If your .htaccess file is not working after uploading your Laravel site to an EC2 instance running Ubuntu, there are several common issues that could be causing this problem. Here’s a step-by-step guide to troubleshoot and resolve these issues:

1. Ensure Apache is Installed and Running

First, make sure that Apache is installed and running on your EC2 instance.

sudo apt update

sudo apt install apache2

sudo systemctl start apache2

sudo systemctl enable apache2

2. Enable the mod_rewrite Module

Laravel relies on URL rewriting to route requests. Ensure the mod_rewrite module is enabled.

sudo a2enmod rewrite

sudo systemctl restart apache2

3. Configure the Virtual Host to Allow Overrides

Your Apache configuration must allow .htaccess files to override settings. Edit the default Apache virtual host configuration or the specific virtual host configuration for your Laravel site.

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/000-default.conf

Update the configuration to allow overrides in the public directory:

apache

<VirtualHost *:80>

   ServerAdmin webmaster@localhost

   DocumentRoot /var/www/html/your-laravel-project/public

   <Directory /var/www/html/your-laravel-project/public>

       Options Indexes FollowSymLinks

       AllowOverride All

       Require all granted

   </Directory>

   ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log

   CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined

</VirtualHost>

Save the file and exit the editor.

4. Set the Correct Permissions

Ensure that the public directory and .htaccess file have the correct permissions.

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/your-laravel-project/public

sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/your-laravel-project/public

5. Check the .htaccess File

Ensure your .htaccess file in the public directory is correctly configured. It should look something like this:

apache

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>

   <IfModule mod_negotiation.c>

       Options -MultiViews -Indexes

   </IfModule>

   RewriteEngine On

   # Handle Authorization Header

   RewriteCond %{HTTP:Authorization} .

   RewriteRule .* - [E=HTTP_AUTHORIZATION:%{HTTP:Authorization}]

   # Redirect Trailing Slashes...

   RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d

   RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} (.+)/$

   RewriteRule ^ %1 [L,R=301]

   # Send Requests To Front Controller...

   RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d

   RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f

   RewriteRule ^ index.php [L]

</IfModule>

6. Restart Apache

After making all the changes, restart Apache to apply the new configurations.

sudo systemctl restart apache2

7. Verify the Configuration

After completing the above steps, verify that your Laravel application is working correctly without needing to specify public in the URL. Open your web browser and navigate to your site’s domain or public DNS.

http

http://your-ec2-instance-public-dns

Example Commands to Execute

Here’s a summary of the commands to execute in sequence:

# Connect to your EC2 instance

ssh -i /path/to/your-key.pem ubuntu@your-ec2-instance-public-dns

# Ensure Apache is installed and running

sudo apt update

sudo apt install apache2

sudo systemctl start apache2

sudo systemctl enable apache2

# Enable Apache mod_rewrite

sudo a2enmod rewrite

sudo systemctl restart apache2

# Configure Apache virtual host

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/000-default.conf

# (Update the configuration as shown above, then save and exit)

# Set correct ownership to www-data

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/your-laravel-project/public

# Set permissions to 755

sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/your-laravel-project/public

# Ensure the .htaccess file is correctly configured

sudo nano /var/www/html/your-laravel-project/public/.htaccess

# (Ensure it has the correct content as shown above, then save and exit)

# Restart Apache

sudo systemctl restart apache2