How to Install Laravel on Windows 11 for Beginners

Introduction

This tutorial provides a step-by-step guide on how to install Laravel 9 on Windows 11 using XAMPP, Composer, and Git Bash. Whether you're a beginner or looking to refresh your skills, this guide will help you set up a development environment for Laravel efficiently.

Step 1: Install XAMPP

1. Download XAMPP

   • Visit the XAMPP website: Apache Friends.
   • Choose the version compatible with Windows and download the installer.

2. Run the Installer

   • Open the downloaded file and follow the installation prompts.
   • Select components to install; ensure "Apache" and "MySQL" are checked.
   • Choose the installation directory (the default is usually fine).

3. Start XAMPP

   • Open the XAMPP Control Panel after installation.
   • Start the "Apache" and "MySQL" services by clicking the respective "Start" buttons.

Step 2: Install Composer

1. Download Composer

   • Go to the Composer website: Get Composer.
   • Download the Composer-Setup.exe file.

2. Run the Installer

   • Open the downloaded file.
   • During installation, when prompted for the PHP executable, navigate to the PHP folder in your XAMPP installation (e.g., C:\xampp\php\php.exe).

3. Verify Installation

   • Open Command Prompt or Git Bash.
   • Type composer -v and press Enter. You should see the version of Composer installed.

Step 3: Install Git Bash

1. Download Git Bash

   • Access the Git website: Git for Windows.
   • Download the latest version of Git for Windows.

2. Run the Installer

   • Open the downloaded file and follow the prompts.
   • Choose the default options during installation for simplicity.

3. Verify Installation

   • Open Git Bash.
   • Type git --version to confirm that Git is installed correctly.

Step 4: Install Node.js

1. Download Node.js

   • Visit the Node.js website: Node.js.
   • Download the LTS version for Windows.

2. Run the Installer

   • Open the downloaded file and follow the installation prompts.
   • Ensure you install the necessary tools for Node.js.

3. Verify Installation

   • Open Command Prompt or Git Bash.
   • Type node -v and npm -v to check that both Node.js and npm are installed correctly.

Step 5: Download and Set Up Laravel

1. Create a New Laravel Project

   • Open Git Bash and navigate to the htdocs directory in XAMPP (e.g., cd C:/xampp/htdocs).
   • Run the following command to create a new Laravel project:

     composer create-project --prefer-dist laravel/laravel your-project-name
     

   • Replace your-project-name with the desired name for your project.

2. Configure Environment File

   • Navigate to your project folder: cd your-project-name.
   • Copy the .env.example file to create a new .env file:

     cp .env.example .env
     

   • Open the .env file in Visual Studio Code (download from Visual Studio Code) and set your database credentials.

3. Generate Application Key

   • In the terminal, run:

     php artisan key:generate
     

Conclusion

You have successfully installed Laravel 9 on Windows 11 using XAMPP, Composer, Git Bash, and Node.js. You can now start building your applications. As a next step, explore the Laravel documentation to familiarize yourself with its features and functionalities. Happy coding!