GUIDEServer Management

Installing LAMP Stack on Your VPS

5 min read

The LAMP stack — Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP — is one of the most popular web server environments for hosting websites and web applications. Since your Data Mammoth VPS already runs Linux, this guide walks you through installing Apache, MySQL (or MariaDB), and PHP to complete the stack.

Prerequisites

A Data Mammoth VPS running Ubuntu 22.04/24.04, Debian 12, or CentOS/AlmaLinux.
SSH access with sudo privileges. See the initial setup guides for Ubuntu, Debian, or CentOS/AlmaLinux.
A domain name pointing to your server (optional but recommended).

Step 1 — Install Apache

Ubuntu / Debian

sudo apt update
sudo apt install apache2 -y

CentOS / AlmaLinux

sudo dnf install httpd -y
sudo systemctl start httpd
sudo systemctl enable httpd

Verify Apache Is Running

sudo systemctl status apache2   # Ubuntu/Debian
sudo systemctl status httpd     # CentOS/AlmaLinux

Open your browser and navigate to http://203.0.113.10. You should see the default Apache welcome page.

Allow HTTP/HTTPS Through the Firewall

# Ubuntu/Debian (UFW)
sudo ufw allow 'Apache Full'
CentOS/AlmaLinux (firewalld)
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=http
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=https
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

Step 2 — Install MySQL (or MariaDB)

Ubuntu / Debian

sudo apt install mysql-server -y

Or install MariaDB (a drop-in MySQL replacement):

sudo apt install mariadb-server -y

CentOS / AlmaLinux

sudo dnf install mariadb-server -y
sudo systemctl start mariadb
sudo systemctl enable mariadb

Secure the Installation

Run the security script to set a root password and remove insecure defaults:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

When prompted:

Set root password — Enter a strong password.

Remove anonymous users — Yes.

Disallow root login remotely — Yes.

Remove test database — Yes.

Reload privilege tables — Yes.

Verify MySQL/MariaDB

sudo mysql -u root -p

Enter your password. You should see the MySQL or MariaDB prompt. Type exit to leave.

Step 3 — Install PHP

Ubuntu / Debian

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

CentOS / AlmaLinux

sudo dnf install php php-mysqlnd php-cli php-common php-mbstring php-xml php-curl php-zip php-gd -y

Verify PHP

Create a test file:

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

Visit http://203.0.113.10/info.php in your browser. You should see the PHP information page.

Important: Remove this file after testing, as it exposes sensitive server information:

sudo rm /var/www/html/info.php

Step 4 — Configure Apache for PHP

By default, Apache serves index.html before index.php. To prioritize PHP files, edit the directory index configuration:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/mods-enabled/dir.conf   # Ubuntu/Debian

Move index.php to the first position:

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

Restart Apache:

sudo systemctl restart apache2   # Ubuntu/Debian
sudo systemctl restart httpd     # CentOS/AlmaLinux

Step 5 — Set Up a Virtual Host (Optional)

To host a website on a custom domain, create a virtual host configuration:

Ubuntu / Debian

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/example.com/public_html
sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /var/www/example.com
sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/example.com.conf

Add the following:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerAdmin [email protected]
    ServerName example.com
    ServerAlias www.example.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/example.com/public_html
    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/example.com-error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/example.com-access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Enable the site and disable the default:

sudo a2ensite example.com.conf
sudo a2dissite 000-default.conf
sudo systemctl reload apache2

CentOS / AlmaLinux

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/example.com/public_html
sudo nano /etc/httpd/conf.d/example.com.conf

Add a similar <VirtualHost> block and restart:

sudo systemctl restart httpd

Step 6 — Create a Test Page

Create a simple PHP file to verify the full stack:

sudo nano /var/www/example.com/public_html/index.php

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head><title>LAMP Stack Test</title></head>
<body>
<h1>LAMP Stack is working</h1>
<?php
echo "<p>PHP Version: " . phpversion() . "</p>";$conn = new mysqli("localhost", "root", "your_password");
if ($conn->connect_error) {
    echo "<p>Database connection failed.</p>";
} else {
    echo "<p>Database connection successful.</p>";
}
$conn->close();
?>
</body>
</html>

Visit your domain in a browser to verify everything works.

Step 7 — Enable mod_rewrite

Many PHP applications (like WordPress) require Apache's mod_rewrite module:

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl restart apache2CentOS/AlmaLinux — mod_rewrite is enabled by default

Ensure your virtual host allows .htaccess overrides:

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

Security Recommendations

After installing the LAMP stack:

Install an SSL certificate — Use Let's Encrypt for free HTTPS. See SSL/TLS Certificates — Setup & Renewal.

Configure a firewall — Ensure only ports 80, 443, and 22 are open. See Server Firewall Hardening Guide.

Set strong database passwords — Never use default or weak credentials.

Keep software updated — Regularly run system updates.

Remove test files — Delete info.php and any test pages.

What to Do Next

SSL/TLS Certificates — Setup & Renewal — Secure your site with HTTPS.
Installing WordPress from the Marketplace — Deploy WordPress on your LAMP stack.
Server Firewall Hardening Guide — Lock down your server.
Backup Strategy — Snapshots, Offsite, Automated — Protect your data.

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