How to run multiple versions of laravel in same server

 

Running multiple versions of Laravel on the same server is common when hosting multiple projects. Here’s how to do it:

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1. Setup Different Laravel Projects in Separate Directories

Store each Laravel project in its own directory under your web server’s root, for example:

/var/www/html/project-laravel-8
/var/www/html/project-laravel-9

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2. Install Compatible PHP Versions

Laravel projects may require different PHP versions. Use a version manager like PHP-FPM (FastCGI Process Manager) or tools like update-alternatives.

a. Check Installed PHP Versions:

php -v

b. Install Additional PHP Versions:

sudo apt install php7.4 php8.0 php8.1 php8.2
sudo apt install php7.4-fpm php8.0-fpm php8.1-fpm php8.2-fpm

c. Configure PHP-FPM:

Each PHP version runs on a separate socket or port. Example /etc/php/7.4/fpm/pool.d/www.conf:

listen = /run/php/php7.4-fpm.sock

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3. Configure Virtual Hosts for Each Laravel Project

You need separate virtual hosts for each project and specify the PHP version using PHP-FPM or ProxyPassMatch.

a. Example Apache Virtual Hosts:

Create virtual host files in /etc/apache2/sites-available.

For Laravel 8 (/etc/apache2/sites-available/laravel8.conf):

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName laravel8.local
    DocumentRoot /var/www/html/project-laravel-8/public

    <Directory /var/www/html/project-laravel-8/public>
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>

    # Use PHP 7.4 for Laravel 8
    <FilesMatch \.php$>
        SetHandler "proxy:unix:/run/php/php7.4-fpm.sock|fcgi://localhost"
    </FilesMatch>

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/laravel8-error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/laravel8-access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

For Laravel 9 (/etc/apache2/sites-available/laravel9.conf):

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName laravel9.local
    DocumentRoot /var/www/html/project-laravel-9/public

    <Directory /var/www/html/project-laravel-9/public>
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>

    # Use PHP 8.1 for Laravel 9
    <FilesMatch \.php$>
        SetHandler "proxy:unix:/run/php/php8.1-fpm.sock|fcgi://localhost"
    </FilesMatch>

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/laravel9-error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/laravel9-access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

b. Enable Virtual Hosts:

sudo a2ensite laravel8.conf
sudo a2ensite laravel9.conf
sudo systemctl restart apache2

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4. Setup Local Hostnames

Edit /etc/hosts (Linux/Mac) or C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts (Windows) to add entries for your local domains:

127.0.0.1 laravel8.local
127.0.0.1 laravel9.local

Now you can access:

• Laravel 8: http://laravel8.local
• Laravel 9: http://laravel9.local

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5. Database Configuration

Ensure each project has its own .env file configured for different databases:

DB_DATABASE=laravel8_db

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6. Use Supervisor for Queue Workers

If your projects require workers for queues or jobs, configure Supervisor for each Laravel version:

Example Supervisor config for Laravel 8:

[program:laravel8-worker]
process_name=%(program_name)s_%(process_num)02d
command=php /var/www/html/project-laravel-8/artisan queue:work
autostart=true
autorestart=true
numprocs=1
redirect_stderr=true
stdout_logfile=/var/www/html/project-laravel-8/worker.log

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7. Using Nginx (Alternative to Apache)

For Nginx, configure separate server blocks for each Laravel project, specifying the PHP-FPM version.

Example configuration for Laravel 8:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name laravel8.local;
    root /var/www/html/project-laravel-8/public;

    index index.php index.html;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$query_string;
    }

    location ~ \.php$ {
        include snippets/fastcgi-php.conf;
        fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php7.4-fpm.sock;
        fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
        include fastcgi_params;
    }
}

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8. Test Setup

Restart the server and ensure each project is accessible:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

or

sudo systemctl restart nginx

Visit the project URLs in your browser.

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Let me know if you face any issues!