Why isn't Laravel's php artisan storage:link creating the expected symbolic link in the public folder?

Below are some steps to troubleshoot and resolve the issue:

1. Verify the Link Location

Laravel’s storage linking creates a symbolic link from storage/app/public to public/storage. Confirm that you’re checking the correct folder (i.e. public/storage) rather than a folder elsewhere.

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ls -la public

Look for an entry similar to:

lrwxrwxrwx 1 user group  ... storage -> /path/to/project/storage/app/public

2. Remove and Recreate the Link

Sometimes an existing but broken link can cause issues. Remove the current link (if it exists) and recreate it with the force option:

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rm public/storage
php artisan storage:link --force

Then verify that the link now appears correctly.

3. Check Filesystem Configuration

Open your configuration file at config/filesystems.php and check the public disk settings. It should look something like this:

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'public' => [
    'driver' => 'local',
    'root' => storage_path('app/public'),
    'url' => env('APP_URL').'/storage',
    'visibility' => 'public',
],

This makes sure that URLs generated for stored files (like avatars) use the correct base URL.

4. Permissions

Ensure that the web server has the proper permissions to read both the public/storage symlink and the target files. You may need to adjust ownership or permissions depending on your server setup.

5. Environment Considerations

• Local Development on Windows:
  Symlinks on Windows can sometimes be problematic, especially if not running from an elevated prompt. Run your terminal as Administrator or create the link manually.

• Server Configuration:
  Some servers have settings that prevent following symbolic links. In Apache, for instance, make sure Options FollowSymLinks is enabled in your configuration for the public directory.

6. Clear Cache

After making changes, clear Laravel’s configuration cache to ensure changes are picked up:

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php artisan config:cache
php artisan route:cache

By following these steps, you should be able to diagnose and fix the broken avatar issue. If the link still does not appear as expected, check that the file paths being generated for the avatar images point to the correct location and that the actual files exist in storage/app/public.