How to Install LAMP Stack on Ubuntu with Virtual Hosts

The LAMP stack is one of the most popular ways to run websites and applications. It combines:

• Linux → Operating system
• Apache → Web server
• MySQL → Database
• PHP → Server-side language

In this guide, you’ll learn how to install LAMP stack on Ubuntu step by step. We’ll cover everything from installing Apache and setting up a firewall, to configuring a Virtual Host, testing PHP, and linking PHP with MySQL. By the end, your server will be ready to run modern PHP applications.

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Table of Contents

• Step 1 — Install Apache and Update Firewall
• Step 2 — Install MySQL Database
• Step 3 — Install PHP
• Step 4 — Configure Apache Virtual Host
• Step 5 — Test PHP Processing
• Step 6 — Test Database Connection
• Conclusion

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Apache is the web server that delivers content to users.

Update your system and install Apache:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install apache2

Check status:

systemctl status apache2

If you see active (running), Apache is working.

Configure Firewall

List profiles:

sudo ufw app list

Allow HTTP traffic:

sudo ufw allow "Apache"

Now visit:

http://your_server_ip

If you see the Apache default page, your server is live.

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Next, install MySQL to manage website data.

sudo apt install mysql-server

Secure MySQL

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Set a root password, remove test databases, and block remote root access.

Test MySQL

sudo mysql -u root -p

If you see the MySQL prompt, installation is successful.

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PHP connects Apache with MySQL.

Install PHP with common extensions:

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

Check PHP version:

php -v

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Set up a custom Virtual Host instead of relying on the default web root.

Create directory:

sudo mkdir /var/www/your-project-name
sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /var/www/your-project-name

Create config file:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/your-project-name.conf

Add:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName your-project-name.com
    ServerAlias www.your-project-name.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/your-project-name
    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/your_project_name_error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/your_project_name_access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Enable the site and reload:

sudo a2ensite your-project-name
sudo systemctl reload apache2

3) Add Test Page

nano /var/www/your-project-name/index.html

Paste:

<h1>Welcome from My Project!</h1>

Visit in browser: http://your_server_ip

You should see:

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Create test file:

nano /var/www/your-project-name/info.php

Add:

<?php
phpinfo();
?>

Visit:

http://your_server_ip/info.php

You should see PHP details.

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Create Database

sudo mysql

CREATE DATABASE sampledb;
CREATE USER 'sampleuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON sampledb.* TO 'sampleuser'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Create PHP DB Test Script

nano /var/www/your-project-name/dbtest.php

<?php
$mysqli = new mysqli("localhost", "sampleuser", "password", "sampledb");
if ($mysqli->connect_error) {
    die("Connection failed: " . $mysqli->connect_error);
}
echo "Database connection successful!";
$mysqli->close();
?>

Visit:

http://your_server_ip/dbtest.php

You should see: Database connection successful!

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Step 7 — Install Extra PHP Extensions (Optional)

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

• php-cli → Run PHP from command line
• php-curl → API requests
• php-mbstring → UTF-8 support
• php-xml → XML handling
• php-zip → File compression

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You’ve successfully set up the LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) on Ubuntu and configured a Virtual Host.

With this foundation, you can now:

• 🚀 Launch WordPress or other CMS
• 🛠️ Develop with Laravel, Symfony, or custom PHP apps
• 🔒 Prepare for production with SSL (Let’s Encrypt), secure MySQL users, and Apache hardening

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