What is Laravel?

Laravel is a free, open-source PHP framework designed to simplify the development of web applications. It follows the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architectural pattern and provides developers with tools and features to build robust, scalable, and secure applications efficiently. Laravel is renowned for its elegant syntax, developer-friendly tools, and extensive ecosystem.

Key Features of Laravel:

  1. MVC Architecture:
    • Separates business logic, user interface, and data models for better organization and maintainability.
  2. Routing:
    • Simplifies the definition of application routes with a clean and expressive syntax.
  3. Blade Template Engine:
    • A lightweight templating engine for creating dynamic web pages with reusable components and clean syntax.
  4. Eloquent ORM:
    • An object-relational mapper (ORM) for database operations, allowing developers to interact with databases using PHP syntax instead of SQL.
  5. Authentication and Authorization:
    • Built-in user authentication and role-based access control for secure applications.
  6. Task Scheduling:
    • Provides a simple way to schedule repetitive tasks, such as sending emails or cleaning up old records.
  7. Database Migration:
    • Version control for database schemas, enabling team collaboration and database consistency.
  8. Middleware:
    • Allows filtering of HTTP requests to add security layers, logging, or other operations.
  9. Testing Tools:
    • Integrated testing environment with PHPUnit support for unit and feature testing.
  10. Extensive Package Ecosystem:
    • Offers pre-built packages for various functionalities, such as Laravel Cashier for billing and Laravel Horizon for managing queues.
  11. Artisan Command-Line Tool:
    • Provides a powerful CLI for automating tasks, generating boilerplate code, and running database migrations.
  12. Event Broadcasting:
    • Facilitates real-time communication and notifications via WebSockets.
  13. API Development:
    • Tools for building RESTful APIs, including route grouping, middleware, and JSON responses.

Advantages of Laravel:

  • Developer Productivity: Simplifies common web development tasks, such as routing, authentication, and caching.
  • Flexibility: Suitable for projects ranging from small websites to complex enterprise applications.
  • Community Support: Backed by an active and large developer community offering packages, tutorials, and resources.
  • Security: Protects applications against common vulnerabilities, including SQL injection and cross-site scripting.
  • Scalability: Suitable for small applications that can scale to handle enterprise-level workloads.

Laravel Ecosystem:

  1. Forge:
    • A server management tool for deploying and managing Laravel applications.
  2. Envoyer:
    • A zero-downtime deployment tool for Laravel applications.
  3. Nova:
    • A beautifully designed admin panel for managing application data.
  4. Laravel Mix:
    • A wrapper around Webpack for compiling CSS, JavaScript, and other assets.
  5. Laravel Vapor:
    • A serverless deployment platform powered by AWS.

Use Cases for Laravel:

  • E-commerce platforms
  • Content management systems (CMS)
  • Customer relationship management (CRM) applications
  • APIs and RESTful web services
  • Blogging platforms
  • Social networking applications
  • Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems

Installation Requirements:

  • PHP: Version 8.1 or higher
  • Web Server: Apache, Nginx, or others
  • Database: MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, or SQL Server
  • Composer: PHP dependency manager for managing Laravel packages

Laravel vs. Other Frameworks:

  1. Laravel vs. CodeIgniter:
    • Laravel: More feature-rich with built-in ORM, templating, and authentication.
    • CodeIgniter: Lightweight and easier for beginners, but less feature-packed.
  2. Laravel vs. Symfony:
    • Laravel: Easier to use with an opinionated structure, suitable for rapid development.
    • Symfony: More customizable and suited for complex enterprise-level projects.
  3. Laravel vs. Yii:
    • Laravel: Better templating and routing system.
    • Yii: Known for its performance and efficient database handling.

Laravel is an ideal framework for developers who value a clean, expressive syntax and powerful tools to build modern, secure, and scalable web applications. Its rich ecosystem and active community make it a top choice for PHP developers worldwide.

Step 1: Create an Instance

To begin, create a server instance running Ubuntu 24.04.

Access the Dashboard: Log in to your Shape.Host account and navigate to your Dashboard.
Click Create: Click on the “Create” button located in the top-right corner.
Select Instances: From the dropdown menu, choose “Instances” to begin creating a new cloud server.

Shape.host Resources dashboard with Create > Instance highlighted.

Select Location: Choose a data center location for your instance that is closest to your target audience for optimal performance.

Shape.host instance form with the data center location selector highlighted.

Choose a Plan: Scroll through the available pricing options. Select a plan based on your project needs, such as Standard, CPU-Optimized, or Memory-Optimized.

Choose an Image: Select Ubuntu 24.04 as the operating system for your instance.

Shape.host instance form with the operating system image selector highlighted.

Authentication and Finalize: Choose your preferred authentication method, either SSH keys or password. Once configured, click Create Instance to launch your server.

Shape.host instance form with the Create Instance button highlighted.
  • Obtain IP Address
  • Once your instance is created, return to the dashboard.
  • Find your instance’s IP address under the Resources section and use it to access your server.
Shape.host Resources dashboard with the server IP address highlighted.

Step 2: Connect to Your Instance

After creating the instance, connect to it using an SSH client.

  • Linux/macOS: Open the terminal and use the following command: ssh root@<your_server_ip>
  • Windows: Use an SSH client like PuTTY:
    • Download and install PuTTY.
    • Enter your server’s IP address in the Host Name field.
    • Select SSH as the connection type and click Open.
    • Log in with your username (root) and the authentication method you configured.

Step 3: Update and Upgrade Your System

Update your package list and upgrade installed packages:

apt update  
apt upgrade -y
Terminal showing APT package management commands and output.

Step 4: Install Curl and PHP

Install Curl and the necessary PHP packages for Laravel:

apt install curl  
apt install php php-common php-gd php-mysql php-curl php-intl php-mbstring php-bcmath php-xml php-zip
Terminal showing APT package management commands and output.
Terminal showing APT package management commands and output.

Verify the PHP installation:

php -v
Terminal showing php commands or output during Install Curl and PHP.

Step 5: Install Composer

Install Composer, the dependency manager for PHP:

curl -sS https://getcomposer.org/installer | sudo php -- --install-dir=/usr/bin --filename=composer
Terminal showing curl commands or output during Install Composer.

Verify the Composer installation:

composer -v
Terminal showing composer commands or output during Install Composer.

Step 6: Create a New Laravel Project

Use Composer to create a new Laravel project named Proj_Green_WB:

composer create-project laravel/laravel Proj_Green_WB
Terminal showing composer commands or output during Create a New Laravel Project.

Step 7: Install SQLite Extension

Install the PHP SQLite3 extension:

apt install php8.3-sqlite3
Terminal showing APT package management commands and output.

Step 8: Run Database Migrations

Navigate to your Laravel project directory and run the migrations:

cd Proj_Green_WB  
php artisan migrate
Terminal showing file and directory setup commands.

Step 9: Start the Laravel Application

Start the Laravel development server:

php artisan serve
Terminal showing php commands or output during Start the Laravel Application.

Copy the provided link (e.g., http://127.0.0.1:8000) and open it in your web browser to access the Laravel application.

Laravel welcome page with documentation and application resources.

You have successfully installed Laravel on Ubuntu 24.04. The application is now ready to be developed and tested.

For high-performance hosting tailored to Laravel projects, consider Shape.Host Linux SSD VPS. Their services are optimized for PHP frameworks and ensure scalability for your applications.