LAMP Hosting: Scalable and Secure LAMP Servers

How to Install LAMP on Ubuntu 24.04 VPS (Production-Ready Guide)

This guide explains how to install LAMP on Ubuntu 24.04 VPS from SSH login to a secure, production-ready configuration.

LAMP =Linux + Apache + MySQL + PHP

Step 1: Connect to VPS via SSH

ssh administrator@YOUR_VPS_IP

• Replace YOUR_VPS_IP with your VPS address.
• Switch to root:

sudo -i

Step 2: Update and Upgrade System Packages

apt update && apt upgrade -y
apt install software-properties-common -y
apt autoremove -y

• Ensures your system has the latest security patches and removes unnecessary packages.

Step 3: Install Apache Web Server

apt install apache2 -y
systemctl enable apache2
systemctl start apache2

• Verify Apache status:

systemctl status apache2

• Test in browser: http://YOUR_VPS_IP should show the default Apache page.

Step 4: Install MySQL Database

apt install mysql-server -y

• Secure MySQL installation:

mysql_secure_installation

Follow prompts to:

• Set root password

• Remove anonymous users

• Disable remote root login

• Remove test database

• Reload privilege tables

• Test login:

mysql -u root -p

Step 5: Install PHP and Common Modules

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

• Check PHP version:

php -v

• Restart Apache to apply PHP module:

systemctl restart apache2

Step 6: Configure Apache to Prioritize PHP

sed -i 's/DirectoryIndex index.html/DirectoryIndex index.php index.html/' /etc/apache2/mods-enabled/dir.conf
systemctl restart apache2

Step 7: Test PHP

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

• Visit http://YOUR_VPS_IP/info.php to confirm PHP is running.
• Remove test file:

rm /var/www/html/info.php

Step 8: Enable Firewall and Basic Security

1. Configure UFW:

ufw allow OpenSSH
ufw allow 'Apache Full'
ufw --force enable
ufw status

2. Install Fail2Ban (optional but recommended):

apt install fail2ban -y
systemctl enable fail2ban
systemctl start fail2ban

Step 9: Optimize PHP OPcache for Production

PHP_INI=/etc/php/8.2/apache2/php.ini
sed -i 's/;opcache.enable=0/opcache.enable=1/' $PHP_INI
sed -i 's/;opcache.memory_consumption=128/opcache.memory_consumption=128/' $PHP_INI
sed -i 's/;opcache.interned_strings_buffer=8/opcache.interned_strings_buffer=8/' $PHP_INI
sed -i 's/;opcache.max_accelerated_files=10000/opcache.max_accelerated_files=10000/' $PHP_INI
sed -i 's/;opcache.revalidate_freq=2/opcache.revalidate_freq=2/' $PHP_INI
systemctl restart apache2

• OPcache improves PHP performance for production workloads.

Step 10: Optional – Enable Remote MySQL Access

⚠️ Security warning: Opening MySQL to the public requires firewall restrictions.

sed -i 's/bind-address\s*=.*$/bind-address = 0.0.0.0/' /etc/mysql/mysql.conf.d/mysqld.cnf
systemctl restart mysql

• Create a remote database user:

CREATE USER 'remoteuser'@'%' IDENTIFIED BY 'StrongPassword123';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON *.* TO 'remoteuser' WITH GRANT OPTION;
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

Step 11: Verify Services

systemctl status apache2
systemctl status mysql
php -v

• Ensure Apache, MySQL, and PHP are running correctly.

Step 12: Optional – Enable HTTPS

• Install Certbot:

apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache -y

• Generate SSL certificate:

certbot --apache -d yourdomain.com

Production Recommendations

1. Always use SSH key authentication and strong passwords.
2. Keep the system and packages updated regularly.
3. Use OPcache and PHP modules for better performance.
4. Consider separate database servers for high-traffic sites.
5. Use firewall rules and Fail2Ban to protect SSH and web services.