Learn how to install Apache, MySQL and PHP on Ubuntu. Complete LAMP stack installation guide with one-shot commands, PHP testing and php-opcache troubleshooting

UBUNTU • LINUX • SERVER • PHP

How to Install LAMP Stack on Ubuntu

A complete step-by-step guide to installing Apache, MySQL and PHP on Ubuntu — including a one-shot installation command and a fix for the common php-opcache package error.

The LAMP stack is one of the most popular environments for hosting PHP applications on Linux. It combines Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP into a complete web application platform.

Whether you're building a WordPress website, Laravel application, PHP API or simply creating a local development environment, installing LAMP gives you everything you need to get started.

What Does LAMP Stand For?

🐧

Linux

The operating system powering the server.

🌐

Apache

Handles HTTP requests and serves web pages.

🗄️

MySQL

Stores and manages application data.

🐘

PHP

Processes dynamic server-side application code.

How the LAMP Stack Works

A typical request flows through the stack like this:

Browser HTTP Request

→

Apache Web Server

→

PHP Application

→

MySQL Database

Install LAMP on Ubuntu

First update your Ubuntu package index:

Terminal

sudo apt update

Install Apache, MySQL and PHP

You can install the complete LAMP environment with the following command:

One-shot installation

sudo apt install -y apache2 mysql-server php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql php-cli php-curl php-gd php-mbstring php-xml php-zip php-bcmath php-intl php-soap

Start Apache and MySQL

Enable both services so they start automatically with Ubuntu:

Terminal

sudo systemctl enable --now apache2 mysql

Enable Apache URL Rewriting

The Apache rewrite module is commonly required by modern PHP applications and frameworks such as Laravel.

Terminal

sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Ubuntu 26.04 LTS: Setting Up Native RDP Remote Login from Windows — A Real-World Troubleshooting Guide

Table of Contents

• Why use native GNOME RDP?
• Remote Login vs Desktop Sharing
• Check Ubuntu version
• Enable system RDP
• Configure TLS
• Configure RDP credentials
• Configure GDM
• Check port 3389
• Test from Windows
• Diagnose RDP failures
• Final architecture

Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and Native RDP

Ubuntu 26.04 LTS uses the modern GNOME desktop stack and provides GNOME Remote Desktop for remote desktop access.

This means you can connect to an Ubuntu machine from Windows using Microsoft's built-in Remote Desktop Connection application instead of immediately installing third-party RDP software.

Recommended approach: For a modern Ubuntu 26.04 workstation or headless AI server, start with GNOME's native Remote Login functionality before installing xrdp.

The Goal

┌──────────────────────────┐
│ Windows 11 PC            │
│                          │
│ mstsc.exe                │
└────────────┬─────────────┘
             │
             │ RDP / TCP 3389
             │
             ▼
┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ Ubuntu 26.04 LTS             │
│                              │
│ GNOME Remote Desktop         │
│             ↓                │
│ GDM / GNOME Login            │
│             ↓                │
│ Ubuntu Desktop               │
└──────────────────────────────┘

Remote Login vs Desktop Sharing