Common Causes of Connection Refused Error in Laravel Migrations on XAMPP in macOS

Understand the reasons behind encountering a "Connection refused" error when running Laravel migrations on XAMPP in macOS.
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Common Causes of Connection Refused Error in Laravel Migrations on XAMPP in macOS

Encountering a SQLSTATE[HY000] [2002] Connection refused error when running Laravel migrations on XAMPP in macOS can be frustrating. This error indicates that Laravel cannot establish a connection to the MySQL database. Below are some common reasons for this issue:

Database Configuration Issues

The most common cause of a Connection refused error is incorrect database configuration. Laravel relies on the .env file to connect to the database. Ensure that the following configurations are correct:

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Verify that DB_HOST is set to 127.0.0.1 or localhost, and DB_PORT is set to the port MySQL is running on (default is 3306). Any discrepancy in these values can lead to a connection refused error.

XAMPP Server Not Running

Another common issue is the XAMPP server not running. Make sure that both Apache and MySQL services are up and running. You can check this using the XAMPP control panel. If either service is down, start them and try running the migrations again.

Firewall and Network Issues

Sometimes, the macOS firewall might block the port used by MySQL. To check if the port is open, you can use the following command in Terminal:

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If the port is not listed, you may need to adjust your firewall settings or add a rule to allow traffic on port 3306.

MySQL Configuration Errors

Check the MySQL configuration file (my.cnf or my.ini) to ensure that it is set up correctly. The bind address should be set to 127.0.0.1:

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Incorrect PHP Version

Laravel may encounter issues if it is not compatible with the PHP version installed. Ensure that the version of PHP used by XAMPP is compatible with your Laravel project.

Conclusion

Understanding these common causes of a Connection refused error when running Laravel migrations on XAMPP in macOS should help in troubleshooting and resolving the issue. Ensure database configurations are correct, services are running, and network settings are appropriate for a successful database connection.