How to set up a LAMP stack on Ubuntu

· Category: Linux

Short answer

Install Apache, MySQL, and PHP on Ubuntu with apt install apache2 mysql-server php libapache2-mod-php, secure MySQL with mysql_secure_installation, and verify by creating a test PHP file. For firewall setup, see how to configure networking with iptables and UFW.

Installation steps

sudo apt update
sudo apt install apache2 mysql-server php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql
sudo mysql_secure_installation

Test the setup

Create /var/www/html/info.php:

<?php phpinfo(); ?>

Visit http://your-server-ip/info.php to verify PHP is working.

Secure your server

  • Allow only necessary ports: sudo ufw allow 80/tcp && sudo ufw allow 443/tcp
  • Remove the info.php test file after verification
  • Use SSL with Let's Encrypt for HTTPS

Tips

  • Use systemctl to manage services — see how to use systemd
  • For database management, install phpMyAdmin or use the MySQL CLI