Set up LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) in Ubuntu Linux

In this guide, we will explain how to install the Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP (LAMP) stack on an Ubuntu 22.04 server. You will set up a basic web application to test the stack's functionalities.

LAMP: A Comprehensive Open Source Web Development Platform

LAMP, an acronym for Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP, serves as a robust open-source framework for web development. Utilizing Linux as the operating system, Apache as the web server, MySQL as the relational database management system, and PHP. LAMP is the go-to choice for creating dynamic websites and web applications. Its popularity stems from its flexibility, making it a staple in the web development community.

Prerequisites

It works on all Linux distributions.

• Operating system used: Ubuntu 22.04

• Install Apache

• Install MySQL

• Install PHP

Update && Upgrade the server

Installing Apache and Updating the Firewall

To update and upgrade the package lists from the repositories, run the following command:

sudo apt update -y 
sudo apt upgrade -y

Install Apache

sudo apt install apache2 -y

Once the installation is complete, please modify your firewall settings as necessary.

sudo ufw app list

Here is what each of these profiles means:

Apache: This profile opens only port 80 (normal, unencrypted web traffic).

Apache Full: This profile opens both port 80 and port 443

Apache secure: This profile opens only port 443 (TLS/SSL encrypted traffic.)

To only allow traffic on port 80, use the Apache profile:

sudo ufw allow in "apache"
sudo ufw status 

Login to browser - http://your_server_IP

The default Ubuntu Apache web page serves both informational and testing purposes.

Install MySQL

To store and manage data for your website, you must install a database system. MySQL is a widely used database management system, often partnered with PHP environments.

sudo apt install mysql-server -y

When the installation is finished, it’s recommended that you run a security script that comes pre-installed with MySQL. This script will remove some insecure default settings and lock down access to your database system.

sudo mysql

Start the interactive script by running:

sudo mysql_secure_installation 

This will ask if you want to configure the VALIDATE PASSWORD PLUGIN.

Answer Y for yes, or anything else to continue without enabling.

If you select "Yes," you'll need to choose a password validation level. Note that choosing the highest level 2means your passwords must include numbers, uppercase and lowercase letters, and special characters. Otherwise, you'll encounter errors.

Run these commands -

mysql -u root -p 

After executing the commands, please enter your password:

Creating a MySQL Database

To create a database in MySQL, follow these steps:

Open your terminal or command prompt. Log into MySQL with the command mysql -u username -p. Replace username with your MySQL username. You'll be prompted to enter your password.

Once logged in, create a new database by executing CREATE DATABASE mydatabase;. Replace mydatabase with your desired database name.

To verify the database was created, use SHOW DATABASES;. Your new database should appear in the list.

This process creates a new MySQL database ready for use.

To create a new database, run the following command from your MySQL console:

mysql> CREATE DATABASE example_database;

Now give this user permission over the example_database database:

mysql> GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON example_database.*  TO  'root'@'%';

Now, review MySQL configurations.

sudo mysql

Installing and testing PHP processing

Our setup includes Apache as the webserver to deliver content, MySQL for data storage and management, and PHP to process and render dynamic content to users.

sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql -y

After completing the installation, execute the command below to verify your PHP version:

php -v

Modifying Apache's DirectoryIndex Configuration

To adjust the file Apache uses by default when serving directories, edit the DirectoryIndex directive in your Apache configuration file (httpd.conf or apache2.conf depending on your operating system). This change alters which file types Apache prioritizes when a directory is accessed.

sudo vi /etc/apache2/mods-enabled/test.conf

It will look like this:

Add - index.php

<IfModule mod_dir.c>
    DirectoryIndex index.php index.html index.cgi index.p1 index.xhtml index.htm
</TfModule>

After restarting the Apache web server, confirm the apache2 service status using the systemctl command.

sudo systemctl restart apache2
sudo systemctl status apache2

Now that all your services are running create a PHP test script to confirm that Apache can handle and process requests for PHP files on the path /var/www/<DOMAIN_NAME>/.

vi info.php

Add the following text, which is valid PHP code, inside the file by typing i

<?php
phpinfo();ESC
?>

Press ESC :wq to save

To ensure everything is set up correctly, visit your SERVER_PUBLIC_IP address in your web browser for a spot check.

http://<SERVER_PUBLIC_IP>/info.php

Creating a Virtual Host for your Website

To create a directory for your_domain, follow these steps:

1. Open your terminal.

2. Navigate to the location where you want to create the directory.

3. Enter the command mkdir your_domain and press Enter.

This creates a new directory named your_domain in the specified location.

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/example.com

To change the ownership of the directory to your current system user, use the $USER environment variable like this:

sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /var/www/example.com

To create a new configuration file within Apache's sites-available directory, use your favorite command-line editor. We will use vi for this example:

sudo vi /etc/apache2/sites-available/example.com.conf

To create a new blank file, insert the following base configuration and replace yourdomain.com with your actual domain name:

<VirtialHost *:80>
    ServerName <YOUR_DOMAIN>
    ServerAlias www.<YOUR_DOMAIN>
    ServerAdmin admin@localhost
    DocumentRoot /var/www/<YOUR_DOMAIN>
    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Now, use a2ensiteto enable the new virtual host:

sudo a2ensite example.com

To disable the Apache default website—essential when not using a custom domain, as it would override your virtual host configuration—run the following command:

sudo a2dissite 000-default

Ensure Your Configuration File is Error-Free: To verify that your configuration file is free of syntax errors, execute the command below:

sudo apache2ctl configtest

Finally, reload Apache so these changes take effect :

sudo systemctl reload apache2

Your new website is now active, but /var/www/<YOUR_DOMAIN>is still empty. Create an index.html

vi /var/www/example.com/index.html

Include the following content in the file:

<html>
  <head>
    <title>your_domain website</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <h1>Hello World!</h1>

    <p>This is the landing page of <strong>YOUR_DOMAIN</strong>.</p>
  </body>
</html>

Save and close the file, then go to your browser and access your server's domain name or IP Address:

http://<SERVER_PUBLIC_IP>

http://<YOUR_DOMAIN>

You can leave this file in place as a temporary landing page for your application until you set up a index.php file to replace it. Once you do that, remember to remove or rename the index.html file from your document root, as it would take precedence over a index.php file by default.