Laravel SQLSTATE[HY000] [2002] Connection refused but tinker works

Question

I have a production site using Database from an Amazon Server, I have two more sites on the same server and both of them connects without issues.

On this particular site the connection to mysql is not working, I thought that the env file was missing or not being see by the laravel app but is not the case, when I run php artisan tinker and try any command it works:

DB::table('categories')->get();
=> Illuminate\Support\Collection {#842
     all: [
       {#828
         +"id": 1,
         +"parent_id": null,
         +"order": 1,
         +"name": "Noticias",
         +"slug": "noticias",
         +"created_at": "2018-01-09 19:26:32",
         +"updated_at": "2018-01-09 19:26:32",
       },
     ],
   }

The App::environment() method also works:

>>> App::environment();
=> "production"

The env files clearly says APP_DEBUG=false but it is returning a lot of debug, it is like the webserver is not reading the env file besides the artisan is.

This is driving me crazy because it started failing by itself, nothing was changed on the server or the code, it's the only project that is failing.

What else can I check?

[2018-08-25 12:22:04] production.ERROR: SQLSTATE[HY000] [2002] Connection refused {"exception":"[object] (PDOException(code: 2002): SQLSTATE[HY000] [2002] Connection refused at /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Connectors/Connector.php:67)
[stacktrace]
#0 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Connectors/Connector.php(67): PDO->__construct('mysql:host=127....', 'root', 'C4f2469dcF!', Array)
#1 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Connectors/Connector.php(43): Illuminate\\Database\\Connectors\\Connector->createPdoConnection('mysql:host=127....', 'root', 'C4f2469dcF!', Array)
#2 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Connectors/MySqlConnector.php(24): Illuminate\\Database\\Connectors\\Connector->createConnection('mysql:host=127....', Array, Array)
#3 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Connectors/ConnectionFactory.php(183): Illuminate\\Database\\Connectors\\MySqlConnector->connect(Array)
#4 [internal function]: Illuminate\\Database\\Connectors\\ConnectionFactory->Illuminate\\Database\\Connectors\\{closure}()
#5 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Connection.php(915): call_user_func(Object(Closure))
#6 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Connection.php(940): Illuminate\\Database\\Connection->getPdo()
#7 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Connection.php(399): Illuminate\\Database\\Connection->getReadPdo()
#8 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Connection.php(325): Illuminate\\Database\\Connection->getPdoForSelect(true)
#9 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Connection.php(657): Illuminate\\Database\\Connection->Illuminate\\Database\\{closure}('select * from `...', Array)
#10 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Connection.php(624): Illuminate\\Database\\Connection->runQueryCallback('select * from `...', Array, Object(Closure))
#11 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Connection.php(333): Illuminate\\Database\\Connection->run('select * from
`...', Array, Object(Closure))
#12 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Query/Builder.php(1719): Illuminate\\Database\\Connection->select('select
* from `...', Array, true)
#13 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Query/Builder.php(1704): Illuminate\\Database\\Query\\Builder->runSelect()
#14 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Eloquent/Builder.php(483): Illuminate\\Database\\Query\\Builder->get(Array)
#15 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Eloquent/Builder.php(467): Illuminate\\Database\\Eloquent\\Builder->getModels(Array)
#16 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Eloquent/Model.php(360): Illuminate\\Database\\Eloquent\\Builder->get(Array)
#17 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/app/Category.php(13): Illuminate\\Database\\Eloquent\\Model::all()
#18 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Cache/Repository.php(327): App\\Category::App\\{closure}()
#19 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Cache/CacheManager.php(304): Illuminate\\Cache\\Repository->remember('list-categories', NULL, Object(Closure))
#20 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Support/Facades/Facade.php(221): Illuminate\\Cache\\CacheManager->__call('remember', Array)
#21 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/app/Category.php(20): Illuminate\\Support\\Facades\\Facade::__callStatic('remember', Array)
#22 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/routes/web.php(150): App\\Category::getCategories()
#23 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Routing/Router.php(389): Illuminate\\Routing\\Router->{closure}(Object(Illuminate\\Routing\\Router))
