Installing PHP, Composer, and Node.js on WSL (Windows)

A step-by-step guide to setting up a Laravel development environment on Windows 10/11 by installing PHP, Composer, and Node.js on WSL 2.

Introduction

The best practice for developing Laravel on Windows is to use WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux). Because you can use the Linux toolchain as-is, the same commands work as on macOS and production servers.

This guide walks through installing PHP, Composer, and Node.js (via nvm) on Ubuntu under WSL 2, getting you to a state where laravel new works.

Target environment: Windows 10 (version 2004 or later) or Windows 11. WSL 2 is used.

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Installing WSL

1. Open PowerShell as administrator

   Search “PowerShell” in the start menu and select “Run as administrator.”

2. Install WSL and Ubuntu

   wsl --install
   

   This command installs WSL 2 and Ubuntu (the default distribution). Restart the PC when it’s done.

3. Set up Ubuntu

   After the restart, Ubuntu launches automatically. Set a username and password. This password is used for the sudo command.

   The password won’t appear on screen as you type. Enter it accurately.

4. Update the package list

   Run the following in the Ubuntu terminal.

   sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
   

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Installing PHP

The PHP shipped in Ubuntu’s default repository can be an older version. Install the latest version using the ondrej/php PPA.

1. Install required packages

   sudo apt install -y software-properties-common
   
2. Add the ondrej/php PPA

   sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ondrej/php
   sudo apt update
   
3. Install PHP 8.3 and required extensions

   Laravel 13 requires PHP 8.3 or later.

   sudo apt install -y php8.3 php8.3-cli php8.3-mbstring php8.3-xml php8.3-curl php8.3-zip php8.3-sqlite3 php8.3-mysql
   
4. Check the version

   php --version
   

   Success looks like PHP 8.3.x or later.

5. (Optional) Switching between multiple versions

   If you need multiple PHP versions, switch with update-alternatives.

   sudo update-alternatives --config php
   

   A list of installed versions appears; enter the number of the one you want to use.

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Installing Composer

Install Composer using the official installer.

1. Verify required packages

   sudo apt install -y curl php8.3-cli unzip
   
2. Download and run the official installer

   curl -sS https://getcomposer.org/installer -o /tmp/composer-setup.php
   sudo php /tmp/composer-setup.php --install-dir=/usr/local/bin --filename=composer
   
3. Check the version

   composer --version
   
4. Configure the path for global installs

   So that packages installed with composer global require (like the Laravel installer) are usable, add ~/.composer/vendor/bin to your PATH.

   Append this to ~/.bashrc (or ~/.zshrc):

   export PATH="$HOME/.composer/vendor/bin:$PATH"
   

   Apply the changes.

   source ~/.bashrc
   

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Installing nvm

Install Node.js on a per-user basis with nvm (Node Version Manager). Because it doesn’t require sudo, it plays nicely with AI tools and CLIs that use global npm packages.

1. Install nvm

   The latest install script is available on nvm’s GitHub repository.

   curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.3/install.sh | bash
   
2. Add to your shell config

   The install script automatically appends the following to ~/.bashrc. Add it manually if it isn’t already there.

   export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"
   [ -s "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" ] && \. "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh"
   [ -s "$NVM_DIR/bash_completion" ] && \. "$NVM_DIR/bash_completion"
   

   Apply the changes.

   source ~/.bashrc
   

   If you use zsh, add the same to ~/.zshrc and apply with source ~/.zshrc.

3. Verify the installation

   nvm --version
   

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Installing Node.js

1. Install the LTS version

   nvm install --lts
   
2. Set as default

   Set the default version so it’s used automatically in new terminal sessions.

   nvm alias default node
   
3. Check the versions

   node --version
   npm --version
   

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Verifying the Laravel installation

1. Install the Laravel installer

   composer global require laravel/installer
   
2. Create a new project

   laravel new my-app
   

   An interactive setup begins. You can choose a starter kit and whether to include authentication.

3. Start the dev server

   cd my-app
   php artisan serve
   

   Open http://localhost:8000 in a Windows browser; if the Laravel welcome page appears, you’re done.

   If you can’t reach localhost from a Windows browser under WSL, try running it with php artisan serve --host=0.0.0.0.

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Extras: tools to improve productivity

Windows Terminal

Windows Terminal lets you manage WSL, PowerShell, and Command Prompt together in tabs. It’s free from the Microsoft Store.

• Operate multiple shells in parallel with tabs
• Set the Ubuntu shell as the default
• Freely customize fonts and colors

VS Code Remote - WSL extension

With the Remote - WSL extension for VS Code, you can edit files inside WSL directly from VS Code on Windows.

# Open the project in VS Code from the WSL terminal
code .

On first run, the VS Code server is installed automatically inside WSL. From then on, development feels native.