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.