How to Install LAMP Stack on Ubuntu 26.04

When you spin up a new server to run a PHP application or a CMS such as WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal, the LAMP stack is one of the most familiar starting points. LAMP stands for Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP, and the four pieces work together to serve dynamic web pages over HTTP.

This guide explains how to install and configure a complete LAMP stack on Ubuntu 26.04. By the end you will have Apache serving HTTP traffic, MySQL 8.4 running as the database, and PHP 8.5 processing dynamic pages through mod_php.

Quick Reference #

Prerequisites #

Before installing the stack, make sure you have:

• A server running Ubuntu 26.04 with a user with sudo privileges
  .
• The UFW firewall enabled. If you have not configured it yet, see ufw Command in Linux: Uncomplicated Firewall Reference
  .

Step 1: Install Apache #

Apache is in the default Ubuntu 26.04 repositories. Refresh the package index and install it:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install apache2

The service starts automatically after the install. Confirm it is running:

sudo systemctl status apache2

The output shows the service as active (running). If UFW is enabled, allow HTTP and HTTPS through the firewall:

sudo ufw allow 'Apache Full'

Open http://your_server_ip in a browser. You should see the default Apache welcome page, which confirms that Apache is serving requests.

For an in-depth walkthrough of the install and the directory layout, see How to Install Apache on Ubuntu 26.04
.

Step 2: Install MySQL #

The database tier handles persistence. Install the MySQL server package:

sudo apt install mysql-server

Once the install completes, run the security script. It walks you through removing anonymous users, disabling remote root login, and dropping the test database:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Answer Y to each hardening question. The validate password component is optional; skip it if you plan to manage credentials yourself.

To verify that the service is running:

sudo systemctl status mysql

For details on creating users and granting privileges, see How to Install MySQL on Ubuntu 26.04
.

Step 3: Install PHP #

Apache integrates with PHP through the libapache2-mod-php module, which lets Apache run PHP code in-process. Install PHP, the Apache module, and the MySQL driver:

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

On Ubuntu 26.04 this pulls in PHP 8.5. Confirm the version:

php -v

The output starts with PHP 8.5.x. Restart Apache so the PHP module loads:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

If you need extra extensions such as php-curl, php-gd, php-mbstring, php-xml, or php-zip, install them now:

sudo apt install php-curl php-gd php-mbstring php-xml php-zip

For information on additional modules and switching PHP versions, see How to Install PHP on Ubuntu 26.04
.

Step 4: Configure an Apache Virtual Host #

The default Apache configuration serves files from /var/www/html. For a real site you usually want a dedicated document root and a virtual host. Create the directory and a small placeholder:

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/example.com
sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /var/www/example.com
echo "<h1>example.com is live</h1>" > /var/www/example.com/index.html

Create a new virtual host file:

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

Paste the following content. Replace example.com with your domain or your server IP if you do not have a domain yet:

<VirtualHost *:80>
 ServerName example.com
 ServerAlias www.example.com
 ServerAdmin [email protected]
 DocumentRoot /var/www/example.com

 <Directory /var/www/example.com>
 Options -Indexes +FollowSymLinks
 AllowOverride All
 Require all granted
 </Directory>

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

AllowOverride All lets you use per-directory .htaccess files, which is required by many PHP applications such as WordPress for clean URL rewrites. Enable the site and disable the default one:

sudo a2ensite example.com
sudo a2dissite 000-default

Make sure mod_rewrite is enabled if your application uses it:

sudo a2enmod rewrite

Test the configuration before reloading Apache:

sudo apache2ctl configtest

The output should end with Syntax OK. Reload Apache to apply the change:

sudo systemctl reload apache2

Step 5: Test the PHP Setup #

Create a PHP info file to confirm that Apache executes PHP:

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

Open http://example.com/info.php (or http://your_server_ip/info.php) in a browser. You should see the PHP information page that lists the PHP version, loaded extensions, and configuration directives. If the browser downloads the file or shows the source code, the PHP module is not loaded; reinstall libapache2-mod-php and restart Apache.

Once you confirm PHP is working, remove the info file. It exposes details about your environment that should not be publicly readable:

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

Step 6: Test the MySQL Connection from PHP #

To confirm that PHP can talk to MySQL, create a test database and user:

sudo mysql

In the MySQL prompt, run:

CREATE DATABASE lamp_test;
CREATE USER 'lamp_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'changeme';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON lamp_test.* TO 'lamp_user'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Create a small connection test:

sudo nano /var/www/example.com/db-test.php

Add the following content:

<?php
$mysqli = new mysqli("localhost", "lamp_user", "changeme", "lamp_test");
if ($mysqli->connect_error) {
 die("Connection failed: " . $mysqli->connect_error);
}
echo "Connected to MySQL " . $mysqli->server_info;
$mysqli->close();

Open http://example.com/db-test.php. The page prints Connected to MySQL 8.4.x when the credentials and the PHP MySQL driver are working. Remove the file once you confirm the connection:

sudo rm /var/www/example.com/db-test.php

Troubleshooting #

Apache shows the default page after editing the virtual host
The default site is still enabled. Run sudo a2dissite 000-default, then sudo a2ensite example.com, and reload Apache.

PHP files download instead of executing
The Apache PHP module is not loaded. Reinstall it with sudo apt install --reinstall libapache2-mod-php, enable it with sudo a2enmod php8.5, and restart Apache.

AllowOverride All is ignored
The <Directory> block in the virtual host must include AllowOverride All. Confirm that the path matches your DocumentRoot and run sudo apache2ctl configtest after the change.

.htaccess rewrites do not work
The rewrite module is not enabled. Run sudo a2enmod rewrite and restart Apache. Verify that the <Directory> block sets AllowOverride All.

MySQL connection refused from PHP
Confirm that the php-mysql package is installed, that the user has been granted privileges on the target database, and that the password in the PHP code matches the one used in CREATE USER.

FAQ #

What is the difference between LAMP and LEMP?
LAMP uses Apache as the web server, while LEMP uses Nginx. Apache supports .htaccess overrides and mod_php, which makes shared hosting and many PHP CMS workflows simpler. Nginx is event-driven and tends to use less memory under high concurrency. For an Nginx-based stack, see How to Install LEMP Stack on Ubuntu 26.04
.

Can I use MariaDB instead of MySQL?
Yes. MariaDB is a drop-in replacement for MySQL and uses the same client tools, the same protocol, and the same SQL syntax for the cases covered in this guide.

Should I use mod_php or PHP-FPM with Apache?
mod_php is the simplest setup and is fine for many sites. For higher concurrency or when you run multiple PHP versions, switch to PHP-FPM with mpm_event and proxy_fcgi. The php-fpm package and the proxy_fcgi Apache module handle the connection.

How do I add HTTPS to the site?
Install Certbot and request a Let’s Encrypt certificate for your domain. The Certbot Apache plugin updates the virtual host automatically and sets up redirection from HTTP to HTTPS.

Next Steps #

You now have a working LAMP stack on Ubuntu 26.04. From here you can deploy a PHP application, create additional Apache virtual hosts
for more sites, or add HTTPS using Let’s Encrypt.