#24 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Routing/Router.php(349): Illuminate\\Routing\\Router->loadRoutes(Object(Closure))
#25 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Support/Facades/Facade.php(221): Illuminate\\Routing\\Router->group(Array, Object(Closure))
#26 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/routes/web.php(162): Illuminate\\Support\\Facades\\Facade::__callStatic('group', Array)
#27 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Routing/Router.php(393): require('/var/www/turico...')
#28 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Routing/Router.php(349): Illuminate\\Routing\\Router->loadRoutes('/var/www/turico...')
#29 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Routing/RouteRegistrar.php(105): Illuminate\\Routing\\Router->group(Array, '/var/www/turico...')
#30 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/app/Providers/RouteServiceProvider.php(56): Illuminate\\Routing\\RouteRegistrar->group('/var/www/turico...')
#31 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/app/Providers/RouteServiceProvider.php(40): App\\Providers\\RouteServiceProvider->mapWebRoutes()
#32 [internal function]: App\\Providers\\RouteServiceProvider->map()
#33 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Container/BoundMethod.php(29): call_user_func_array(Array, Array)
#34 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Container/BoundMethod.php(87): Illuminate\\Container\\BoundMethod::Illuminate\\Container\\{closure}()
#35 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Container/BoundMethod.php(31): Illuminate\\Container\\BoundMethod::callBoundMethod(Object(Illuminate\\Foundation\\Application), Array, Object(Closure))
#36 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Container/Container.php(549): Illuminate\\Container\\BoundMethod::call(Object(Illuminate\\Foundation\\Application), Array, Array, NULL)
#37 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Support/Providers/RouteServiceProvider.php(74): Illuminate\\Container\\Container->call(Array)
#38 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Support/Providers/RouteServiceProvider.php(33): Illuminate\\Foundation\\Support\\Providers\\RouteServiceProvider->loadRoutes()
#39 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/app/Providers/RouteServiceProvider.php(28): Illuminate\\Foundation\\Support\\Providers\\RouteServiceProvider->boot()
#40 [internal function]: App\\Providers\\RouteServiceProvider->boot()
#41 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Container/BoundMethod.php(29): call_user_func_array(Array, Array)
#42 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Container/BoundMethod.php(87): Illuminate\\Container\\BoundMethod::Illuminate\\Container\\{closure}()
#43 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Container/BoundMethod.php(31): Illuminate\\Container\\BoundMethod::callBoundMethod(Object(Illuminate\\Foundation\\Application), Array, Object(Closure))
#44 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Container/Container.php(549): Illuminate\\Container\\BoundMethod::call(Object(Illuminate\\Foundation\\Application), Array, Array, NULL)
#45 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Application.php(792): Illuminate\\Container\\Container->call(Array)
#46 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Application.php(775): Illuminate\\Foundation\\Application->bootProvider(Object(App\\Providers\\RouteServiceProvider))
#47 [internal function]: Illuminate\\Foundation\\Application->Illuminate\\Foundation\\{closure}(Object(App\\Providers\\RouteServiceProvider), 26)
#48 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Application.php(776): array_walk(Array, Object(Closure))
#49 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Bootstrap/BootProviders.php(17): Illuminate\\Foundation\\Application->boot()
#50 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Application.php(213): Illuminate\\Foundation\\Bootstrap\\BootProviders->bootstrap(Object(Illuminate\\Foundation\\Application))
#51 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Http/Kernel.php(162): Illuminate\\Foundation\\Application->bootstrapWith(Array)
#52 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Http/Kernel.php(146): Illuminate\\Foundation\\Http\\Kernel->bootstrap()
#53 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Http/Kernel.php(116): Illuminate\\Foundation\\Http\\Kernel->sendRequestThroughRouter(Object(Illuminate\\Http\\Request))
#54 /var/app/html/releases/20180824022105/public/index.php(55): Illuminate\\Foundation\\Http\\Kernel->handle(Object(Illuminate\\Http\\Request))
#55 {main}
"}

Answer 1

You should verify if you have bootstrap/cache/config.php file. If yes, it means, your config is cached. Than you can run:

php artisan config:cache

to refresh config and sync data you have set in .env or

php artisan config:clear

if you don't want to use cached config (keep in mind it's recommended to cache config on production)