SMSOFTWARE

🐳 Laravel API — Docker Compose Command Sheet

This command list is for the non-Sail Docker workflow, using these services:

app → Laravel (PHP-FPM)

laravel_db → Database

laravel_worker → Queue worker

I. 🚀 Daily Workflow (Start / Stop)
Action Command Notes
Start environment docker compose up -d Starts all containers in background
Clear config cache docker compose exec app php artisan config:clear Required after every fresh up -d to reload .env and APP_KEY
Stop environment docker compose down Stops containers but keeps database data
Restart containers docker compose restart Fast restart without container removal
II. 🛠️ One-Time Setup (Run Once Per Project)

Run these commands only once, inside the app container.

Action Command Purpose
Install dependencies docker compose exec app composer install Installs vendor/
Generate app key docker compose exec app php artisan key:generate Writes APP_KEY to .env
Run migrations docker compose exec app php artisan migrate Creates database tables
Reset everything docker compose down -v ⚠️ Deletes all containers AND database data
III. ⚙️ Laravel Artisan & Development Commands
Action Command
Run any Artisan command docker compose exec app php artisan <command>
Open Tinker docker compose exec app php artisan tinker
Run tests docker compose exec app php artisan test
View worker logs docker compose logs laravel_worker
Open shell (bash) docker compose exec app bash
🌐 Access Points
Service URL
Application (Nginx) http://localhost or http://192.168.1.6
PHPMyAdmin http://localhost:8080
✅ Notes & Best Practices

Do not install PHP, Apache, or MySQL on Windows

Always clear config cache after container startup

Use down -v only when you intentionally want a fresh database

This setup matches production architecture (Nginx + PHP-FPM)

6 days ago | [YT] | 2

SMSOFTWARE

Laravel / PHP on Windows: What Actually Works (and What Doesn’t)

Running Laravel or PHP applications on Windows sounds easy—until you actually do it.

After years of trial and error, here’s a practical breakdown of the most common options and why most of them fail in real-world development.

❌ XAMPP, Laragon, WampServer: Convenient but Fragile

These tools are often recommended to beginners, but on Windows they quickly become a problem:

Random Apache/MySQL startup failures

Port conflicts (especially 80, 443, 3306)

PHP extension mismatches

Updates that break existing projects

They may work at first, but over time you’ll spend more time fixing the environment than writing code.

Verdict: Not suitable for serious or long-term Laravel development.

⚠️ Laravel Sail + Docker (WSL 2): Good, but Limited

Laravel Sail is great on Linux and macOS. On Windows, however, it depends entirely on WSL 2.

Problems appear when:

You need to access the app over a LAN

You work with mobile devices, other PCs, or teammates

IP addresses change due to WSL’s virtual networking

Sail is fine for local-only development, but it’s not reliable when networking matters.

Verdict: Acceptable for solo local work, weak for LAN or team setups.

✅ The Best Option: Docker Desktop (Official Installer)

The most stable and predictable solution on Windows is:

Docker Desktop installed directly from the official Docker website

Why this works best:

Stable container networking

Reliable LAN access

Environment parity with production

No broken Windows PHP services

No fighting Apache/MySQL on the host machine

⚠️ Important:
Avoid the Microsoft Store version of Docker Desktop. It introduces unnecessary issues and inconsistencies.

Verdict: This is the closest you’ll get to a Linux-like development experience on Windows.

🏁 Final Recommendation

If you are serious about Laravel development on Windows:

❌ Avoid XAMPP / Laragon / WAMP

⚠️ Use Laravel Sail only for local-only work

✅ Use Docker Desktop (official installer) for stability, LAN access, and sanity

Your development environment should support your work, not fight against it.

6 days ago | [YT] | 3

SMSOFTWARE

📢 New Tutorial Coming Soon!
🚀 We’re building a Full Instagram Clone — step-by-step!
💻 Tech Stack: React Native (Expo) + Laravel API
📱 Learn how to handle authentication, posts, stories, likes, comments, and more — just like the real Instagram app.

