How to Install Apache, MySQL, and PHP (LAMP) Stack on Debian 11

LAMP is a popular open-source web development stack consisting of Linux, Apache, MySQL or MariaDB, and PHP. This guide explains how to install a LAMP stack on Debian 11.

Prerequisites

• Deploy a Debian 11 cloud server at Vultr.

• Update the server.

• Create a non-root user with sudo privileges.

• Log in to your server as the non-root user.

1. Install Apache

Install Apache and related utilities.

$ sudo apt install apache2 apache2-utils -y

Enable the Apache service to start at system boot.

$ sudo systemctl enable apache2

Start the Apache service.

$ sudo systemctl start apache2

Check the status of the Apache service.

$ sudo systemctl status apache2

2. Install MariaDB

Install the database server.

$ sudo apt-get install mariadb-server -y

Start the MariaDB service and enable it to start at system boot.

$ sudo systemctl enable mariadb

$ sudo systemctl start mariadb

Check the status of the MariaDB service.

$ sudo systemctl status mariadb

Secure the database with the mysql_secure_installation script and answer Y to all questions.

$ sudo mysql_secure_installation

3. Install PHP

Install PHP and common extensions.

$ sudo apt install php php-cli php-mysql libapache2-mod-php php-gd php-xml php-curl php-common -y

4. Configure the Firewall

Allow SSH, HTTP, and HTTPS in the firewall.

$ sudo ufw default deny incoming

$ sudo ufw default allow outgoing

$ sudo ufw allow ssh

$ sudo ufw allow 80/tcp

$ sudo ufw allow 443/tcp

$ sudo ufw enable

$ sudo ufw reload

See our UFW Quickstart Guide for more information.

5. Test the LAMP Stack

Create a test PHP file in Apache's document root folder.

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

Open the location in your browser. Replace example.com with your server's IP address or domain name.

https://example.com/info.php

You should see a PHP information page with details about your configuration.

More Information

• Learn about Vultr's One-Click LAMP server.