laravel worker on production shared server

HI I’m Salman Senior Software Engineer & DevOps

On shared hosting, where you may not have access to install or manage supervisor, you can still handle Laravel queues effectively by using cron jobs to run the queue worker. Here’s how you can set it up:

---

### 1. Use `database` as Your Queue Driver
Since shared hosting typically doesn't support Redis or other advanced queue drivers, use the `database` driver. Update your `.env` file:
```env
QUEUE_CONNECTION=database
```

Run the migration to create the jobs table:
```bash
php artisan queue:table
php artisan migrate
```

---

### 2. Use a Scheduled Command to Run Queue Workers
You can use a cron job to simulate a queue worker on shared hosting. 

#### Add a Cron Job:
In your shared hosting control panel (e.g., cPanel, Plesk), go to **Cron Jobs** and create a cron job with the following command:
```bash
* * * * * php /path/to/your/project/artisan queue:work --stop-when-empty
```

Replace `/path/to/your/project/` with the full path to your Laravel project.

#### Explanation:
- `* * * * *` runs the command every minute.
- `queue:work` processes jobs in the queue.
- `--stop-when-empty` ensures the worker stops after processing the current jobs, preventing a runaway process on shared hosting.

---

### 3. Alternative: Use `queue:listen`
If you can’t use cron jobs to start a worker, use the `queue:listen` command in the background:
```bash
php artisan queue:listen > /dev/null 2>&1 &
```

However, this requires SSH access, and it might stop running after the session ends unless you use tools like `screen` or `nohup`.

---

### 4. Fallback: Add Queue Processing to `schedule:run`
If your shared hosting only allows one cron job, integrate the queue worker into the scheduler. Update `app/Console/Kernel.php`:
```php
protected function schedule(Schedule $schedule)
{
    $schedule->command('queue:work --stop-when-empty')->everyMinute();
}
```

Set up a single cron job for the scheduler:
```bash
* * * * * php /path/to/your/project/artisan schedule:run >> /dev/null 2>&1
```

---

### 5. Optimize Job Processing
To minimize resource usage on shared hosting:
- Use `queue:work` with the `--stop-when-empty` flag instead of `queue:listen`.
- Reduce the number of retries in `config/queue.php`:
  ```php
  'retry_after' => 60,
  ```
- Limit job memory consumption with `--memory`:
  ```bash
  php artisan queue:work --memory=128 --stop-when-empty
  ```

---

By combining these steps, you can efficiently run Laravel queues on a shared hosting environment without needing supervisor.