title: Getting a 500 Internal Server Error (require() failed opening required path) on Laravel 5+ Ubuntu 14.04
body: <p>I have installed Laravel many times on Windows OS but never had this problem.</p>
  <p>However, on Ubuntu 14.04 I am getting a 500 Internal Server Error, and messages like this in my logs:</p>
  <blockquote>
  <p>[Wed Jul 22 10:20:19.569063 2015] [:error] [pid 1376] [client 127.0.0.1:52636] PHP Fatal error: require(): Failed opening required '/var/www/html/laravel_blog/../bootstrap/autoload.php' (include_path='.:/usr/share/php:/usr/share/pear') in /var/www/html/laravel_blog/index.php on line 22</p>
  </blockquote>
  <p>Previously I've had problems when mod_rewrite was not installed or set up properly, but I have installed it and it is not working. Changed .htaccess as well from original to this.</p>
  <pre><code>    +FollowSymLinks
  RewriteEngine On
  
  RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
  RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
  RewriteRule ^ index.php [L]
  </code></pre>
  <p>I've given access to all my folders and files inside i.e.</p>
  <blockquote>
  <p>/var/www/html/laravel_project</p>
  </blockquote>
  <p>I have all the necessary extensions needed for Laravel 5+ as well. Is there something left that I didn't do?</p>