Install extension in specific folder using `INSTALL_ROOT=`

[Ninos]

Bug

Currently it's not possible to install an extension in specific folder by defining INSTALL_ROOT=, e.g.:

INSTALL_ROOT="/your/buildDir" pie install -vj "$(nproc)" apcu/apcu

After that you get following:

In UnixInstall.php line 70:
                                                                                                      
  [RuntimeException]                                                                                  
  Install failed, /usr/local/lib/php/extensions/no-debug-non-zts-20250925/apcu.so was not installed.

Exception trace:
  at phar:///usr/bin/pie/src/Installing/UnixInstall.php:70

See following line of code:
https://github.com/php/pie/blob/1.4.x/src/Installing/UnixInstall.php#L69

Reason

The variable INSTALL_ROOT is already working fine with the extensions (while build-process), just pie throws the exception above because it does not handle any installation folders.
In my opinion there should be an pie command option --install-dir|--prefix (prefix should then also be used for the php binary paths) defining an installation directory and bypassing this value to the sys env INSTALL_ROOT before running the builds.

Workaround

My current workaround is building twice:

pie install -vj "$(nproc)" apcu/apcu
INSTALL_ROOT="/your/buildDir" pie install -vj "$(nproc)" apcu/apcu

Works like a charm, but yeah, I'm building twice...

[asgrim]

The install directory is dictated by PHP's extension_dir setting, what are you trying to achieve here?

[Ninos]

Mostly such functionality is used to build software for external consumer instead of building & installing on same system. Gives an easy way to build an application & getting all relevant files without mixing with own sys-files & picking one-by-one (leads also to mistakes [different versions -> different files, forgotten files, ...]).

In container environment you need this to create images from scratch. Currently I'm working on a small script to achieve that. I'll post it the next few days, may it's easier to understand the need while reading the code :)

[remicollet]

The install directory is dictated by PHP's extension_dir setting, what are you trying to achieve here?

make install INSTALL_ROOT=/some/temp/dir is also used in downstream packaging (RPM...). This directory is later archived as a package, and will be installed in the right place on installation.

See https://github.com/php/php-src/blob/master/build/Makefile.global#L48

Notice: it also avoids having to use root privileges

[asgrim]

OK thanks folks, will look into this 👍

[Ninos]

Hey @asgrim

As promised, here's the tool:
https://ego.codes/1m9/library/php-build

The relevant part is following:
https://ego.codes/1m9/library/php-build/-/blame/main/src/script/php-build.sh?ref_type=heads#L150

The script still needs some improvements, but think u get the idea :-)

To see it in action, check following repo:
https://ego.codes/1m9/service/php