How to properly start Laravel 8 with Bootstrap & authentication
Stefan Izdrail
Founder & Senior Architect · 2026-06-29
If you're looking to streamline your Laravel 8 development workflow with authentication routes using the laravel/ui package and Bootstrap scaffolding, this comprehensive guide has got you covered. We will walk through the essential steps for creating a robust project foundation, ensuring that you can focus on building amazing applications without having to re-run commands.

Firstly, let's understand the importance of separating installation steps and focusing on the dependencies needed for development. Laravel 8 requires Laravel, Laravel UI Package, Bootstrap scaffolding setup, as well as Node.js dependencies to function properly. We'll walk through each step with relevant examples:
Install LARAVEL: laravel new [yourprojectname] # Create a new project with name 'yourprojectname'
Install LARAVEL UI Package: composer require laravel/ui # Install the required packages using Composer
Generate UI Bootstrap: php artisan ui bootstrap # Generate UI scaffolding with npm dependencies installed
Generate Auth Scaffolding: php artisan ui bootstrap --auth # Generate authentication routes and files for user management
Install NPM Dependencies: npm install && npm run dev # Install Node.js dependencies and run the command to start the development server (dev mode)
Running LARAVEL: php artisan serve # Start local Laravel development server
Now that we've covered the basic steps, let's optimize our workflow further by creating an alias for the commands and adding backlinks to essential resources:
- Learn Laravel Fundamentals
- Laravel 6 Release Notes
- Additional Software Requirements for Laravel 8
- Laravel UI Package Documentation
- Customizing Bootstrap with Variables
By creating aliases for the frequent commands, you can save time and effort in your Laravel development process.
alias newproj='laravel new [yourprojectname]' # Create a new project with an alias 'newproj'
alias allcmds='Install LARAVEL: laravel new [yourprojectname] && Install LARAVEL UI Package: composer require laravel/ui && Generate UI Bootstrap && Generate Auth Scaffolding && Install NPM Dependencies: npm install && npm run dev && Running LARAVEL: php artisan serve' # Alias for all commands
alias ui='allcmds && php artisan ui bootstrap && php artisan ui bootstrap --auth' # Alias for UI package and Bootstrap scaffolding generation
These aliases can be added to your bash_profile or zshrc file, depending on your shell preference. Now you have a streamlined workflow for creating new projects and optimizing development efficiency.
Conclusion: By following the outlined steps and understanding how each command contributes to the Laravel 8 project, you can effectively leverage this technology for your web applications. These practices help ensure a smooth transition from setup to project development, saving time and effort along the way.