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Homestead Laravel Package
laravel/homestead
Laravel Homestead is an official, pre-packaged Vagrant box that provides a complete local development environment for Laravel and PHP. It includes common tools and services, supports multiple projects, and runs consistently across macOS, Windows, and Linux.
At a glance
Frequently asked questions about Homestead
- What Laravel versions does Homestead officially support?
- Homestead is designed for Laravel 5.x through 8.x. It was last updated in April 2024 and is archived, so it’s not recommended for Laravel 9+ projects. If you’re using Laravel 9 or later, Laravel Sail (Docker-based) is the official alternative.
- How do I install Laravel Homestead on Windows?
- Install VirtualBox, Vagrant, and Git on your Windows machine. Then clone the Homestead repository, run `vagrant box add laravel/homestead`, and execute `vagrant up` in the Homestead directory. Ensure you have at least 2GB RAM allocated to the VM for smooth performance.
- Can I run multiple Laravel projects in Homestead simultaneously?
- Yes, Homestead supports multiple sites via the `sites` section in `Homestead.yaml`. Define each project with its own domain (e.g., `app.test`) and folder mapping. Access them via `http://app.test` in your browser after running `vagrant reload --provision`.
- How do I change the PHP version in Homestead?
- Edit the `Homestead.yaml` file and modify the `php` version under the `features` section (e.g., `php: '8.1'`). Then run `vagrant reload --provision` to rebuild the VM with the new PHP version. Supported versions include 7.1 through 8.1.
- Does Homestead work with PostgreSQL, or is it MySQL-only?
- Homestead includes both MySQL and PostgreSQL by default. You can enable PostgreSQL by adding it to the `databases` section of `Homestead.yaml` (e.g., `postgres: true`). Access it via `pgsql` in your Laravel `.env` file.
- Why is Homestead slower than Docker-based alternatives like Sail?
- Homestead uses a full VirtualBox VM, which consumes more system resources (~2GB RAM/CPU) compared to Docker containers. On Windows, performance is further impacted by VirtualBox’s limitations. For lightweight setups, Laravel Sail (Docker) is faster and more resource-efficient.
- How do I share files between my host machine and Homestead?
- Files are shared via the `folders` section in `Homestead.yaml`. By default, it maps your `~/Code` directory to `/home/vagrant/code` in the VM. Ensure the path exists on your host and restart Homestead with `vagrant reload --provision` if changes are made.
- Can I use Homestead with Laravel Forge or Valet?
- Homestead is independent of Laravel Forge or Valet but can complement them. Forge is used for production deployments, while Valet is a macOS-only local dev tool. Homestead provides a more consistent cross-platform environment, especially for teams using multiple OSes.
- What’s the migration path from Homestead to Laravel Sail?
- Replace `Homestead.yaml` with a `docker-compose.yml` file for Sail. Update your Laravel `.env` to reflect Docker-specific configurations (e.g., `DB_HOST=mysql` instead of a socket). Reconfigure queues, mailers, and services for Docker networking. Sail is the modern replacement for Homestead.
- Does Homestead support custom Nginx or Apache configurations?
- Homestead uses Nginx by default, and you can customize its configuration by editing the `nginx` section in `Homestead.yaml` or by overriding the default Nginx config in `/etc/nginx/sites-available/`. For Apache, you’d need to manually install and configure it inside the VM, which isn’t officially supported.
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