Apache virtual hosts allow a single Apache installation to serve multiple websites, each with its own configuration, document root, and domain name. This guide sets up an Apache virtual host on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS.

Tested and valid on:

  • Ubuntu 26.04 LTS

Prerequisites

  • Ubuntu 26.04 LTS server with Apache installed
  • A domain name pointed to your server
  • A user with sudo privileges

Step 1 – Create the Document Root

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/example.com/public_html
sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /var/www/example.com/public_html
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/example.com

Step 2 – Create a Test Page

nano /var/www/example.com/public_html/index.html

Add some content:

example.com
Virtual host working!

Step 3 – Create the Virtual Host File

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/example.com.conf

Add:


    ServerAdmin [email protected]
    ServerName example.com
    ServerAlias www.example.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/example.com/public_html
    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/example.com_error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/example.com_access.log combined
    
        Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted

Step 4 – Enable the Virtual Host

sudo a2ensite example.com.conf
sudo a2dissite 000-default.conf

Step 5 – Test and Reload Apache

sudo apache2ctl configtest
sudo systemctl reload apache2

Step 6 – Verify with curl

curl -H 'Host: example.com' http://your_server_ip

Conclusion

Your Apache virtual host is live on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS. You can repeat this process for every domain you host. Secure the site with Let’s Encrypt SSL using Certbot to enable HTTPS.