Complete LAMP Stack Installation (Apache, PHP, and MySQL) on Linux

To set up a development environment on Linux, we need three key components: the Apache web server, a database (MySQL or MariaDB), and the PHP programming language. Below is a guide for installation and proper configuration to ensure everything works together seamlessly.

Basic Installation

1. Update the system:

   sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

2. Install the Apache server:

   sudo apt install apache2

3. Install PHP and the Apache module:

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

4. Install the MySQL or MariaDB server:

   sudo apt install mysql-server
   sudo apt install mariadb-server

5. Secure the database installation:

   sudo mysql_secure_installation

You can verify it\'s working by entering http://localhost in your browser.

Configuration for PHPStorm

If you are using PHPStorm, you must set the path to the PHP interpreter. The path in Linux is: /usr/bin/php

Installing the Latest PHP Version

If you want to use the latest stable version, use the PPA repository:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ondrej/php
sudo apt update
sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php php-cli php-mysql php-curl php-xml php-mbstring

Note: Replace specific version numbers (like 8.3) with the latest available version in your repository, or simply omit the version number to install the default latest package.

Switching Between PHP Versions

First, set PHP in the terminal (CLI):

sudo update-alternatives --config php
sudo update-alternatives --set php /usr/bin/php8.3

Note: Adjust the path (e.g., /usr/bin/php8.3) to match your installed version.

Then, you must also tell Apache which module to use so the website runs on the same version as the terminal:

sudo a2dismod php8.1 # Disable old version (e.g., 8.1)
sudo a2enmod php8.3 # Enable new version 8.3
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Note: Replace 8.1 and 8.3 with your actual installed versions.