Laravel blank white screen

🌟Laravel blank white screen? Here are easy fixes! 🚀

So you recently upgraded your Apache and PHP versions, and suddenly you're greeted with a terrifying blank white screen when you visit your Laravel site. 😱 Don't panic! We've got your back with some common issues and simple solutions. Let's dive in!

⚠️ Check your Apache error logs

First things first, let's make sure there's no hidden error lurking around. Check your Apache error logs to see if any issues are being recorded. To do this, locate your Apache error log file, which is usually found in /var/log/apache2/error.log or /var/log/httpd/error_log. If you need help finding it, consult your server's documentation. 📜

⚙️ Verify your .htaccess file

The next step is to inspect your .htaccess file. It is responsible for handling the URLs and routing within your Laravel application. Let's make sure everything is in order.

1. Open your terminal and navigate to the Laravel project's public folder.

2. Type cat .htaccess to display the contents of the file.

You should see something like this:

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
    <IfModule mod_negotiation.c>
        Options -MultiViews
    </IfModule>

    RewriteEngine On

    # Redirect Trailing Slashes...
    RewriteRule ^(.*)/$ /$1 [L,R=301]

    # Handle Front Controller...
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
    RewriteRule ^ index.php [L]
</IfModule>

Ensure that your .htaccess file matches the above code. If it does, let's move on to the next step. If not, make the necessary corrections and save the file. 😉

🚀 Verify your Apache virtual host configuration

The virtual host configuration specifies how requests for your domain should be handled by Apache. Let's make sure we've got everything set up correctly.

1. Open your terminal and execute the command apachectl -S.

2. Look for the section that corresponds to your Laravel project's virtual host. It should resemble something like this:

VirtualHost configuration:
*:80                    is a NameVirtualHost
     default server mydomain.example (/usr/local/apache2/conf/extra/httpd-vhosts.conf:25)
     port * namevhost mydomain.example (/usr/local/apache2/conf/extra/httpd-vhosts.conf:25)
     port * namevhost laravel.mydomain.example (/usr/local/apache2/conf/extra/httpd-vhosts.conf:34)
ServerRoot: "/usr/local/apache2"
Main DocumentRoot: "/var/www"
Main ErrorLog: "/usr/local/apache2/logs/error_log"
Mutex rewrite-map: using_defaults
Mutex default: dir="/usr/local/apache2/logs/" mechanism=default
PidFile: "/usr/local/apache2/logs/httpd.pid"
Define: DUMP_VHOSTS
Define: DUMP_RUN_CFG
User: name="daemon"
Group: name="daemon"

Ensure that the DocumentRoot points to the correct directory for your Laravel project (e.g., /var/sites/laravel/public). Also, make sure the <Directory> directive allows for AllowOverride All.

🎉 Call-to-Action: Share your experience and engage!

Now that you have learned how to tackle the dreaded blank white screen in Laravel, why not share your experience? Leave a comment below with any additional tips or tricks you've discovered. Let's help each other and make the Laravel community go further together! 🙌

Remember, when encountering a blank white screen, checking Apache error logs, verifying the .htaccess file, and inspecting the virtual host configuration are crucial steps. With these easy solutions in hand, you'll be back up and running in no time! 😄

Happy coding! 💻