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Requirements

Before installing LaraCMS, ensure your server meets these requirements:
  • PHP 8.4 or higher
  • Composer - Dependency management for PHP
  • Node.js & NPM - For frontend asset compilation
  • Database - SQLite, MySQL, PostgreSQL, or SQL Server
For local development, we recommend using Laravel Sail for a Docker-based environment, or Laravel Valet for macOS users.

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Installation steps

1

Clone the repository

First, clone the LaraCMS repository from GitHub:
git clone https://github.com/Vilkrin/LaraCMS.git
cd LaraCMS
If you’re contributing to the project, create a new branch instead of working directly on main:
git checkout -b feat/your-feature
# or
git checkout -b fix/your-fix
2

Install dependencies

Install both PHP and JavaScript dependencies:
composer install
npm install
This will install all required packages including:
  • Laravel framework and core packages
  • Livewire and Flux UI components
  • Spatie packages for permissions and media
  • Development tools and testing frameworks
3

Configure environment

Copy the example environment file and generate your application key:
cp .env.example .env
php artisan key:generate
The .env file contains all your application configuration. See the Configuration guide for detailed settings.
4

Set up the database

LaraCMS supports multiple database systems. Choose the one that fits your needs:
SQLite is the default database for quick setup:
touch database/database.sqlite
Your .env file should have:
.env
DB_CONNECTION=sqlite
SQLite is perfect for development and small deployments. No additional database server required!
5

Run migrations

Create the database tables and structure:
php artisan migrate
This creates all necessary tables for:
  • User authentication and profiles
  • Roles and permissions
  • Blog posts, categories, and tags
  • Gallery albums and photos
  • Media library
6

Link storage

Create a symbolic link for public file access:
php artisan storage:link
This allows uploaded media files to be accessible from the web.
7

Start the development server

You can now start the application using the built-in development command:
composer run dev
This single command starts:
  • PHP development server on http://localhost:8000
  • Queue worker for background jobs
  • Vite dev server for hot module replacement
The composer run dev command uses concurrently to run all three services in one terminal window. You’ll see color-coded output for each service.
Alternatively, run services separately:
composer run dev

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Verify installation

Once the development server is running, visit http://localhost:8000 in your browser. You should see the LaraCMS homepage.
Installation successful! You can now proceed to First steps to create your admin account and configure your site.

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Production deployment

For production environments, follow these additional steps:
1

Optimize configuration

php artisan config:cache
php artisan route:cache
php artisan view:cache
2

Build assets

npm run build
3

Set up queue worker

Configure a process manager like Supervisor to keep the queue worker running:
php artisan queue:work --tries=3
4

Configure web server

Point your web server (Nginx, Apache) to the public directory and ensure proper permissions:
chmod -R 755 storage bootstrap/cache
Remember to set APP_ENV=production and APP_DEBUG=false in your production .env file for security and performance.

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Troubleshooting

If you encounter permission errors, ensure the web server has write access to storage directories:
chmod -R 775 storage bootstrap/cache
chown -R www-data:www-data storage bootstrap/cache
  • Verify your database credentials in .env
  • Ensure the database server is running
  • For SQLite, check that the database file exists and is writable
If you encounter dependency conflicts:
composer install --ignore-platform-reqs
Or update to the latest compatible versions:
composer update
Clear npm cache and reinstall:
npm cache clean --force
rm -rf node_modules package-lock.json
npm install

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Next steps

Configuration

Configure environment variables and application settings

First steps

Create your admin account and start using LaraCMS

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