How to Install Apache, MySQL/MariaDB and PHP in Linux

This how-to guide explains how to install the latest version of Apache, MySQL (or MariaDB), and PHP, along with the required PHP modules, on RHEL-based distributions such as Fedora, Rocky, and Alma Linux.

This combination of the operating system (Linux) with the web server (Apache), database server (MariaDB/MySQL), and server-side scripting language (PHP) is known as the LAMP stack.

Step 1: Installing Apache Web Server

Before starting the installation process of the web server, ensure that your server is up-to-date by running the following yum or dnf commands.

sudo yum update
Or
sudo dnf update

Next, you need to enable the epel repository, which is a community-based repository that offers add-on software packages for RHEL-based Linux distributions such as Rocky and Alma Linux.

sudo yum install epel-release

Now you can install Apache, which is a widely used open-source web server software that serves web content over the HTTP protocol.

sudo yum install httpd

Once the Apache web server is installed, you can enable it to start automatically at system boot.

sudo systemctl start httpd
sudo systemctl enable httpd
sudo systemctl status httpd

If you are running firewalld, make sure to allow Apache traffic on the firewall.

sudo firewall-cmd --zone=public --permanent --add-service=http
sudo firewall-cmd --zone=public --permanent --add-service=https
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

To access the Apache web page after installation, open a web browser on your computer and type the IP address or hostname of your Linux server where Apache is installed.

http://IP_address/

Step 2: Installing PHP Using Remi Repository

PHP is a free and open-source server-side scripting language that is best suited for web development. It can be used to produce dynamic web pages for a website and is most frequently found in Nix servers.

sudo yum install php 

One of the advantages of PHP is that it is easily extensible through the use of a wide variety of modules.

sudo yum install php-mysqlnd php-pdo php-gd php-xml php-mbstring php-mcrypt php-pecl-apcu php-cli php-pear

Once PHP is installed, restart the Apache service to apply the changes.

sudo systemctl restart httpd

Step 3: Installing MySQL or MariaDB in Linux

In this section, we will show you the installation of both databases MySQL and MariaDB, so it’s up to you what to choose based on your requirements.

Installing MySQL in Linux

MySQL is one of the world’s most popular open-source relational database management systems (RDBMS) that runs any server by providing multi-user access to multiple databases. MySQL runs with Apache.

sudo yum install mysql-server

Installing MariaDB in Linux

MariaDB is a fork of the well-known MySQL, one of the world’s most popular relational database management systems (RDBMS). It is entirely developed by the community and as such it is intended to remain FOSS and compatible with the GPL.

sudo yum install mariadb-server

After successful installation of MySQL or MariaDB, it’s time to start the service and enable it to start on boot.

sudo systemctl start mysqld   # For MySQL
sudo systemctl enable mysqld
sudo systemctl status mysqld

sudo systemctl start mariadb  # For MariaDB
sudo systemctl enable mariadb
sudo systemctl status mariadb

After installation, it is essential to secure your database server by running the following command and following the prompts to set a root password and remove insecure defaults.

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Step 4: Verify Installation

Once Apache, MySQL/MariaDB, and PHP are installed, restart the Apache service to apply the changes.

sudo systemctl restart httpd

Next, create a PHP test file called info.php in the Apache document root directory (/var/www/html/).

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

Now point your web browser to the following address and check the presence of the installed modules and additional software by scrolling down the page (replace [server] with your domain or the IP address of your server).

http://your_server_ip/info.php

Your output should be similar to:

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Apache, MySQL/MariaDB, and PHP on your RHEL server. With this LAMP stack set up, you are ready to host and deploy dynamic websites and web applications.