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 in harmony.

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 MySQL or MariaDB server:

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

5. Secure the database installation:

   sudo mysql_secure_installation

Verify the installation locally by visiting: http://localhost

Configuration for PHPStorm

When using PHPStorm, you need to set the path to the PHP interpreter. On Linux, the path is: /usr/bin/php

Installing the Latest PHP 8.3 Version

To use the latest stable version, use the PPA repository:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ondrej/php
sudo apt update
sudo apt install php8.3 libapache2-mod-php8.3 php8.3-cli php8.3-mysql php8.3-curl php8.3-xml php8.3-mbstring

Switching Between PHP Versions

First, set the PHP version for the terminal (CLI):

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

Then, instruct Apache to use the correct module so that your website runs on the same version as the terminal:

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