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Most users go for Windows when it comes to building high-quality web applications, whether it’s with Laravel or other popular PHP frameworks. But unlike Windows, Ubuntu might offer a more stable and secure foundation for web development. It can handle multiple concurrent tasks efficiently for a smoother development workflow.
Setting up Laravel on Ubuntu involves installing essential components like PHP, Composer, and a web server. With the right configuration, you’ll have a powerful development environment ready to build exceptional Laravel applications.
In this blog, we’ll cover how the web development experts install and use Laravel on Ubuntu. Let’s begin.
Why Use Laravel on Ubuntu?
Laravel is renowned for its elegant syntax and developer-friendly features and it thrives in the Ubuntu environment. This Linux distribution offers unparalleled stability, security, and performance. That makes it the ideal platform for building scalable and efficient Laravel applications.
Ubuntu’s command-line interface empowers developers with precise control over their development environment. And its vast package ecosystem ensures easy access to essential tools and libraries. Overall, Ubuntu as the foundation sets the stage for a streamlined development process, so you can build a high-performing Laravel application.
Prerequisites for Installing Laravel on Ubuntu
Before starting the Laravel installation on Ubuntu, you need to take care of a few key prerequisites.
- Ubuntu Operating System: Ensure you have a recent version of Ubuntu installed. Older versions might have compatibility issues.
- PHP: Laravel requires PHP version 7.3 or higher. You’ll also need specific PHP extensions like mbstring, xml, bcmath, openssl, and fileinfo for optimal performance.
- Composer: This dependency manager is crucial for installing Laravel and its packages.
- Web Server: While optional for local development, a web server like Apache or Nginx is essential for production environments.
- Database: Laravel supports multiple databases, including MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, and SQL Server. Choose the one that best suits your project’s needs.
Along with these, there may be other prerequisites, depending on your project. For that, you may consult with professional Laravel developers.
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How to Install Laravel on Ubuntu?
After setting up these requirements, you can move on to installing Laravel on your Ubuntu environment. Here’s how the process goes.
Step 1: Update and upgrade Ubuntu
Before embarking on the installation process, it’s essential to ensure your Ubuntu system is equipped with the latest updates and packages. Execute the following commands in your terminal:
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
Step 2: Install Apache web server
Apache, a robust web server, is a popular choice for serving Laravel applications. To install it, use the following command:
sudo apt install apache2
Once installed, Apache will start automatically. You can verify its status by running sudo systemctl status apache2.
Step 3: Install PHP and essential extensions
Laravel thrives on PHP, specifically versions 7.3 and above. Additionally, several PHP extensions are vital for optimal Laravel performance. To install PHP and the required extensions, execute the following command:
sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php php-mbstring php-xml php-bcmath php-json php-curl
This command will install PHP and its necessary components. For more granular control or specific PHP versions, consider using additional package management tools or compiling PHP from source.
Step 4: Install a Database System
Laravel supports multiple database systems. For this guide, we’ll focus on MySQL. To install MySQL:
sudo apt install mysql-server mysql-client
During the installation, you’ll be prompted to set a root password for MySQL. Securely choose a strong password.
Step 5: Install Composer
Composer is a dependency manager for PHP. It is one of the key web development tools, indispensable for managing Laravel projects and their dependencies. To install Composer globally:
php -r "copy('https://getcomposer.org/installer', 'composer-setup.php');"
php composer-setup.php
sudo mv composer.phar /usr/local/bin/composer
This process downloads the Composer installer, executes it, and places the Composer executable in a convenient location.
Step 6: Create a new Laravel project
With Composer installed, you can now create a new Laravel project. Open your terminal and navigate to the desired directory. Then, run the following command:
composer create-project --prefer-dist laravel/laravel [project_name]
Replace my-laravel-app with your desired project name. This command will create a new Laravel project directory with the specified name.
Step 7: Configure Apache Virtual Host
To serve your Laravel application, you’ll need to configure a virtual host in Apache. This involves creating a configuration file and defining the server name, document root, and other relevant settings.
Step 8: Database Configuration
Laravel uses environment variables to store database credentials. Open the .env file in your Laravel project’s root directory and configure the database connection details according to your MySQL setup.
Step 9: Run Laravel
With the configuration complete, you can start the Laravel development server using the following command:
php artisan serve
This will start a development server on port 8000 by default. You can access your Laravel application in a web browser by visiting http://localhost:8000.
If you need help with this process, consult with our Laravel development company. We will set up the Laravel configuration on Ubuntu according to your project requirements.
FAQs on Installing Laravel on Ubuntu
To Conclude
Successfully installing Laravel on Ubuntu opens doors to a world of efficient web development. You can leverage Ubuntu’s strengths in performance and security to build robust and scalable projects.
The process of installing Laravel on Ubuntu would go from installing Apache web server, PHP, database, and Composer, to creating a new Laravel project and configuring the virtual host.
If you need help with installing Laravel on Ubuntu, consult with our Laravel development professionals today!
