Installing Laravel on cPanel: Step-by-Step Guide

Laravel is a popular PHP framework for developing modern web applications. So, how do you install Laravel on cPanel? In this guide, you will learn step-by-step how to install Laravel using cPanel.

Identifying Requirements and Prerequisites

Before starting the Laravel installation on cPanel, make sure certain requirements and prerequisites are met. Here's what to check before you begin:

• PHP Version: Laravel supports PHP version 7.3 and above. Check your PHP version on cPanel and update if necessary.
• Composer: Composer is required to install Laravel. If it's not installed on your cPanel, you will need to set it up.
• MySQL Database: Laravel uses MySQL for database operations. Ensure you have permission to create databases on your cPanel.
• SSH Access: Some operations may require SSH access. Make sure this is enabled for your hosting account.

Creating a New Database on cPanel

You will need to create a database for your Laravel application. Here’s how to do it through cPanel:

1. Log in to your cPanel account and go to the “Databases” section.
2. Click on “MySQL Databases.”
3. Enter a name for your new database and click create.
4. Create a database user, set a strong password, and assign the user to the database with full privileges.

Uploading Laravel Files to cPanel

To upload your Laravel files to cPanel, follow these steps:

1. If you have created your Laravel project locally, compress the project folder into a .zip file.
2. Go to “File Manager” in cPanel and upload the zip file to the “public_html” directory or any other directory of your choice.
3. Select the uploaded zip file and extract its contents.

Installing Laravel via Composer

You’ll need SSH access to install Laravel dependencies with Composer. Here’s how to proceed:

1. Connect to your server via SSH and navigate to the directory where your Laravel files are located.
2. Run the following command to install Laravel’s required dependencies:
   composer install
3. This will download and install all necessary packages for your Laravel application to run.

Configuring and Launching Your Laravel Application on cPanel

To get your Laravel app running, a few configuration steps are needed:

1. Configure the .env File: In the root directory of your Laravel app, copy the .env.example file and rename it to .env. Configure your database credentials, app key, and other settings in this file.
2. Generate Application Key: Run the following command via SSH:
   php artisan key:generate
3. Set the Public Directory: In cPanel, set Laravel’s "public" directory as the web root directory. This usually corresponds to the "public_html" directory.
4. Run Artisan Commands: Execute the necessary artisan commands to initialize your application:
5. php artisan migrate (Creates the database tables)
6. php artisan serve (Starts the development server; typically used locally)

Frequently Asked Questions

• What PHP version should I use to install Laravel on cPanel?
  The latest versions of Laravel support PHP 7.3 and above. It's recommended to use this version or newer on cPanel.
• Why is Composer necessary?
  Composer manages and installs the dependencies required for Laravel and other PHP projects. It ensures your Laravel project includes all required packages to run properly.
• How can I secure my Laravel application on cPanel?
  Keep your Laravel version up to date, use strong passwords, and keep sensitive information in the .env file hidden. Additionally, use a firewall and SSL certificate to secure data transmission.