8080

⚙️ Configuration (config/appserver.php)

return [
    'enabled'      => env('APPSERVER_ENABLED', false),
    'fast_workers' => (int) env('APPSERVER_FAST_WORKERS', 4),
    'slow_workers' => (int) env('APPSERVER_SLOW_WORKERS', 2),
    'hot_reload'   => (bool) env('APPSERVER_HOT_RELOAD', true),

    'static' => [
        ['prefix' => '/assets/', 'dir' => 'public/assets'],
        ['prefix' => '/build/',  'dir' => 'public/build'],
        ['prefix' => '/css/',    'dir' => 'public/css'],
        ['prefix' => '/js/',     'dir' => 'public/js'],
        ['prefix' => '/images/', 'dir' => 'public/images'],
        ['prefix' => '/img/',    'dir' => 'public/img'],
    ],
];

The Go installer generates a matching go_appserver.json automatically.

🧩 Architecture Overview

                   ┌──────────────────────────────┐
                   │        Go HTTP Server         │
                   │  - static files               │
     Request ─────▶│  - routing fallback           │──────────┐
                   │  - hot reload watcher         │          │
                   └──────────────────────────────┘          │
                                                             ▼
                                               ┌──────────────────────────┐
                                               │   PHP Worker Pool        │
                                               │  (persistent processes)  │
                                               └──────────────────────────┘
                                                             │
                                                             ▼
                                               ┌──────────────────────────┐
                                               │ BareMetalPHP Framework  │
                                               │  - routing               │
                                               │  - container             │
                                               │  - controllers           │
                                               │  - views                 │
                                               │  - database/migrations   │
                                               └──────────────────────────┘

📦 Commands

php mini serve
php mini make:controller Foo
php mini make:migration create_users
php mini migrate
php mini migrate:rollback

php mini install:go-appserver
php mini go:serve
php mini go:serve --dry-run

🔖 Version 0.2.0 Release Notes

• Go application server is now a first-class feature
• go:serve command added
• go:install scaffolding generator added
• go_appserver.json generated from PHP config
• Persistent PHP worker bridge implemented
• Better migration rollback logic
• Higher overall test coverage

🛣 Roadmap

• Zero-downtime worker recycling
• WebSockets via Go
• Cache subsystem
• Async jobs via Go sidecar
• API rate limiting
• Events + Subscribers
• Optional queue runner

🤝 Contributing

Contributions, ideas, and issues are welcome.

📄 License

MIT