feat: add ensureStorageSymlinkExists method to AppServiceProvider for managing storage symlink

app/Providers/AppServiceProvider.php

@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ use Illuminate\Queue\Events\JobFailed;
 use Illuminate\Queue\Events\JobProcessed;
 use Illuminate\Routing\UrlGenerator;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Event;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\File;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Gate;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Queue;
 use Illuminate\Support\ServiceProvider;
@@ -91,6 +92,9 @@ class AppServiceProvider extends ServiceProvider
      */
     public function boot(): void
     {
+        // Ensure storage symlink exists for public access
+        $this->ensureStorageSymlinkExists();
+        
         // Change livewire url
         \Livewire\Livewire::setUpdateRoute(function ($handle) {
             return \Illuminate\Support\Facades\Route::post('/paymenter/update', $handle)->middleware('web')->name('paymenter.');
@@ -160,4 +164,82 @@ class AppServiceProvider extends ServiceProvider
                 });
         }
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Ensure the storage symlink exists for public file access
+     */
+    protected function ensureStorageSymlinkExists(): void
+    {
+        $publicStoragePath = public_path('storage');
+        $targetStoragePath = storage_path('app/public');
+
+        // Check if symlink doesn't exist or is broken
+        if (!file_exists($publicStoragePath) || !is_link($publicStoragePath)) {
+            // Remove broken symlink or existing file/directory if it exists
+            if (file_exists($publicStoragePath)) {
+                if (is_link($publicStoragePath)) {
+                    @unlink($publicStoragePath);
+                } elseif (is_dir($publicStoragePath)) {
+                    // If it's a directory, we can't safely remove it automatically
+                    // Log a warning instead
+                    \Log::warning('Storage symlink cannot be created: public/storage exists as a directory. Please remove it manually and run: php artisan storage:link');
+                    return;
+                } else {
+                    @unlink($publicStoragePath);
+                }
+            }
+
+            // Ensure target directory exists
+            if (!file_exists($targetStoragePath)) {
+                File::makeDirectory($targetStoragePath, 0755, true);
+            }
+
+            // Create the symlink using Laravel's filesystem links
+            try {
+                $links = config('filesystems.links', []);
+                foreach ($links as $link => $target) {
+                    if (file_exists($link)) {
+                        continue;
+                    }
+                    
+                    if (PHP_OS_FAMILY === 'Windows') {
+                        // Windows requires administrator privileges for symlinks
+                        // Try to create junction instead
+                        if (function_exists('exec')) {
+                            $command = sprintf(
+                                'mklink /J "%s" "%s"',
+                                str_replace('/', '\\', $link),
+                                str_replace('/', '\\', $target)
+                            );
+                            @exec($command, $output, $return);
+                            if ($return !== 0) {
+                                \Log::warning('Storage symlink creation failed on Windows. Please run: php artisan storage:link');
+                            }
+                        } else {
+                            \Log::warning('Storage symlink cannot be created on Windows. Please run: php artisan storage:link');
+                        }
+                    } else {
+                        // Unix/Linux - create symlink
+                        symlink($target, $link);
+                    }
+                }
+            } catch (\Exception $e) {
+                \Log::warning('Storage symlink creation failed: ' . $e->getMessage() . '. Please run: php artisan storage:link');
+            }
+        } elseif (is_link($publicStoragePath)) {
+            // Check if symlink is broken (points to non-existent target)
+            $linkTarget = readlink($publicStoragePath);
+            if ($linkTarget && !file_exists($linkTarget) && $linkTarget !== $targetStoragePath) {
+                // Symlink is broken, recreate it
+                @unlink($publicStoragePath);
+                try {
+                    if (PHP_OS_FAMILY !== 'Windows') {
+                        symlink($targetStoragePath, $publicStoragePath);
+                    }
+                } catch (\Exception $e) {
+                    \Log::warning('Storage symlink recreation failed: ' . $e->getMessage() . '. Please run: php artisan storage:link');
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }