- Is lukeraymonddowning/laravel-template a Composer package or a starter template?
- It is a project scaffold, not a runtime library. The repository is an opinionated Laravel setup the maintainer uses to seed new applications, so you clone or copy it rather than running composer require in a running service. That distinction matters because nothing in your production code links against it, and it cannot be adopted incrementally. Confirm against the tagged composer.json before you plan any integration.
- How do I install and start a new project with the Laravel Template?
- Clone or download the repository at a specific tag, then run composer install and the usual Laravel setup steps such as copying .env.example and generating an application key. Because it seeds a whole application, you commit the scaffold into a fresh repository rather than pulling it as a dependency. Pin an exact tag such as v2.0.0 rather than tracking a branch so your baseline stays reproducible.
- Which Laravel and PHP versions does lukeraymonddowning/laravel-template v2.0.0 support?
- The v2.0.0 release is described as adding Laravel 10 support, which implies a framework floor of Laravel 10 and PHP 8.1 or later. The changelog does not disclose the exact constraint changes, so read the tagged composer.json to confirm the php and laravel/framework requirements. If you are still on Laravel 8 or 9, assume v2.0.0 is out of scope and stay on v1.3.0.
- Can I use laravel-template in an existing Laravel application?
- Not cleanly. There is no supported in-place upgrade or published migration path, so applying it to an existing app means manual, file-by-file reconciliation of config, tooling, and scaffold files. For most teams the cost outweighs the benefit, and the package's own documentation offers no diff or upgrade guide. Treat it as new-project-only.
- What changed between v1.3.0 and v2.0.0 of the Laravel Template?
- The only documented change is a one-line note about Laravel 10 support, despite the major version bump. The likely unstated breaking change is a shift in composer.json constraints, raising the framework floor and possibly dropping Laravel 8 and 9. Run git diff v1.3.0...v2.0.0 and compare the file trees to see the real blast radius before deciding anything.
- How do I migrate an existing project from v1.3.0 to v2.0.0?
- There is no supported migration path. The practical approach is to keep existing v1.3.0 scaffolds pinned, and if you want the v2.0.0 baseline, generate a throwaway Laravel 10 app from the tag and diff it against your current template. Then port only the pieces you actually want, such as composer constraints or config stubs, by hand. Do not bundle Laravel 9 projects into the same decision.
- Does the Laravel Template give me class-based Blade templates for emails and PDFs?
- The repository describes itself as an opinionated Laravel setup using the maintainer's favourite tools, which points to a starter scaffold rather than a template-rendering library. Some third-party summaries describe class-based Blade template objects for emails, PDFs, and reports, but you should verify that against the README and source at the tag you plan to use. If you need that capability in an existing app, look for a dedicated package instead.
- How should I test or smoke-test the Laravel Template before adopting it?
- Generate a scratch application from the pinned tag and run it end to end: boot the app, run migrations, exercise authentication, run the test suite, and run static analysis. Compare the result against your existing internal baseline template and note how far it drifts. Also check for a CI matrix in the repository to see whether Laravel 10 is actually tested or only declared in composer.json.
- Is lukeraymonddowning/laravel-template safe to use in production?
- Because it is a scaffold, nothing at runtime depends on it, which keeps supply-chain risk low once your app is generated. The real concern is maintenance: it is a single-maintainer project under a personal namespace with a sparse changelog and no stated security or support policy. Plan to fork and own your copy, and budget time for keeping the tooling current yourself.
- What are good alternatives to the Laravel Template for starting a new Laravel app?
- The default laravel/laravel skeleton plus laravel new is the safest baseline, and official starter kits such as Breeze and Jetstream cover auth and frontend scaffolding. Other community starter kits and opinionated templates exist if you want curated tooling out of the box. Choose whichever has an active maintainer, a clear changelog, and a CI matrix you can trust.