Installing a LAMP Stack on Ubuntu Server

Introduction

A LAMP stack is one of the most common server setups for hosting PHP websites. LAMP stands for Linux, Apache, MySQL or MariaDB, and PHP. On an Ubuntu VPS, this stack can run WordPress, custom PHP applications, landing pages, dashboards and many CMS-based websites.

Installing LAMP is only the first part. A usable production setup also needs firewall rules, virtual hosts, correct file permissions, database security, SSL certificates, backups, updates and monitoring.

Quick answer

What is LAMP?

A LAMP stack is a web hosting environment made of four parts:

When to use LAMP

A LAMP stack is a good choice when you need to host PHP-based websites or applications.

Good use cases:

• WordPress websites
• WooCommerce stores
• PHP applications
• Laravel apps
• simple business websites
• landing pages
• CMS platforms
• client websites
• staging environments
• development servers

LAMP may not be ideal when:

• your app uses Node.js only
• you need Nginx-specific reverse proxy setup
• you prefer a managed control panel
• you do not want server administration
• you need containerized deployment

Before installation

Before installing LAMP, prepare the VPS.

Check:

• Ubuntu Server is supported
• SSH access works
• server packages are updated
• firewall allows SSH
• domain DNS access is available
• server IP address is known
• backup plan exists
• root or sudo user access is available
• expected PHP version is known
• website files and database requirements are known

Install Apache

Apache is the web server that will serve your website.

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

sudo apt install apache2 -y

systemctl status apache2

sudo ufw allow 'Apache Full'
sudo ufw status

http://your-server-ip

Install MySQL or MariaDB

WordPress and many PHP applications need a database. On Ubuntu, you can use MySQL or MariaDB depending on your preference and compatibility requirements.

sudo apt install mysql-server -y

systemctl status mysql

sudo mysql_secure_installation

sudo apt install mariadb-server mariadb-client -y
sudo mysql_secure_installation

Install PHP

PHP runs the application code for WordPress and many CMS platforms.

sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql php-cli php-curl php-gd php-mbstring php-xml php-zip php-intl -y

php -v

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Create an Apache virtual host

A virtual host tells Apache which domain should serve which website directory.

Example structure:

• domain: example.com
• web root: /var/www/example.com/public_html

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/example.com/public_html
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/example.com
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/example.com
echo "<h1>example.com is working</h1>" | sudo tee /var/www/example.com/public_html/index.html

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

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName example.com
    ServerAlias www.example.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/example.com/public_html

    <Directory /var/www/example.com/public_html>
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/example.com-error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/example.com-access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

sudo a2ensite example.com.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo apache2ctl configtest
sudo systemctl reload apache2

DNS setup

To make the domain load from the VPS, point DNS to the server.

Common records:

• A record for example.com → VPS IPv4 address
• AAAA record for IPv6 if used
• CNAME for www → example.com
• MX records should remain unchanged if email is hosted elsewhere

Enable SSL with Certbot

After DNS points to the VPS and Apache serves the domain, install SSL.

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache -y

sudo certbot --apache -d example.com -d www.example.com

sudo certbot renew --dry-run

sudo systemctl reload apache2

Test PHP

Create a temporary PHP info file to confirm PHP is working.

echo "<?php phpinfo(); ?>" | sudo tee /var/www/example.com/public_html/info.php

https://example.com/info.php

sudo rm /var/www/example.com/public_html/info.php

File permissions

File permissions affect both security and website functionality.

General guidance:

• website files should not be globally writable
• web root should be owned consistently
• uploads/cache directories may need write access
• avoid chmod 777
• use separate users for deployments where possible
• keep sensitive config files protected

Backups and updates

A LAMP stack needs regular maintenance.

Back up:

• website files
• databases
• Apache virtual host configs
• SSL notes/configuration
• application environment files
• uploaded media

Maintain:

• Ubuntu security updates
• Apache updates
• PHP updates
• database updates
• application/CMS updates
• plugin/theme updates if WordPress is used

Monitoring

Monitor the stack after setup.

Check:

• website status
• Apache service
• database service
• SSL expiry
• disk usage
• CPU and memory
• error logs
• database backups
• response time
• HTTP status codes

Common problems

How to install LAMP safely

1. Step 1: Update Ubuntu

   Apply package updates before installing services.

2. Step 2: Install Apache

   Install and test the web server.

3. Step 3: Install MySQL or MariaDB

   Install database server and run secure installation.

4. Step 4: Install PHP and extensions

   Install PHP plus extensions required by your application.

5. Step 5: Create virtual host

   Configure Apache for your domain and web root.

6. Step 6: Point DNS

   Set A/AAAA/CNAME records to the VPS.

7. Step 7: Enable SSL

   Use Certbot or another SSL method after DNS works.

8. Step 8: Test PHP and remove test files

   Confirm PHP works, then delete phpinfo files.

9. Step 9: Set backups

   Back up files, databases and configuration.

10. Step 10: Monitor services

    Track website status, SSL, Apache, database, disk and logs.

Useful LAMP commands

Check Apache:
systemctl status apache2

Restart Apache:
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Test Apache config:
sudo apache2ctl configtest

Check enabled sites:
ls /etc/apache2/sites-enabled/

Check Apache error log:
sudo tail -100 /var/log/apache2/error.log

Check MySQL:
systemctl status mysql

Log into MySQL:
sudo mysql

Check PHP version:
php -v

List PHP modules:
php -m

Check disk:
df -h

Check listening ports:
sudo ss -tulpn

WordPress on LAMP

WordPress works well on LAMP, but it needs proper PHP extensions, database setup and file permissions.

Check:

• PHP version supported by WordPress
• php-mysql installed
• upload size limits
• memory limit
• rewrite module enabled
• SSL configured
• permalinks working
• database user with limited permissions
• backups for files and database
• caching plugin or server cache if needed

Frequently asked questions