How do I setup Laravel?

This guide shows how to set up Laravel 12 on Windows. You can use either the global Laravel installer or the Composer create-project method. Both are valid, and all steps are beginner-friendly.

Step 1: System Requirements

• PHP: 8.2+
• Composer: Latest version (Download Composer)
• Node.js & npm: 20.x+ (LTS recommended for Vite/Tailwind)
• Database: SQLite (default) or MySQL/PostgreSQL/SQL Server
• Terminal: PowerShell or Git Bash (run as Administrator to avoid execution policy issues)

Step 2: Verify Installed Tools

• PHP version:php -v
• Composer version:composer -V
• Node.js version:node -v
• npm version:npm -v
• Laravel version (optional if installed globally):laravel --version

Step 3A: Create Laravel Project Using Global Installer

If you prefer the standard Laravel document flow, install the installer globally:

composer global require laravel/installer
laravel new example-app
cd example-app

The installer will prompt you to choose:

• Starter kit (None, Breeze, Jetstream)
• Testing framework (Pest or PHPUnit)
• Database driver (SQLite, MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server)
• Optionally run migrations and install frontend dependencies automatically

Step 3B: Alternative – Composer Create-Project (Windows Friendly)

On Windows, this method is often more reliable:

composer create-project laravel/laravel example-app
cd example-app

Step 4: Install Frontend Assets (Optional)

If your project uses Vite, Tailwind, or other frontend tools:

npm install
npm run build

Step 5: Start Development Server

Start Laravel’s development environment:

composer run dev

Access the app in your browser: http://localhost:8000

Step 6: Verify Installation

Check system health and environment configuration:

php artisan about

Pro-Tips for Beginners

• Run PowerShell or Git Bash as Administrator to avoid execution policy errors.
• SQLite works by default; beginners don’t need to configure a database immediately.
• Both global installer and composer create-project are valid; choose the one that works best on your system.
• Use php artisan about to verify PHP, database, and cache status.
• Frontend assets are optional; only run npm install if you need Vite/Tailwind features.

Resources

• Laravel 12 Official Documentation
• Composer Documentation
• Node.js Official Site