Installing a LAMP Stack on Debian 12

This guide will walk you through installing a LAMP stack on Debian 12. The LAMP stack—Linux, Apache, MariaDB, and PHP—is a popular setup for hosting websites on Linux. While MySQL is commonly used in LAMP stacks, this guide opts for MariaDB, which offers improved speed, scalability, and features.

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🛠 Getting Started

Note: This guide uses nano for editing text files, but feel free to use vim or any preferred text editor.

1. Create a Non-Root User

   useradd websrv

Set a password for this user:

   passwd websrv

Grant sudo privileges:

   usermod -a -G sudo websrv

Log in as the new user:

   su websrv

Verify:

   whoami

2. Update Repository List

   sudo apt update

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📦 Installing MariaDB

1. Install MariaDB

   sudo apt install mariadb-server mariadb-client -y

2. Secure the Installation

   sudo mysql_secure_installation

Follow the prompts to configure security settings, choosing y or n as needed.

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🌐 Installing Apache

1. Install Apache

   sudo apt install apache2 apache2-doc -y

2. Verify Installation
   Access your server’s IP in a browser to confirm the Apache landing page appears.

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🔢 Installing PHP

1. Install PHP

   sudo apt install php php-mysql -y

2. Create a Test PHP Script

   sudo nano /var/www/html/test.php

Add:

   <?php phpinfo(); ?>

Navigate to http://<server-ip>/test.php in your browser to see PHP details.

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🗄️ Installing phpMyAdmin

1. Install phpMyAdmin

   sudo apt install phpmyadmin -y

Choose apache2 for configuration when prompted.

2. Restart Apache

   sudo systemctl restart apache2

Access phpMyAdmin at http://<server-ip>/phpmyadmin.

3. Create a New Database

   sudo mysql

   CREATE USER 'mywpsite'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'AstrongSecurepassword%$';
   GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON *.* TO 'mywpsite'@'localhost';
   FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
   exit;

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🌍 Adding Domains and Subdomains

1. Create a Directory for the Website

   sudo mkdir /var/www/examplesite

2. Create a Test Page

   sudo nano /var/www/examplesite/index.html

Add sample content like Hello World!

3. Set Up Virtual Host Configuration

   sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/examplesite.conf

Add:

   <VirtualHost *:80>
       ServerName www.examplesite.com
       ServerAlias example.com
       DocumentRoot "/var/www/examplesite"
   </VirtualHost>

4. Enable Site and Reload Apache

   sudo a2ensite examplesite
   sudo systemctl reload apache2

5. Update DNS Records
   Set the domain’s A record to point to your server’s IP. Tools like WhatsMyDNS.net can help verify DNS propagation.

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Following these steps, you’ll have a fully functional LAMP stack for website hosting on Debian 12. For scalable and flexible hosting, review our VPS packages.