The Complete Guide to Laravel Deployment: Server Setup and Initial Configuration

Deploying a Laravel application to production can be challenging, especially when moving from local development to a live server environment. This comprehensive guide walks you through setting up a Digital Ocean droplet with cPanel/WHM for Laravel deployment, covering everything from SSH key generation to initial server configuration.

Prerequisites

Before diving into the deployment process, ensure you have:

1. A Digital Ocean account with a droplet (16GB RAM, 50GB disk recommended)
2. Basic knowledge of SSH and command line operations
3. Your Laravel application ready for deployment
4. Domain name configured (we'll use yourdomain.com throughout this guide)

Step 1: Setting Up SSH Access

Generating SSH Keys

First, generate an SSH key pair on your local machine:

When prompted, save the key with a descriptive name like laravel_app_ssh_key. This creates both private and public key files.

Connecting to Your Server

Once your Digital Ocean droplet is ready (IP: 171.50.123.100 - use your_ip_address), set proper permissions and connect:

You'll be greeted with the Ubuntu welcome screen and cPanel & WHM interface information.

Step 2: WHM Initial Setup

Accessing WHM

After SSH connection, you'll receive a WHM login URL similar to:

Creating Your First cPanel Account

Navigate to Account Functions → Create a New Account and configure:

Account Details:

1. Domain: yourdomain.com
2. Username: your_app_name (avoid special characters)
3. Password: Use a strong, unique password
4. Email: Your administrative email

Resource Allocation:

1. Disk Space: 50GB+ (important for file uploads and logs)
2. Bandwidth: Unlimited
3. Email Accounts: 50+
4. Databases: 10+

Step 3: PHP and Server Configuration

PHP Version Setup

Laravel requires PHP 8.1 or higher. Configure this through WHM:

1. Navigate to Software → MultiPHP Manager
2. Select PHP 8.2 for optimal performance
3. Go to Software → EasyApache4
4. Update all packages in "Currently Installed Packages"

If you encounter errors during updates, perform a graceful reboot:

1. Search for "reboot" in WHM sidebar
2. Execute graceful reboot
3. Return to EasyApache4 and continue

Enabling Required PHP Extensions

In Software → EasyApache4 → Customize Currently Installed Packages → Enable Extensions, ensure these are active:

1. OpenSSL
2. PDO
3. Mbstring
4. Tokenizer
5. XML
6. Ctype
7. JSON
8. BCMath
9. Fileinfo

Step 4: Database Configuration

Creating MySQL Database

Through cPanel, navigate to Databases → MySQL Databases:

1. Database Name: your_app_digital_db
2. Username: your_app_digital_db_user
3. Password: Generate a strong password
4. Privileges: Grant all privileges to the user

Step 5: File Upload and Initial Setup

Uploading Your Laravel Application

1. Access cPanel File Manager
2. Navigate to public_html
3. Upload your Laravel application as a ZIP file
4. Extract the contents

Creating Essential Files

Create .env file:

Create .htaccess file in root directory:

Step 6: Setting Proper Permissions

SSH into your server and set Laravel-specific permissions:

Step 7: Installing Dependencies

Composer Installation

Node.js and NPM Setup

If Node.js isn't installed:

Install and build assets:

Laravel Artisan Commands

Troubleshooting Common Issues

NPM Installation Failures

If npm install fails, ensure Node.js is properly installed and try:

Permission Denied Errors

Ensure your SSH user has proper permissions:

Cache Issues

Clear everything and rebuild:

Testing Your Deployment

Access your application using the server IP:

1. http://171.50.123.100 (your_ip_address)
2. http://171-50-123-100.cprapid.com

Update your .env file accordingly:

What's Next?

This initial setup provides a solid foundation for your Laravel application. In our next guide, we'll cover domain configuration, SSL certificates, and performance optimization to take your deployment to production-ready status.

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Key Takeaways

1. Always use SSH keys for secure server access
2. Proper file permissions are crucial for Laravel applications
3. cPanel/WHM provides an intuitive interface for server management
4. Testing with IP addresses before domain configuration saves time
5. Environment-specific configurations prevent common deployment issues

Ready to take your Laravel deployment further? Stay tuned for our next guide on domain configuration and SSL implementation.