title: "php artisan key:generate" gives a "No application encryption key has been specified." error
body: <p>I have a cloned laravel application but when I try to generate a APP_KEY via php artisan key:generate it gives me an error:</p>
  
  <pre><code>In EncryptionServiceProvider.php line 42:
  No application encryption key has been specified.
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Which is obvious because that is exactly what I'm trying to create. Does anybody know how to debug this command?</p>
  
  <p>update: Kind of fixed it with this post <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/16818804/laravel-4-key-not-being-generated-with-artisan">laravel 4: key not being generated with artisan</a> </p>
  
  <p>If I fill APP_KEY in my .env file <code>php artisan key:generate</code> works. But a newly created app via <code>laravel new</code> with a deleted APP_KEY can run <code>php artisan key:generate</code> without issue for some reason.</p>
  
  <p>For some reason php artisan key:generate thinks it needs a app_key when it doesn't. It won't do any other commands either, they all error  "No application encryption key has been specified." </p>