Laravel is a powerful PHP framework designed for web application development. Combined with Nginx, a high-performance web server, Laravel can be deployed to create robust, scalable web applications. In this guide, we will walk you through how to install Laravel with Nginx on Ubuntu 22.04. Hosting your Laravel application on a WindowsVPS will give you the performance, flexibility, and scalability that a VPS server provides, ensuring your application can handle growing traffic and user demand.

Step 1: Update Your VPS Server

Before installing Laravel, make sure your VPS server is updated with the latest software packages. Run the following commands to update your system:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Using a WindowsVPS ensures that your Laravel application runs on a high-performance environment, providing a faster and more reliable experience for your users.

Step 2: Install Nginx

Nginx is a lightweight and efficient web server that will handle HTTP requests for your Laravel application. Install Nginx with the following command:

sudo apt install nginx -y

After installation, start and enable Nginx to run at boot:

sudo systemctl enable nginx --now

To verify that Nginx is running, open your browser and visit http://your-server-ip. You should see the default Nginx welcome page.

Step 3: Install PHP and Required Extensions

Laravel is built using PHP, so you'll need to install PHP and the necessary extensions to ensure proper functionality. Run the following command to install PHP and the required extensions:

sudo apt install php-fpm php-mysql php-cli php-xml php-mbstring php-zip php-curl php-json php-bcmath -y

PHP-FPM (FastCGI Process Manager) will be used by Nginx to process PHP files efficiently.

Step 4: Install Composer

Composer is a dependency manager for PHP and is required to install Laravel. Use the following commands to install Composer on your server:

sudo apt install curl -y
curl -sS https://getcomposer.org/installer | php
sudo mv composer.phar /usr/local/bin/composer

Verify the installation by checking the Composer version:

composer --version

Step 5: Install Laravel

Now that Composer is installed, you can use it to install Laravel. Navigate to the web root directory and create a new Laravel project:

cd /var/www/html
composer create-project --prefer-dist laravel/laravel laravel-app

Step 6: Set Permissions for Laravel

Laravel requires specific ownership and permissions to function correctly. Set the correct permissions with the following commands:

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/laravel-app
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/laravel-app

Step 7: Configure Nginx for Laravel

Next, you'll need to configure Nginx to serve the Laravel application. Open a new Nginx configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/laravel-app

Add the following configuration, replacing your-domain.com with your actual domain or IP address:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name your-domain.com;
    root /var/www/html/laravel-app/public;

    index index.php index.html;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$query_string;
    }

    location ~ \.php$ {
        include snippets/fastcgi-php.conf;
        fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/php/php-fpm.sock;
        fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
        include fastcgi_params;
    }

    location ~ /\.ht {
        deny all;
    }

    error_log /var/log/nginx/laravel-error.log;
    access_log /var/log/nginx/laravel-access.log;
}

Save the file and exit the editor. Then, enable the site and restart Nginx:

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/laravel-app /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl restart nginx

Step 8: Configure Laravel Environment

Laravel uses a .env file to manage environment-specific settings, such as database connections. Open the .env file and configure the database settings:

sudo nano /var/www/html/laravel-app/.env

Update the following lines with your MySQL/MariaDB database information:

DB_DATABASE=laravel_db
DB_USERNAME=laravel_user
DB_PASSWORD=your_password

Save the file and exit the editor.

Step 9: Complete Laravel Installation

To finalize the Laravel installation, run the following command to generate an application key:

php artisan key:generate

Your Laravel installation is now complete. You can access your Laravel application by visiting http://your-domain.com in your web browser.

Step 10: Optimize Your VPS Server for Laravel

To get the best performance out of your Laravel application, hosting it on a WindowsVPS is the optimal choice. A VPS server provides dedicated CPU, memory, and storage resources that ensure your application runs smoothly, even as traffic grows. A VPS also allows for better resource management and the ability to scale your infrastructure as needed, keeping your web application fast and reliable.

Conclusion

Installing Laravel with Nginx on Ubuntu 22.04 is a powerful combination for developing modern web applications. By hosting your Laravel application on a WindowsVPS, you can take advantage of improved performance, scalability, and control, ensuring your application performs optimally as it grows.

For more information about VPS hosting and optimizing your Laravel setup, visit WindowsVPS today.