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Installer & Downloads

The Installer (Downloads) is a curated catalog of runtimes, databases, and tools that you can install with a single click. LaraEnv handles the download, extraction, and detection for you.

Catalog​

The catalog covers everything a typical PHP development stack needs:

  • Web servers — Nginx, Apache
  • Databases — MySQL, PostgreSQL, Redis
  • Mail — Mailpit
  • PHP — versions 5.6 through 8.4 (see PHP versions)
  • Node.js — LTS and Current (see Node.js)
  • Python — 3.13
  • Tools — Cmder
  • Composer — bundled with LaraEnv

Installed items show an installed badge so you can tell at a glance what is already on your machine.

How installation works​

When you start an install, LaraEnv runs a small pipeline:

  1. Download — with automatic retry and resume, plus live progress showing the percentage and current speed in MB/s.
  2. Extract — the archive is unpacked into place.
  3. Mark — a .lara4ever-version marker file is written so LaraEnv can detect the installed version later.

Choose the Recommended stack option to install a curated starter set in one go. This is also offered the first time you run LaraEnv, so you can get a working environment without picking each component by hand.

Manual download gate​

Some vendors block direct (hotlinked) downloads — for example Apache and PostgreSQL (EnterpriseDB). For these, LaraEnv uses a manual download gate:

  1. LaraEnv opens the vendor's download page in your browser.
  2. You download the zip into C:\laraenv\cache\.
  3. LaraEnv detects the file and finishes the install using install from file.
tip

If an install is waiting on a manual download, drop the downloaded archive into C:\laraenv\cache\ and LaraEnv will pick it up automatically.

Show on Dashboard​

Each service has a show on Dashboard toggle that controls whether it appears in the Dashboard grid. Turn it on for the services you use day to day and off for the rest to keep the Services view focused.