ratchetphp/Ratchet · error · RuntimeException

Can not change session name in VirtualProxy

Error message

Can not change session name in VirtualProxy

What it means

VirtualProxyForSymfony6 is the Symfony 6 compatible variant of the VirtualProxy and, like it, forbids changing the session name after the proxy is created; setName() unconditionally throws RuntimeException. The name is fixed by the underlying session storage for the lifetime of the proxy.

Solutions

1. Do not call setName on the proxy; configure the session name before the Ratchet server starts (session_name() or session config).
2. Remove or guard any library/framework code path that mutates the session name while the proxy is active.
3. If a different session name is genuinely required, create the SessionProvider/session storage with the desired name from the start.

Example fix

// before
$session->setName('APP_SESSION'); // proxy -> RuntimeException
// after
// during bootstrap, before server start:
ini_set('session.name', 'APP_SESSION');

if ($session instanceof \Ratchet\Session\Storage\Proxy\VirtualProxyForSymfony6) {
    throw new \LogicException('Configure the session name in Symfony config; the proxy is immutable.');
}

function canRenameSession($session): bool {
    return !$session instanceof \Ratchet\Session\Storage\Proxy\VirtualProxyForSymfony6;
}

try {
    $session->setName($name);
} catch (\RuntimeException $e) {
    // set the name via framework config or session_name() at bootstrap instead
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling setName($name) on the Symfony 6 virtual session proxy, directly or indirectly through code that assumes a fully mutable SessionInterface.

Common situations: Symfony 6 applications calling $session->setName() at runtime; bundles or middleware that mutate the session name per-request while the Ratchet session is wrapped in this proxy.

Understand the failure class

Background: UnsupportedOperationException and "is not supported" errors: when a library deliberately refuses a call — this error's family across 30 libraries.

Related errors

• Can not change session name in VirtualProxy
• Can not change session name in VirtualProxy
• Handler must be instance of SessionHandlerInterface
• Argument #4 ($serializer) expected…
• Unable to parse session serialize handler

AI-assisted analysis of ratchetphp/Ratchet@e621c6c40b (2026-09-16). Data as JSON: /api/errors/692903a08a00efd4. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at src/Ratchet/Session/Storage/Proxy/VirtualProxyForSymfony6.php:58

     * {@inheritdoc}
     */
    public function setId($id) {
        $this->_sessionId = $id;
    }

    /**
     * {@inheritdoc}
     */
    public function getName(): string {
        return $this->_sessionName;
    }

    /**
     * DO NOT CALL THIS METHOD
     * @internal
     */
    public function setName($name) {
        throw new \RuntimeException("Can not change session name in VirtualProxy");
    }
}

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