A LEMP stack — Linux, Nginx, MySQL, and PHP — is a popular open-source web platform for hosting dynamic websites and web applications. This guide installs and configures 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 Nginx

sudo apt update
sudo apt install nginx -y
sudo ufw allow 'Nginx Full'

Step 2 – Install MySQL 9

sudo apt install mysql-server -y

Run the security script:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Step 3 – Install PHP 8.4

Install PHP with Nginx FPM support and common extensions:

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

Step 4 – Configure Nginx to Use PHP

Create a server block that passes PHP requests to FPM:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/default

Ensure the location block for PHP looks like:

location ~ .php$ {
    include snippets/fastcgi-php.conf;
    fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php8.4-fpm.sock;
}

Step 5 – Test the Configuration

sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx

Step 6 – Test PHP Processing

Create a PHP info file to verify the stack:

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

Visit http://your_server_ip/info.php. Remove the file after testing:

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

Step 7 – Test Database Connectivity

Log into MySQL to confirm it’s working:

sudo mysql
SHOW DATABASES;
exit

Conclusion

Your LEMP stack on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS is fully operational. You can now host PHP applications backed by MySQL, served through Nginx with PHP-FPM for high-performance request handling.