Hey there fellow developers! Vishnu here, and today I want to share my experience solving a common but tricky issue that many Laravel developers face when deploying their projects on Hostinger – the symbolic link problem.

I encountered this while working on a project during my full-stack web development training at CSLAB in Sikar. Quick shoutout to CSLAB – they’re doing amazing work teaching everything from UI/UX design and frontend technologies like React to backend development with Laravel and WordPress, plus crucial skills like application security and deployment.

Understanding the Problem

The issue typically shows up when your Laravel application can’t access files in the storage directory through the public path. This happens because Laravel needs to create a symbolic link between public/storage and storage/app/public, but Hostinger’s default settings sometimes prevent this from working properly.

Checking and Enabling Symlink Function

Before diving into solutions, let’s first check if the symlink function is disabled on your Hostinger account. Here’s how:

  1. Log into your Hostinger control panel
  2. Navigate to the PHP Configuration section
  3. Search for “symlink” in the PHP Functions list
  4. If you see it’s disabled, you’ll need to enable it by:
    • Creating a php.ini file in your domain’s root directory
    • Adding this line: enable_function = symlink
    • Saving the file and waiting a few minutes for the changes to take effect

Solution 1: Using Artisan Call Command

If you prefer handling this through Laravel’s routing system, here’s a clean approach:

Route::get('/storage-link', function() {
    if(file_exists(public_path('storage'))) {
        return 'The "public/storage" directory already exists.';
    }
    
    app('files')->link(
        storage_path('app/public'), 
        public_path('storage')
    );
    
    return 'The [public/storage] directory has been linked.';
});</code>

Add this route to your web.php file, then visit yourdomain.com/storage-link in your browser. This will create the symbolic link without needing terminal access.

Solution 2: Using PuTTY for Direct Command Execution

If you prefer the command-line approach:

  1. Download and install PuTTY on your computer
  2. Connect to your Hostinger account using:
    • Hostname: Your Hostinger server IP
    • Port: 22
    • Connection type: SSH
  3. Log in with your Hostinger credentials
  4. Navigate to your project directory
  5. Run the command: php artisan storage:link

Which Method Should You Choose?

Both methods work well, but I personally prefer the route method (Solution 1) because:

  • It doesn’t require additional software installation
  • It’s easier to manage and troubleshoot
  • You can secure the route with middleware if needed
  • It’s more beginner-friendly

Remember to remove or secure the storage-link route after using it in a production environment!

Wrapping Up

That’s it! I hope this guide helps you solve the symbolic link issue on your Hostinger-hosted Laravel projects. If you’re interested in learning more about Laravel and full-stack development, check out CSLAB’s comprehensive training program. We cover everything from basic HTML to advanced application security – it’s been an amazing learning journey for me.

Have you faced similar issues with Laravel deployment? Let me know in the comments below how you solved them!

Happy coding! 🚀

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *