Unable to deploy a test application in Forge

When you use forge, it will create a default .env file for your app with database username forge and a secure password which it will email you. Keep that email which is very important. You don't need to generate an .env file. In Environment tab, update your credentials.

In the environment tab, the only option I have is updating the .env file. When I open the file it is empty. Do you mean I need to update the database connection configurations in this file?

Excuse my lack of knowledge again

No problem. It's weird that is empty. Yes update that file exactly the same as your .env file. also you need to change these variables like so:

APP_ENV=production
APP_DEBUG=false
APP_KEY=for_this_type_php_artisan_key_generate

for APP_KEY you will need to type php artisan key:generate in your app console and grab that key and paste it in there.

Usually forge will create that file and does it for you but I don't know why you don't have it.

Hmm, weird! So here is what I did:

• Under my application, I opened the "Environment" tab
• I clicked on "Edit Environment" option
• I got an empty file and updated with all configurations making sure that the database options matching the one I received from forge.
• Opened the application tab, selected the required repository to deploy and hit the "install repository"
• But I am still getting the error "Access denied for user 'forge'@'localhost' (using password: NO)")"

It sounds like you didn't fill in DB_PASSWORD=passwordForgeEmailedToYou in your .env

I actually did but I am still getting the same error. What I don't understand is why the .env file is always empty each time I open it. It does not keep my update. Is that normal?

No, it's not normal, just like it's not normal to have an empty .env when the site is created.

Personally, I'd delete the site and try creating a new one from scratch. It sounds like something is wrong with permissions or something.

I did that but I still get an empty .env file.

Ok, I'd contact forge support at this point. It's the big blue circle icon in the lower-right hand corner of the screen when you're logged into your forge account.

Thanks a million guys for the support! will do that