How to Install PHP with Apache on Ubuntu 22.04

The following steps cover installing PHP, configuring essential extensions for web applications, optimising PHP settings, and verifying the installation with Apache.

Installing PHP #

Install PHP and the Apache module that allows Apache to process PHP files:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y php libapache2-mod-php

This installs PHP 8.1 from the Ubuntu 22.04 (Jammy Jellyfish) repositories along with the Apache PHP module (libapache2-mod-php), which enables Apache to interpret PHP code. The module is automatically enabled and Apache is restarted during installation.

Verifying the Installation #

Check the installed PHP version:

php -v

You should see output similar to:

PHP 8.1.x (cli) (built: ...)
Copyright (c) The PHP Group
Zend Engine v4.x.x, Copyright (c) Zend Technologies
    with Zend OPcache v8.1.x, Copyright (c), by Zend Technologies

Testing PHP with Apache #

Create a PHP test file to verify Apache processes PHP correctly:

echo '<?php phpinfo(); ?>' | sudo tee /var/www/html/info.php

Open your browser and navigate to:

http://your_server_ip/info.php

You should see the PHP information page displaying your PHP version, loaded modules, and configuration details.

Installing Common PHP Extensions #

Most web applications require additional PHP extensions. The following command installs a robust set of extensions needed by WordPress, Laravel, Drupal, and other popular frameworks:

sudo apt install -y php-mysql php-curl php-gd php-mbstring php-xml php-zip php-intl php-bcmath

Here’s what each extension provides:

Restart Apache to load the new extensions:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Verify the extensions are loaded:

php -m | grep -iE 'mysql|curl|gd|mbstring|xml|zip|intl|bcmath'

You should see each extension listed in the output. If any are missing, re-run the install command and restart Apache.

Setting PHP as Apache’s Default #

By default, Apache looks for index.html before index.php when serving a directory. For PHP applications, you typically want index.php to take priority.

Edit the Apache directory index configuration:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/mods-enabled/dir.conf

You’ll see a line similar to:

DirectoryIndex index.html index.cgi index.pl index.php index.xhtml index.htm

Move index.php to the front:

DirectoryIndex index.php index.html index.cgi index.pl index.xhtml index.htm

Save and exit (press CTRL + X, press Y, then press ENTER)

Test the configuration and reload Apache:

sudo apache2ctl configtest && sudo systemctl reload apache2

Configuring PHP #

PHP’s configuration file controls memory limits, upload sizes, error reporting, and other runtime settings. The primary configuration file for Apache is:

/etc/php/8.1/apache2/php.ini

Common Configuration Changes #

Open the PHP configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/php/8.1/apache2/php.ini

Here are recommended settings for most web applications. Find each directive (use Ctrl + W to search) and modify as needed:

; Maximum memory a script can consume (increase for large applications)
memory_limit = 256M

; Maximum file upload size (adjust for media-heavy sites)
upload_max_filesize = 64M

; Maximum size of POST data (should be >= upload_max_filesize)
post_max_size = 64M

; Maximum script execution time in seconds
max_execution_time = 300

; Maximum time for parsing input data
max_input_time = 300

; Server timezone (important for date/time functions)
date.timezone = UTC

Save and exit (press CTRL + X, press Y, then press ENTER)

Restart Apache to apply configuration changes:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Production Error Handling #

In production, disable error display to prevent exposing sensitive information while still logging errors for debugging:

; Disable error display in browser (security)
display_errors = Off

; Log errors to file instead
log_errors = On

; Error log location (check Apache's error log or set custom path)
; error_log = /var/log/php_errors.log

Save and exit (press CTRL + X, press Y, then press ENTER)

Important File Locations #

Key paths for managing PHP on Ubuntu 22.04 (Jammy Jellyfish):

• PHP Configuration (Apache): /etc/php/8.1/apache2/php.ini — Primary settings file.
• PHP Configuration (CLI): /etc/php/8.1/cli/php.ini — Settings for command-line scripts.
• Apache PHP Module Config: /etc/apache2/mods-available/php8.1.conf — Module-specific settings.
• Additional Configuration: /etc/php/8.1/apache2/conf.d/ — Drop-in config files for extensions.
• PHP Error Log: Typically /var/log/apache2/error.log unless configured otherwise.

Creating a Complete Test #

Create a simple PHP script to verify your setup works end-to-end. If you set up a virtual host in the Apache guide, place this in your site directory (this replaces the Apache test page you created earlier):

sudo nano /var/www/example.com/index.php

Add the following content:

<?php
$hostname = gethostname();
$php_version = phpversion();
$server_software = $_SERVER['SERVER_SOFTWARE'];
$document_root = $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'];
?>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <title>PHP Test - <?php echo $hostname; ?></title>
    <style>
        body { font-family: system-ui, sans-serif; max-width: 600px; margin: 50px auto; padding: 20px; }
        h1 { color: #4F5D95; }
        .info { background: #f4f4f4; padding: 15px; border-radius: 5px; margin: 10px 0; }
        .success { color: #28a745; }
        code { background: #e9ecef; padding: 2px 6px; border-radius: 3px; }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <h1>✓ PHP is Working!</h1>
    <div class="info">
        <p><strong>PHP Version:</strong> <code><?php echo $php_version; ?></code></p>
        <p><strong>Server:</strong> <code><?php echo $server_software; ?></code></p>
        <p><strong>Hostname:</strong> <code><?php echo $hostname; ?></code></p>
        <p><strong>Document Root:</strong> <code><?php echo $document_root; ?></code></p>
    </div>
    <p class="success">Your LAMP stack's PHP component is configured correctly.</p>
    <p><small>Return to <a href="https://devanswers.net/series/lamp-stack/">LAMP Stack Documentation</a></small></p>
</body>
</html>

Save and exit (press CTRL + X, press Y, then press ENTER)

Visit http://example.com in your browser to see the test page. If you did not set up a virtual host, use http://your_server_ip instead (and place the file in /var/www/html/index.php).

Conclusion #

You now have PHP 8.1 running with Apache on Ubuntu 22.04, complete with essential extensions for modern web applications.