How to install prestissimo?

Install it globally using Composer by running `composer global require hirak/prestissimo`. This adds the plugin to your Composer configuration, enabling parallel downloads for all projects without additional setup.

Is prestissimo faster than Composer 2?

Prestissimo speeds up Composer 1.x significantly, but Composer 2 has native parallel downloads and is generally faster overall. For Composer 1.x users, it's a boost, but upgrading to Composer 2 is recommended for best performance.

Do I still need prestissimo if I'm using Composer 2?

No, the README advises uninstalling Prestissimo when using Composer 2, as Composer 2 includes its own optimizations that make the plugin unnecessary and incompatible.

How does prestissimo handle authentication with private repositories?

It integrates with Composer's authentication system, so you can use auth.json files with OAuth tokens, similar to standard Composer, ensuring secure access to private packages without extra configuration.

Can I use prestissimo with PHP 8?

Yes, as long as you have Composer 1.x and the curl extension. However, since Composer 2 supports newer PHP versions better and is faster, it's advisable to upgrade Composer instead of relying on the plugin.

What should I do if prestissimo causes installation errors?

Ensure you're using Composer 1.x and have the curl extension enabled. If issues persist, uninstall it with `composer global remove hirak/prestissimo` and test without it, as Composer 2 might be a better alternative.

Why was prestissimo created if Composer 2 is faster?

Prestissimo was developed before Composer 2 existed to address slow sequential downloads in Composer 1.x. It served as a stopgap solution until Composer 2's native improvements were released, making it legacy now.

Open-Awesome

Prestissimo

MITPHP0.3.10

A Composer 1.x plugin that speeds up package downloads via parallel installation.

GitHub

6.1k stars167 forks0 contributors

What is Prestissimo?

Prestissimo is a Composer plugin for PHP that accelerates dependency installation by enabling parallel downloads of packages. It solves the slow sequential download problem in Composer 1.x, reducing installation times from minutes to seconds for large projects.

Target Audience

PHP developers using Composer 1.x for dependency management, particularly those working on projects with many packages or in CI/CD environments where build speed is critical.

Value Proposition

Developers choose Prestissimo for its straightforward performance improvement without configuration overhead, offering a significant speed boost for Composer 1.x installations that is now superseded by Composer 2's native optimizations.

Overview

composer parallel install plugin

Use Cases

Best For

Speeding up Composer installs in legacy projects stuck on Composer 1.x
Reducing CI/CD pipeline times for PHP applications with many dependencies
Accelerating local development setup for large frameworks like Laravel
Optimizing package downloads in environments with slow network connections
Improving performance for automated deployment scripts using Composer 1.x
Minimizing wait times during dependency updates in PHP monorepos

Not Ideal For

Projects already using Composer 2.x, as it's incompatible and redundant with native improvements
Teams prioritizing modern tooling and security updates that only Composer 2 provides
Environments where the PHP curl extension is unavailable or cannot be installed
New PHP projects starting from scratch, where using Composer 2 is the recommended default

Pros & Cons

Pros

Parallel Download Speed

Downloads multiple packages simultaneously, drastically cutting installation time; the README benchmark shows Laravel setup reduced from 288 seconds to 26 seconds.

Seamless Configuration

Automatically recognizes Composer's existing settings like capath and cafile, requiring no extra setup, as noted in the config section.

Authentication Integration

Supports Composer's authentication mechanisms, including GitHub OAuth tokens via auth.json, ensuring secure and uninterrupted downloads.

Composer 1.x Optimization

Specifically designed to boost performance for Composer 1.x versions, addressing a common bottleneck before native improvements in Composer 2.

Cons

Obsolete with Composer 2

The README explicitly advises uninstalling it for Composer 2, which has built-in parallel downloads, making Prestissimo redundant and unsupported for modern setups.

Dependency on ext-curl

Requires the PHP curl extension, which might not be available in minimal server environments or Docker images, adding a prerequisite that complicates deployment.

Limited Performance Scope

Only optimizes the download phase; it doesn't improve other slow aspects of Composer like dependency resolution, offering partial speed gains.

Maintenance Concerns

With the focus on Composer 2, this plugin may receive fewer updates, potentially leading to compatibility issues with newer PHP versions.

Frequently Asked Questions

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