Managing Laravel Projects with Larasail on Digital Ocean (with examples)

Larasail is a powerful command-line tool designed to simplify the process of managing Laravel projects on Digital Ocean servers. It provides an efficient way to set up and manage server environments tailored for Laravel applications, ensuring that all necessary dependencies and configuration settings are correctly applied. By automating these tasks, Larasail saves time and reduces the potential for human error, allowing developers to focus more on building robust web applications. The tool’s versatility is demonstrated through various commands that handle server setup, site management, and password retrievals for the Laravel environment.

Use case 1: Setting up the server with default PHP version

Code:

larasail setup

Motivation:

Setting up a new server environment can be a tedious and error-prone process, especially for developers who need to quickly deploy or start working on Laravel applications. The larasail setup command streamlines this by automatically installing all necessary dependencies with the default PHP version expected for most Laravel projects. This ensures that developers can start building their applications without worrying about compatibility issues or hunting down software dependencies.

Explanation:

The command larasail setup is straightforward as it initiates the configuration and setup process for a new Digital Ocean server, preloading it with the default PHP version and necessary Laravel dependencies such as Composer, NGINX, and MySQL configurations. It simplifies the entry point for Laravel development.

Example output:

Setting up your server with default settings...
Installing NGINX...
Installing PHP...
Installing Composer...
Setup complete. Your Laravel environment is ready!

Use case 2: Setting up the server with a specific PHP version

Code:

larasail setup php71

Motivation:

In some scenarios, a Laravel project might require a specific version of PHP due to compatibility reasons or legacy codebases. Using a specific PHP version ensures that the application runs smoothly without unexpected behavior. The larasail setup php71 command fulfills this need by installing a designated PHP version tailored to fit such requirements.

Explanation:

This command adds an additional argument php71, which specifies that PHP version 7.1 should be installed on the server. Larasail handles the configuration, ensuring all software components are optimized to work specifically with PHP 7.1, thus preserving compatibility and stability for older applications.

Example output:

Setting up your server with PHP 7.1...
Installing NGINX...
Installing PHP 7.1...
Installing Composer...
Setup complete. Your Laravel environment with PHP 7.1 is ready!

Use case 3: Adding a new Laravel site

Code:

larasail host domain path/to/site_directory

Motivation:

Hosting multiple Laravel sites on a single server is a common requirement, especially in production environments where hosting costs and resources need to be managed efficiently. The larasail host command facilitates this by allowing developers to add new Laravel sites effortlessly, configuring virtual hosts to serve each application correctly under its domain.

Explanation:

In this command, the argument domain represents the domain name by which the new Laravel site will be accessible (e.g., example.com), and path/to/site_directory is the file path to the directory where the Laravel site’s codebase is located. Larasail automates the setup of NGINX or Apache virtual host configurations, making the site live under the given domain.

Example output:

Configuring site for domain: example.com...
Linking site directory: /path/to/site_directory...
Site added successfully. Access it at http://example.com/

Use case 4: Retrieving the Larasail user password

Code:

larasail pass

Motivation:

Secure server access is vital for managing web applications, especially in production environments. After setting up a server, developers may need to retrieve the system’s user password assigned to the Larasail tool for secure access. The larasail pass command provides a convenient way to obtain this information without manually searching through system files or setup logs.

Explanation:

The command larasail pass is used to fetch the password for the Larasail user, which may be required for accessing or managing server characteristics. The command ensures this sensitive information is easily obtainable while remaining secure from unauthorized access.

Example output:

Larasail user password: your_secure_password

Use case 5: Retrieving the Larasail MySQL password

Code:

larasail mysqlpass

Motivation:

Access to the MySQL database is often necessary for application development and maintenance tasks such as data migration, querying, and backups. The larasail mysqlpass command makes it easy for developers to retrieve their MySQL password, facilitating seamless database connection and management.

Explanation:

With larasail mysqlpass, developers can quickly obtain the MySQL user’s password configured during the server setup process. This command is indispensable for database operations, ensuring developers can connect to their MySQL database securely and efficiently.

Example output:

Larasail MySQL password: database_secure_password

Conclusion:

Larasail is an invaluable tool for developers working with Laravel on Digital Ocean servers. Each command serves to streamline server management, from initial setup to managing Laravel sites and retrieving critical access credentials. By automating these processes, Larasail reduces the time and complexity involved in server management, allowing developers to concentrate on building their applications and enhancing performance and reliability.