Installing PHP Composer on Mac OS X and how to solve detect_unicode error

The easiest way that I have found to install PHP Composer is following next commands:

1) Go to your directory where you want to install PHP Composer, for example I want to install PHP Composer in the next directory (this will allow install Laravel Framework, but the same applies for any other purpose).

cd /Applications/XAMPP/htdocs/laravel

2) Try to install PHP composer executing the next line:

curl -s http://getcomposer.org/installer | php

Now, if when you execute this command an error like this appears (take it easy, we can solve it, jejeje):

#!/usr/bin/env php
Some settings on your machine make Composer unable to work properly.
Make sure that you fix the issues listed below and run this script again:

The detect_unicode setting must be disabled.
Add the following to the end of your `php.ini`:
    detect_unicode = Off

A php.ini file does not exist. You will have to create one.
If you can not modify the ini file, you can also run `php -d option=value` to modify ini values on the fly. You can use -d multiple times.

3) In order to solve the detect_unicode error, please just add a parameter to your command as the next line shows:

curl -s getcomposer.org/installer | php -d detect_unicode=Off

4) That’s it! Now, be happy with a message like this:

All settings correct for using Composer
Downloading...

Composer successfully installed to: /Applications/XAMPP/xamppfiles/htdocs/laravel/composer.phar
Use it: php composer.phar

See you the next time, my friend!

—

Alex Arriaga