Installing the LAMP Stack with MariaDB on Ubuntu/Linux Mint

LAMP stands for Linux, Apache, MariaDB, and PHP. This tutorial walks you through installing and configuring a full LAMP stack on Ubuntu or Linux Mint (22.x).

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Prerequisites

• A system running Ubuntu 22.04+ or Linux Mint 22.x
• A user account with sudo privileges
• An internet connection

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Step 1: Update Your System

Before installing anything, make sure your package list and installed packages are up to date.

Bash

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

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Step 2: Install Apache

Apache is the web server that will serve your web content.

Bash

sudo apt install apache2 -y

Verify Apache is running

Bash

sudo systemctl status apache2

You should see active (running) in the output. You can also open a browser and navigate to http://127.0.0.1/ — you should see the default Apache welcome page.

Enable Apache to start on boot

Bash

sudo systemctl enable apache2

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Step 3: Install MariaDB

MariaDB is a community-developed fork of MySQL and is fully compatible with it.

Bash

sudo apt install mariadb-server mariadb-client -y

Start and enable MariaDB

Bash

sudo systemctl start mariadb
sudo systemctl enable mariadb

Secure the MariaDB installation

Run the included security script to set a root password, remove anonymous users, and disable remote root login.

Bash

sudo mysql_secure_installation

You will be prompted with a series of questions. Recommended answers:

Prompt	Recommended Answer
Switch to unix_socket authentication?	N
Change the root password?	Y (set a strong password)
Remove anonymous users?	Y
Disallow root login remotely?	Y
Remove test database?	Y
Reload privilege tables?	Y

Verify MariaDB is running

Bash

sudo systemctl status mariadb

Log in to MariaDB

Bash

sudo mariadb -u root -p

Enter your root password when prompted. Once inside, you can exit with:

SQL

EXIT;

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Step 4: Install PHP

PHP is the server-side scripting language that connects Apache and MariaDB together.

Bash

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

Useful additional PHP extensions

These are commonly needed for web applications like WordPress, Joomla, etc.:

Bash

sudo apt install php-curl php-gd php-mbstring php-xml php-zip php-intl php-bcmath -y

Verify PHP is installed

Bash

php -v

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Step 5: Configure Apache to Prefer PHP Files

By default, Apache serves index.html before index.php. To change this:

Bash

sudo subl /etc/apache2/mods-enabled/dir.conf

Find the DirectoryIndex line and move index.php to the front:

ApacheConf

DirectoryIndex index.php index.html index.cgi index.pl index.xhtml index.htm

Save the file, then restart Apache:

Bash

sudo systemctl restart apache2

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Step 6: Test PHP

Create a test PHP file in the web root:

Bash

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

Add the following content:

PHP

<?php
phpinfo();
?>

Save the file and open http://127.0.0.1/info.php in your browser. You should see a detailed PHP information page.

⚠️ Security note: Delete this file once you've confirmed PHP is working.

Bash

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

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Step 7: Create a Database and User (Optional but Recommended)

Rather than using the root account for your applications, create a dedicated database and user.

Bash

sudo mariadb -u root -p

Inside the MariaDB shell:

SQL

CREATE DATABASE myapp_db;
CREATE USER 'myapp_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_strong_password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON myapp_db.* TO 'myapp_user'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

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Step 8: Configure Apache Virtual Hosts (Optional)

If you plan to run multiple sites, set up a virtual host for each one. Your web files live in /var/www/html/.

Create a new virtual host config:

Bash

sudo subl /etc/apache2/sites-available/mysite.conf

Add the following (adjust as needed):

ApacheConf

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName mysite.local
    ServerAdmin webmaster@localhost
    DocumentRoot /var/www/html/mysite

    <Directory /var/www/html/mysite>
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/mysite_error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/mysite_access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Enable the site and the rewrite module, then reload Apache:

Bash

sudo a2ensite mysite.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl reload apache2

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Summary

Component	Package	Service
Web Server	apache2	apache2
Database	mariadb-server	mariadb
PHP	php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql	(handled by Apache)

Your LAMP stack is now installed and ready to use. Web files go in /var/www/html/, and you can manage your databases via sudo mariadb -u root -p.

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Quick Reference: Useful Commands

Bash

# Apache
sudo systemctl start|stop|restart|reload|status apache2

# MariaDB
sudo systemctl start|stop|restart|status mariadb
sudo mariadb -u root -p

# Check Apache config for errors
sudo apache2ctl configtest

# Enable/disable Apache modules
sudo a2enmod <module>
sudo a2dismod <module>

# Enable/disable Apache sites
sudo a2ensite <site>.conf
sudo a2dissite <site>.conf