Install laravel PHP Framework on CentOS Stream / RHEL / Ubuntu Linux Server

Last Updated on 2 weeks by Sachin G

This blog article guides you through installing the Laravel PHP framework on CentOS, RHEL, and Ubuntu Linux servers. It covers installing prerequisites like Apache, PHP, and Composer, setting up the Laravel environment, and configuring the Apache virtual host for your Laravel project deployment.

Why Laravel? And Why Linux?

Laravel is a PHP-based web application framework that manages its dependencies through Composer. When combined with a Linux server — whether it’s Ubuntu, CentOS Stream, or RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux) — you unlock flexibility, speed, and control. It will be downloaded to the system and can be archived as a Phar file in the local project path, or you can use it globally through/usr/local/bin. For Windows Composer, there is its own installer. The use of the Laravel framework enables developers to write the best code. 

As someone who’s deployed Laravel apps in production on all three distros, I’ve learned the small differences matter — and permissions will always trip you up if you don’t set them right.

Laravel Requirements on a Linux Server

Before diving into commands, let’s cover the Laravel prerequisites on Linux:

• PHP (v8.1 or higher recommended)

• Composer (for managing Laravel and PHP packages)

• A web server (usually Apache)

• A database (like MySQL)

• PHP extensions: bcmath, ctype, fileinfo, json, mbstring, openssl, pdo, tokenizer, xml

Tip: Use php -m to confirm required PHP modules are installed.

Step-by-Step Laravel Installation on Ubuntu 22.04

Update & Install Packages

Keep your server up-to-date for stability and security.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install -y php php-cli php-mbstring php-bcmath php-json php-xml php-mysql php-curl php-mysql apache2 mysql-server composer git -y

Composer Install Laravel

Composer is a key part of Laravel PHP framework installation commands

composer global require laravel/installer

Make sure to add Composer’s global bin directory to your $PATH.

Create a New Laravel Project

laravel new myapp

Or if you want to use Composer directly:

composer create-project --prefer-dist laravel/laravel myapp

Configure Apache Virtual Host Laravel

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/myapp.conf

ServerName myapp.local
DocumentRoot /var/www/html/myapp/public

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName myapp.local
    DocumentRoot /var/www/html/myapp/public

    <Directory /var/www/html/myapp>
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>
</VirtualHost>

then:

sudo a2ensite myapp.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Secure Laravel Installation on RHEL-Based Systems

Installing Laravel on RHEL 8 or CentOS Stream 9 is slightly different. SELinux, firewall, and repository quirks can slow you down.

Common Hurdles I’ve Faced:

SELinux blocking public access to Laravel routes

Firewall rules not allowing HTTP/HTTPS

• Missing EPEL repos for PHP packages
• Firewall rules not allowing HTTP/HTTPS
• Missing EPEL repos for PHP packages

Laravel Installation Summary for RHEL :

sudo dnf install epel-release
sudo dnf module enable php:8.1
sudo dnf install php php-cli php-mbstring php-xml php-bcmath php-curl php-mysqlnd composer httpd git unzip -y

Start Apache and enable on boot:

sudo systemctl start httpd
sudo systemctl enable httpd

Then proceed with Composer to install Laravel just like Ubuntu.

Laravel Project Directory Permissions

This step is often overlooked and causes 500 Internal Server Errors.

sudo chown -R apache:apache /var/www/html/myapp
sudo chmod -R 775 /var/www/html/myapp/storage
sudo chmod -R 775 /var/www/html/myapp/bootstrap/cache

For Ubuntu, replace apache with www-data.

Enable Laravel .env on Linux

Laravel relies heavily on the .env file for environment configuration. Make sure it’s copied from .env.example and permissions are set:

cp .env.example .env
php artisan key:generate

Laravel with MySQL Setup

Create a new MySQL database and user:

sudo mysql -u root -p

CREATE DATABASE myapp_db;
CREATE USER 'myapp_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'securepassword';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON myapp_db.* TO 'myapp_user'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

Update .env file:

DB_DATABASE=myapp_db
DB_USERNAME=myapp_user
DB_PASSWORD=securepassword

Run Laravel migration:

php artisan migrate

Real-World Use Case: Deploying a Laravel CRM on RHEL

One of my recent projects involved deploying a custom Laravel CRM on RHEL 8 with Composer. SELinux blocked /storage access, so I had to:

sudo chcon -R -t httpd_sys_rw_content_t /var/www/html/myapp/storage

Without that, file uploads were silently failing — no logs, no errors. Lesson learned: SELinux isn’t broken, but it’s strict.

FAQs

Installing Laravel on Linux servers (CentOS Stream, RHEL, Ubuntu) might look complex at first, but once you master the PHP extensions, Composer installation, and Apache/Nginx configuration, it becomes second nature.

Sachin G

I’m Sachin Gupta — a freelance IT support specialist and founder of techtransit.org. I’m certified in Linux, Ansible, OpenShift (Red Hat), cPanel, and ITIL, with over 15 years of hands-on experience. I create beginner-friendly Linux tutorials, help with Ansible automation, and offer IT support on platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, and PeoplePerHour. Follow Tech Transit for practical tips, hosting guides, and real-world Linux expertise!

www.techtransit.org