A LAMP stack — Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP — powers a large portion of the web, including WordPress, Joomla, and countless custom applications. This guide installs all four components on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS.

Tested and valid on:

Ubuntu 26.04 LTS

Prerequisites

Ubuntu 26.04 LTS server
A user with sudo privileges
UFW firewall enabled

Step 1 – Install Apache

sudo apt update
sudo apt install apache2 -y
sudo ufw allow 'Apache Full'

Step 2 – Install MySQL 9

sudo apt install mysql-server -y
sudo mysql_secure_installation

Step 3 – Install PHP 8.4

Install PHP and the Apache PHP module plus common extensions:

sudo apt install php8.4 libapache2-mod-php8.4 php8.4-mysql php8.4-mbstring php8.4-xml php8.4-curl php8.4-zip -y

Step 4 – Verify PHP Installation

php -v

Create a test file:

echo '' | sudo tee /var/www/html/info.php

Visit http://your_server_ip/info.php then remove it:

sudo rm /var/www/html/info.php

Step 5 – Test MySQL

sudo mysql
SHOW DATABASES;
exit

Step 6 – Enable mod_rewrite

Required by WordPress and most PHP frameworks:

sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Step 7 – Create a Test Database

Set up a database for your application:

sudo mysql
CREATE DATABASE myapp;
CREATE USER 'myuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'StrongPassword123!';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON myapp.* TO 'myuser'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
exit

Conclusion

Your Ubuntu 26.04 LTS LAMP stack is ready. This foundation supports WordPress, Laravel, Drupal, and virtually any PHP-based application. Next, configure Apache virtual hosts for your domain and add SSL.

How to Install a LAMP Stack on Ubuntu 26.04