# RFC: testing php8.4 against libxml-rs (memory-safe libxml2) - Debian ITP #1146060

- Thread: https://externals.io/message/132384
- Original archive: https://news-web.php.net/php.internals/132384
- Started by Riaan de Beer on 2026-08-29T15:43:40+00:00
- Messages: 4
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## #132384 — Riaan de Beer — 2026-08-29T15:43:40+00:00

URL: https://externals.io/message/132384#132384

Hi,

libxml2 is unmaintained since Dec 2025. I built libxml-rs - native-Rust
reimplementation, C ABI compatible:

https://github.com/infinityabundance/libxml-rs
Debian ITP: https://bugs.debian.org/1146060

Phase 10 done: xmllint + xmlcatalog byte-identical to libxml2 2.15.3 /
libxslt 1.1.47, 1110 tests, xsltproc corpus identical.

Would you be open to a test build?

  LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/path/to/libxml-rs/target/debug \
  php -m | grep -E 'dom|xml|xsl'

Or: https://github.com/sparklemotion/nokogiri/discussions/3677
same ask for Nokogiri/lxml.

Targeting experimental as alternative provider, not default.

Best,
Riaan
https://github.com/infinityabundance

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## #132387 — Pierre — 2026-08-29T17:11:12+00:00

URL: https://externals.io/message/132384#132387 · In reply to: #132384

Le 29/08/2026 à 17:43, Riaan de Beer a écrit :
> Hi,
>
> libxml2 is unmaintained since Dec 2025. I built libxml-rs - native-Rust
> reimplementation, C ABI compatible:
>
> https://github.com/infinityabundance/libxml-rs
> Debian ITP: https://bugs.debian.org/1146060

Hello,

I won't tell if it's a good idea or not, I'm not a core contributor, but 
libxml2 doesn't seem to be unmaintained, yes the latest release is dated 
from dec. 2025, but the repository continue to live its life and has had 
many commits since: 
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/libxml2/-/commits/master?ref_type=HEADS - 
I just think they don't have such breaking bug to fix.

XML is old and mature, libxml2 is old and mature, there's probably not 
much to add to it for it to work gracefully and they don't really need 
to create new releases that often.

Best regards,

Pierre

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## #132388 — James Gilliland — 2026-08-30T04:33:00+00:00

URL: https://externals.io/message/132384#132388 · In reply to: #132387

> Le 29/08/2026 à 17:43, Riaan de Beer a écrit :
> > […]
>
> Hello,
>
> I won't tell if it's a good idea or not, I'm not a core contributor, but
> libxml2 doesn't seem to be unmaintained, yes the latest release is dated
> from dec. 2025, but the repository continue to live its life and has had
> many commits since:
> https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/libxml2/-/commits/master?ref_type=HEADS -
> I just think they don't have such breaking bug to fix.
>
> XML is old and mature, libxml2 is old and mature, there's probably not
> much to add to it for it to work gracefully and they don't really need
> to create new releases that often.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Pierre
>

it was briefly unmaintained before new maintainers stepped up.
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/libxml2/-/work_items/1023 🤷

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## #132389 — David CARLIER — 2026-08-30T14:00:50+00:00

URL: https://externals.io/message/132384#132389 · In reply to: #132384

Hi Riaan,

On Sat, 29 Aug 2026 at 16:46, Riaan de Beer
<rdebeer.infinityabundance@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> libxml2 is unmaintained since Dec 2025. I built libxml-rs - native-Rust
> reimplementation, C ABI compatible:
>
> https://github.com/infinityabundance/libxml-rs
> Debian ITP: https://bugs.debian.org/1146060
>
> Phase 10 done: xmllint + xmlcatalog byte-identical to libxml2 2.15.3 /
> libxslt 1.1.47, 1110 tests, xsltproc corpus identical.
>
> Would you be open to a test build?
>
>   LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/path/to/libxml-rs/target/debug \
>   php -m | grep -E 'dom|xml|xsl'
>
> Or: https://github.com/sparklemotion/nokogiri/discussions/3677
> same ask for Nokogiri/lxml.
>
> Targeting experimental as alternative provider, not default.
>
> Best,
> Riaan
> https://github.com/infinityabundance

Not only, it is still active as mentioned but also one of the
maintainers actively helps us out too here and there.

Cheers.