How to Install Apache on Ubuntu: A Step-by-Step Guide

Install Apache

To install Apache on Ubuntu, open your terminal and run the commands sudo apt update and sudo apt install apache2. The first command refreshes the list of available packages. The second downloads Apache and sets it up automatically from the default software repositories. Both commands need sudo, so expect a password prompt.

To install Apache, follow these steps:

1. Open a terminal. On Ubuntu Desktop, press Ctrl+Alt+T. On a server, log in over SSH.
2. Run the command below, and enter your password when asked. You should see a list of packages to install.
3. Type Y and press Enter if the terminal asks you to confirm. The package files download and install, and the prompt returns when it finishes.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install apache2

Once Apache installs, it starts automatically. You do not need to restart the 🔄 machine. The package also sets Apache to start on its own each time the server boots.

To verify the service runs, use the command below. It prints a status summary for the Apache service.

sudo systemctl status apache2

The command outputs lines similar to the one below. Look for a status of active (running). If the output opens in a pager and the prompt does not come back, press q to leave it. If the status shows failed or inactive, the usual cause is another program already using port 80. The log lines at the bottom of the output normally point to the problem.

● apache2.service - The Apache HTTP Server
     Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/apache2.service; enabled; vendor prese>
     Active: active (running) since Wed 2024-01-17 17:25:14 CST; 1min 22s ago
       Docs: https://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.4/
   Main PID: 3668 (apache2)
      Tasks: 55 (limit: 2261)
     Memory: 4.9M
        CPU: 51ms
     CGroup: /system.slice/apache2.service
             ├─3668 /usr/sbin/apache2 -k start
             ├─3670 /usr/sbin/apache2 -k start
             └─3671 /usr/sbin/apache2 -k start
...

Allow traffic on HTTP and HTTPS ports

Apache uses port 80 for normal web traffic (HTTP) and port 443 for encrypted traffic (HTTPS). If the machine is in the cloud, also check the provider's own firewall or security group, because it can block these ports even when the server allows them.

Run the command below to open the firewall, assuming UFW is active. UFW is often installed but switched off on a fresh Ubuntu system. If yours is off, nothing is blocked locally and you can skip the rule. On a remote server, make sure SSH is allowed before you turn UFW on, or you can lock yourself out. After the rule is added, enter the server's IP address in a browser. You should see the Apache default page.

sudo ufw allow 'Apache Full'

Setup Virtual Host

Virtual hosts let you run multiple websites on a single Ubuntu machine. Each domain name gets its own configuration file, which keeps its files and settings separate from the others.

Apache comes with one virtual host enabled by default. If domains point to your server's IP address, they match the default virtual host. For a single website, you do not need to create anything new. Upload its content to the default virtual host's directory and edit the host configuration file.

If you host a single website, upload its content in /var/www/html and edit the virtual host configuration found in the /etc/apache2/sites-enabled/000-default.conf file. Edit that file with sudo, because regular users cannot write to it.

To test a virtual host, run the command below to create a website folder called example.com in the /var/www/ directory. Use your own domain name in place of example.com if you have one. You need sudo to create folders in this location.

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/example.com/public_html

Then, create a basic HTML index file in the directory. The command below opens a new file in a text editor. Apache serves the index file when someone opens the site without naming a specific page.

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

Copy and paste the content below into the file. It is a minimal page, so you can tell at a glance that Apache serves the right site.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <title>Welcome to example.com</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <h1>Success! example.com home page!</h1>
  </body>
</html>

Save the file and exit. In the nano editor, press Ctrl+O, then Enter to save, and Ctrl+X to exit. Other editors have their own save and quit keys.

Change the ownership of web content to the Apache user, named www-data, by running the command sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html. This ensures Apache reads and writes files in its web directory. If you serve your site from the example.com folder, run the same command against that folder instead. Without the right ownership, you may get "403 Forbidden" or permission errors when the site loads.

sudo chown -R www-data: /var/www/example.com

Next, create a virtual host file for the website. Apache vhosts files reside in the /etc/apache2/sites-available directory. Give the file a name that matches your domain and end it in .conf. Apache's enable command looks for files with that ending.

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

A basic vhost file resembles the one below. Change the ServerName and DocumentRoot values to match your own domain and the folder you created. A typo in either one is the most common reason a new virtual host shows the wrong site.

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName example.com
    ServerAlias www.example.com
    ServerAdmin webmaster@example.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/example.com/public_html

    <Directory /var/www/example.com/public_html>
        Options -Indexes +FollowSymLinks
        AllowOverride All
    </Directory>

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/example.com-error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/example.com-access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Save the file. Nothing changes on the live site yet, because Apache ignores the file until you enable it.

Next, run the command below to enable the configuration. The command usually prints a reminder that Apache must reload before the change takes effect. Follow that reminder. If you want to undo this later, disable the site the same way and reload Apache again.

sudo a2ensite example.com

Test the config and ensure nothing is wrong. A good result ends with Syntax OK. A warning about the server's fully qualified domain name is common and does not stop Apache from working. If you see an error, the message names the file and line number to fix. Correct it and run the test again before you reload Apache.

sudo apachectl configtest
sudo systemctl restart apache2

When configured correctly, you see a test page when browsing the website. The domain must point to your server's IP address through DNS. For a local test, you can map the name to the machine in your computer's hosts file instead. If you still see the Apache default page, recheck the ServerName and DocumentRoot values, and confirm the site was enabled and Apache reloaded.

With the service running and your virtual host configured, build out your web projects. To add another website, repeat the folder, index file, vhost file and enable steps with a new domain name.

Conclusion:

• Apache is a versatile and widely used open-source web server providing powerful features for web applications.
• Installing Apache on Ubuntu Linux is straightforward using the package manager, making it a convenient web hosting option.
• Configuring virtual hosts allows running multiple websites on a single server, each with separate content and domain names.