🎯 Perfect for developers who want to master mobile app + backend integration.
👨‍💻 Subscribe now and stay tuned 👉 @smsoftware243

#ReactNative #Laravel #InstagramClone #FullStackDev #MobileAppDevelopment #CodingTutorials #SMSoftware

2 months ago | [YT] | 9

SMSOFTWARE

🚀 New Episode Just Dropped!
Flutter Authentication UI/UX – Build login, register, and forgot/reset password screens using GetX 💙

🛠️ Learn how to:
✅ Design clean and modern authentication flows
✅ Validate forms with custom logic
✅ Structure screens using clean architecture
✅ Build responsive UI for all devices

Perfect for mobile, web, and desktop Flutter apps!

🔗 Watch now & level up your Flutter game → [Add Your Link Here]
📁 Full source code: github.com/Muswamba/flutter_getx_production_app

👇 Are you building authentication from scratch or using Firebase Auth? Let us know in the comments!

#Flutter #GetX #UIUX #AppDesign

5 months ago | [YT] | 2

SMSOFTWARE

🧱 Build a Responsive Flutter UI for Every Screen Size!
Are you building a Flutter app for mobile, tablet, and desktop? Don’t let your layout break!

In this new episode of our Flutter series, you’ll learn how to create fully responsive UIs using LayoutBuilder, responsive_builder, and GetX for routing and bindings.

🔑 What You’ll Learn:

Responsive layouts for mobile, tablet, and desktop

Clean architecture and scalable structure

GetX routing and binding made easy

Real-world layout strategy for production apps

📺 Watch now and level up your UI skills: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC9l2...
📦 Full source code: github.com/Muswamba/flutter_getx_production_app

💬 Let me know in the comments what device you're building for first!

#Flutter #GetX #ResponsiveDesign #MobileDev #FlutterUI

5 months ago | [YT] | 2

SMSOFTWARE

Want to give your Flutter app a professional first impression?

🔥 In this episode, we set up a custom Splash Screen and design a slick App Icon using:

✅ flutter_native_splash
✅ flutter_launcher_icons

💡 Perfect for developers building production-ready apps with clean architecture and GetX!

📺 Watch now and learn how to:
👉 Customize branding
👉 Add logos the right way
👉 Ensure your app looks great across devices

📹www.youtube.com/playlist?list...
💻 Full repo: github.com/Muswamba/flutter_getx_production_app

#Flutter #FlutterDev #GetX #SplashScreen #AppIcon #MobileDevelopment #CleanArchitecture #UIUX #DevTips #BuildInPublic

5 months ago | [YT] | 1

SMSOFTWARE

We’re diving into GetX Binding Routes and Clean Architecture in Flutter — the scalable way to structure your app like a pro.

5 months ago | [YT] | 1

SMSOFTWARE

🚀 New Episode Just Dropped!

We’re diving into GetX Binding Routes and Clean Architecture in Flutter — the scalable way to structure your app like a pro.

✅ Routing with GetPage
✅ Bindings for controllers and services
✅ Modular folder setup
✅ Clean separation of concerns
✅ Scalable for medium & large Flutter apps

🎥 Watch now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHjAL...
📦 Source code: github.com/Muswamba/flutter_getx_production_app
👷‍♂️ Follow the full tutorial series and build your own Start Up App step by step!

#Flutter #GetX #CleanArchitecture #FlutterDev #DartLang

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5 months ago | [YT] | 5

SMSOFTWARE

🎉 Hey everyone! I’m super excited to announce the launch of SMSOFTWARE Memberships! 🚀

As a member, you’ll get exclusive perks to level up your coding journey, including:

Exclusive Source Code for all my tutorials
1-on-1 Support to help you with your projects
Members-Only Content and sneak peeks at upcoming projects
Loyalty Badges and other fun perks for supporting the channel!
Whether you're a beginner or a pro, there's a tier for everyone:

$1.49/month - Support the channel with a loyalty badge.
$5/month - Get exclusive content and access to our community.
$24/month - Unlock source code, 1-on-1 support, and much more!
🔗 Become a member here: smsoftware.org/members

I’m so excited to share this new chapter with all of you. Thank you for your continued support, and I can’t wait to see you inside the membership community! 🙌

10 months ago | [YT] | 5