Installation Guide (cPanel / Shared Hosting)

Overview

This guide walks you through installing Larapen on a shared hosting environment using cPanel (or similar hosting panels like Plesk, DirectAdmin, etc.). No command-line knowledge is required.

What you need

• A hosting account with cPanel (or equivalent panel) access
• A domain name pointed to your hosting server
• The Larapen ZIP file downloaded from CodeCanyon
• Your purchase code from CodeCanyon (found under Downloads → License Certificate)

Step 1: Create a database

1. Log into your cPanel.
2. Go to Databases → MySQL Databases.
3. Under "Create New Database", enter a name (e.g., larapen) and click Create Database.
4. Under "MySQL Users → Add New User", create a user with a strong password. Note both the username and password.
5. Under "Add User to Database", select the user and database you just created, and click Add.
6. On the privileges screen, check "ALL PRIVILEGES" and click Make Changes.

Step 2: Upload the files

1. Unzip the file you downloaded from CodeCanyon on your local computer.
2. Upload the contents of the Larapen folder to your server root, usually public_html/ for your main domain.

Document root setup

Larapen, like all Laravel applications, serves files from the public/ directory. There are two approaches:

Option A: Set document root to public/ (recommended)

In cPanel → Domains (or Addon Domains / Subdomains), set the document root to public_html/public. This is the most secure option.

Option B: Use the root-level index.php

If you cannot change the document root, Larapen includes a root-level index.php that redirects requests to the public/ directory. Simply ensure your domain points to public_html/ and it will work automatically.

Step 3: Run the web installer

1. Open your browser and go to: https://yourdomain.com/install
2. The Larapen web installation wizard will launch automatically.
3. The installer will guide you through:
   • Requirements check — Verifies PHP version and extensions. Fix any red items before continuing.
   • Permissions check — Verifies writable directories. Fix any permission issues via File Manager (right-click → Change Permissions → 775 for storage/ and bootstrap/cache/).
   • Database setup — Enter your database details (host, name, user, password).
   • Admin account — Create your administrator username, email, and password.
   • Site settings — Set your site name, default language, and basic configuration.
4. Click "Install" and wait for the process to complete.
5. Once finished, you'll see a success message with a link to your admin panel.

Step 4: Verify the installation

• Visit https://yourdomain.com — your website's front page should display.
• Visit https://yourdomain.com/admin — log in with the admin credentials you created during setup.
• Go to Settings → System Info to confirm all requirements are met.

Step 5: Set up SSL (if not already done)

If your site doesn't already have HTTPS:

1. In cPanel, go to Security → SSL/TLS or Let's Encrypt SSL.
2. Issue a free certificate for your domain.
3. Update APP_URL in your .env file to use https://.

Step 6: Set up the cron job

Larapen requires a scheduled task (cron job) for background tasks like sending queued emails and cleaning temporary files.

1. In cPanel, go to Advanced → Cron Jobs.
2. Set the interval to "Once Per Minute" (* * * * *).
3. Enter this command:

cd /home/youraccount/public_html && php artisan schedule:run >> /dev/null 2>&1

Replace /home/youraccount/public_html with the actual path to your Larapen installation.

Common issues during installation

Blank page or 500 error

• Check that .env exists and is properly configured.
• Ensure storage/ and bootstrap/cache/ are writable (permissions 775).
• Check the error log at storage/logs/laravel.log.

"SQLSTATE[HY000] [1045] Access denied"

• Double-check your database credentials in the installer.
• Make sure the database user has privileges on the database (Step 1).
• Remember to use the full cPanel-prefixed name (e.g., myaccount_larapen).

Installer doesn't appear

• Navigate directly to https://yourdomain.com/install.
• Clear your browser cache and try again.
• If the site loads but shows a different page, the document root may not point to the correct directory.