How to Connect MySQL to Laravel and Fix Database Connection Errors (SQLSTATE[HY000] [2002])

Open your Laravel project's root `.env` file and configure these parameters:

DB_CONNECTION=mysql
DB_HOST=127.0.0.1
DB_PORT=3306
DB_DATABASE=my_laravel_app
DB_USERNAME=root
DB_PASSWORD=

# Tip: If using XAMPP on Windows, DB_PASSWORD is empty by default.
# If using Laragon or Docker, check your custom root password.

### Symptom: ``` SQLSTATE[HY000] [2002] Connection refused (Connection: mysql, SQL: select * from ...) ``` ### Root Causes & Solutions: 1. **MySQL Service is Stopped:** If using XAMPP, open the XAMPP Control Panel and check whether the MySQL module has a green "Running" status. If not, click **Start**. 2. **Socket vs TCP/IP (localhost vs 127.0.0.1):** In PHP on Unix/macOS, setting `DB_HOST=localhost` instructs PHP to look for a UNIX domain socket (`/tmp/mysql.sock`). Setting `DB_HOST=127.0.0.1` forces standard TCP networking. **Always use 127.0.0.1 in Laravel.** 3. **Port Conflict:** If another service is occupying port 3306, MySQL may fail to start or bind to a different port (like 3307).

### Symptom: ``` SQLSTATE[HY000] [1045] Access denied for user 'root'@'127.0.0.1' (using password: NO/YES) ``` ### Solution: Verify user credentials in MySQL:

-- Open MySQL prompt and grant privileges
ALTER USER 'root'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED WITH mysql_native_password BY 'YourNewPassword';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;