Laravel LEMP

Version: 10.3.1   |   OS: Ubuntu 22.04

Overview

Laravel is a modern, open-source PHP framework that simplifies the development of robust web applications. This LEMP (Linux, Nginx, MySQL, PHP) stack deployment provides a secure and scalable environment for Laravel-based development.

Included Software

• Laravel - 10.3.1
• Nginx - 1.18.0
• MySQL - 8.0.32
• PHP - 8.2
• Composer - 2.5.4
• Certbot - 1.21.0

Getting Started

Firewall & Access

Ensure your firewall allows only the required ports:

Port	Service	Purpose
22	SSH (rate limited)	Secure server access
80	HTTP	Web access
443	HTTPS	Secure web access

Initial Setup

On deployment:

• MySQL root password is set
• mysql_secure_installation is run
• A Laravel user is created with proper database permissions
• The .env file is configured with database credentials

You will be logged out with the message:

Please wait until the installation is completed....
Connection to $IPADDRESS closed.

Do not log in for at least 2 minutes.

SSH Access

Log in as ubuntu, then switch to root:

sudo su -

On first login, the setup script will prompt:

--------------------------------------------------
This setup requires a domain name. If you do not have one yet,
you may cancel this setup, press Ctrl+C.
This script will run again on your next login.
--------------------------------------------------
Enter the domain name for your new Laravel site.
(ex. example.org or test.example.org) do not include www or http/s:
Domain/sub-domain name:

Ensure your domain’s A record is pointed to the server’s IP.

Once completed, you’ll be able to access Laravel via your domain or IP in a browser.

Database & User Info

• MySQL root password: /root/.mysql_root_password
• Laravel DB credentials: /root/.laravel_database_details
• Shell user credentials: /root/.shell_user_passwords

File Paths

• Web root: /var/www/laravel
• Laravel config: /var/www/laravel/.env

Nginx Configuration

To host multiple Laravel sites:

1. Create a directory for each domain:

mkdir -p /var/www/yourdomain.com/html

2. Create an Nginx server block:

nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/yourdomain.com

3. Add the following:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name yourdomain.com www.yourdomain.com;

    root /var/www/yourdomain.com/html/public;
    index index.php index.html index.htm;

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

    location ~ \.php$ {
        include snippets/fastcgi-php.conf;
        fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/php/php8.2-fpm.sock;
        fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
        include fastcgi_params;
    }

    location ~ /\.ht {
        deny all;
    }
}

4. Enable site & reload Nginx:

ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/yourdomain.com /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
systemctl reload nginx

SSL Setup with Certbot

Ensure DNS A records are pointed correctly, then run:

certbot --nginx -d example.com -d www.example.com

Allow port 443 in the firewall. Optionally block HTTP (port 80) after confirming HTTPS.

Best Practices

• Always change default credentials.
• Enable firewalls and fail2ban for added protection.
• Back up your .env file securely.
• Use Laravel’s built-in environment validation in production.

For assistance, contact Cloud4India Support.