How Do I Set Up Laravel?

Setting up Laravel is quick once your server meets a few requirements. In short: make sure PHP and the required extensions are installed, install the Laravel installer with Composer, add Composer's bin directory to your PATH, then run laravel new to create a project. 

From there, you have a working Laravel app ready for builders to start on. Getting set up correctly is part of Acquaint Softtech's Laravel development services.

Before installing Laravel, your server needs to meet some requirements. The original baseline was PHP 7.2.5 or higher (current Laravel versions need PHP 8.3 or newer), plus a set of PHP extensions that Laravel relies on: BCMath, Ctype, Fileinfo, JSON, Mbstring, OpenSSL, PDO, Tokenizer, and XML. 

Most of these ship with a standard PHP install, so you rarely add them one by one. To skip the manual setup entirely, you could use the Laravel Homestead virtual machine, which bundles all the prerequisites in one ready-to-go box. Meeting these requirements is routine for Laravel web application development at Acquaint Softtech.

Here is what the required extensions are for, and Laravel's official installation documentation lists the full requirements:

To set up Laravel, the simplest route is Composer. First, download the Laravel installer:

Then make sure Composer's system-wide vendor bin directory is in your PATH. The location depends on your operating system:

Adding the bin directory to your PATH is what lets you run the laravel command from anywhere. Once that is done, create a new project with the laravel new command, for example:

This creates a blog directory containing a fresh Laravel installation with all of its dependencies. You can then move into the folder and start the development server:

Your app is now running at http://localhost:8000. If you prefer not to install the global installer, composer create-project laravel/laravel blog does the same thing in one command. Wiring up a project this way is part of custom Laravel development.

These days there is an even easier way to get a full environment, which the original guide predates. Laravel Herd is a free native app for macOS and Windows that bundles PHP, a web server, and the tools you need in one install, so builders can skip installing PHP and its extensions by hand.

Laravel Sail gives you a ready-made Docker environment that includes PHP, a database, and more, which is handy when a whole team needs an identical setup. Either way, make sure you are on PHP 8.3 or newer for the current Laravel. Choosing the right local setup for your project is the kind of call Laravel consulting services at Acquaint Softtech can help with.

Once Laravel is set up, the next step is exploring its ecosystem: Eloquent, Blade, Artisan, and a huge library of packages, all covered in Laravel's ecosystem of packages and tools. These tools simplify database management, templating, and repetitive development tasks. Together, they help developers build scalable applications with cleaner, more maintainable code.

How do I install the Laravel installer? Run composer global require laravel/installer. How do I create a project? With laravel new project-name. What PHP version do I need? 8.3 or higher for the current Laravel. 

Do I need Composer? Yes, it installs the installer and your dependencies. Is Laravel New the only way? No, composer create-project works too, and Herd or Sail sets up the whole environment. A fast, clean setup suits Laravel startups at Acquaint Softtech.

A clean setup is the launchpad for whatever you build, from SaaS platforms to eCommerce stores and the many types of web applications you can build with Laravel. A well-structured foundation also makes future updates and integrations easier. It helps developers add new features while keeping applications secure, efficient, and scalable.

In short, setting up Laravel means meeting the PHP requirements, installing the Laravel installer with Composer, adding it to your PATH, and running laravel new, or using Herd or Sail to do it all at once. To set up and build your project the right way, you can hire Laravel developers from Acquaint Softtech, an Official Laravel Partner, to get you production-ready fast.

That is how you set up Laravel. With the right PHP version and extensions in place, the Laravel installer and a single laravel new command give you a working application in minutes, and modern tools like Herd make it even quicker. From there, builders can dive into Laravel's features and start building real web applications with confidence.