Setting up a LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) stack on the latest long-term release of Ubuntu involves several steps. This guide assumes you have a clean installation of Ubuntu and a user account with sudo privileges.

Step 1: Update Package Lists

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

Step 2: Install Apache Web Server

sudo apt install apache2

Start the Apache service:

sudo systemctl start apache2

Enable Apache to start on boot:

sudo systemctl enable apache2

Step 3: Install MySQL Server

sudo apt install mysql-server

During the installation, you'll be prompted to set a password for the MySQL root user. Follow the instructions to complete the setup.

Start the MySQL service:

sudo systemctl start mysql

Enable MySQL to start on boot:

sudo systemctl enable mysql

Step 4: Install PHP and Required Modules

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

Step 5: Configure Apache to Use PHP

Edit the Apache default configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/000-default.conf

<VirtualHost>

</VirtualHost>

<FilesMatch \.php$>
    SetHandler application/x-httpd-php
</FilesMatch>

Save and exit the file.

Restart Apache to apply the changes:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Step 6: Test PHP

Create a PHP test file in the default web root directory:

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

http://your_server_ip/info.php

Step 7: Configure MySQL

Run the MySQL secure installation script:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Follow the on-screen prompts to set up security options for your MySQL installation.

Step 8: Create a MySQL Database and User

Login to MySQL:

sudo mysql

Run the following commands to create a new database and user, and grant privileges:

CREATE DATABASE your_database_name;
CREATE USER 'your_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON your_database_name.* TO 'your_user'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

your_database_name

your_user

your_password

Step 9: Test the LAMP Stack

Create a simple PHP script to test the connection to the MySQL database:

echo "<?php
\$conn = new mysqli('localhost', 'your_user', 'your_password', 'your_database_name');
if (\$conn->connect_error) {
    die('Connection failed: ' . \$conn->connect_error);
}
echo 'Connected successfully';
?>" | sudo tee /var/www/html/dbtest.php

http://your_server_ip/dbtest.php

Step 10: Firewall Configuration (Optional)

sudo ufw allow 80

Reload the firewall:

sudo ufw reload

Congratulations! You've successfully set up a LAMP stack on the latest long-term release of Ubuntu, with PHP as the backend language and MySQL as the database component. This configuration provides a solid foundation for hosting dynamic web applications.