How to install Joomla with Apache on Ubuntu 24.04

Install Apache HTTP server on Ubuntu Linux

To install Apache HTTP server on Ubuntu Linux, open your terminal and run the standard package manager commands. This sets up the web server software so you can start hosting pages and make your website accessible online through your server IP address.

To do that, open the Ubuntu terminal and run the commands below to install the 💿 Apache web server.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install apache2

Once Apache is installed, the commands below can start, stop, and enable the Apache web server to start automatically when your server boots up.

sudo systemctl stop apache2
sudo systemctl start apache2
sudo systemctl enable apache2

You can test that the Apache web server is running by opening your web browser and browsing to the server’s localhost or IP address.

http://localhost

When you see the Apache2 Default Page, it means the Apache HTTP server is successfully installed.

Additional help on installing Apache on Ubuntu is in the link below.

How to install Apache on Ubuntu

Install MariaDB database server on Ubuntu Linux

To install MariaDB database server on Ubuntu Linux, use your terminal to download and set up the database software. MariaDB acts as the storage system where your Joomla site saves user accounts, articles, and settings securely.

To install and use the MariaDB database server, use the instructions below.

Open the Ubuntu terminal and run the commands below to install the MariaDB database server.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install mariadb-server

Once the MariaDB database server is installed, use the commands below to stop, start, and enable the MariaDB server to start automatically when the server boots.

sudo systemctl stop mariadb
sudo systemctl start mariadb
sudo systemctl enable mariadb

Run the following commands to validate and test if the MariaDB database server is installed successfully.

sudo mariadb

Once you run the commands above, it will log you onto the MariaDB console and display a message similar to the one below.

Welcome to the MariaDB monitor.  Commands end with ; or g.
Your MariaDB connection id is 32
Server version: 10.11.2-MariaDB-1 Ubuntu 23.04

Copyright (c) 2000, 2018, Oracle, MariaDB Corporation Ab and others.

Type 'help;' or 'h' for help. Type 'c' to clear the current input statement.

MariaDB [(none)]> 

The message tells you that the server is installed successfully.

Additional help on installing MariaDB.

• How to install MariaDB on Ubuntu Linux
• MariaDB without password prompt

Create a Joomla database

To create a Joomla database, log into the MariaDB command line and run SQL queries to set up a new empty database and a dedicated user account. This gives Joomla the private storage space it needs to hold all your website content.

The MySQL database serves as the repository for all Joomla application content and data, highlighting the MySQL database's significance in the Joomla setup process.

As part of the setup, we will create a database named 'joomlaadb' and a corresponding user account named 'joomladbuser'.

Finally, give the joomladbuser full access to the joomladb database.

All the database steps above can be done using the commands below:

But first, log on to the MariaDB database server:

sudo mariadb

Then run the commands below to complete the steps:

CREATE DATABASE joomladb CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_general_ci;
CREATE USER joomladbuser@localhost IDENTIFIED BY 'type_your_password_here';
GRANT ALL ON joomladb.* TO joomladbuser@localhost WITH GRANT OPTION;
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
exit

Ensure to replace ‘type_your_password_here‘ with your password.

Install PHP on Ubuntu Linux

To install PHP on Ubuntu Linux, run the apt install command along with required modules like php-mysql and libapache2-mod-php. These packages allow your Apache web server to process PHP code and talk to your database.

Run the commands below to install PHP.

sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php php-intl php-mysql php-curl php-cli php-zip php-gd php-common php-mbstring php-xmlrpc php-json php-sqlite3 php-zip

Additional help on installing PHP

How to install PHP on Ubuntu Linux

Download Joomla files

To download Joomla files, use the wget command in your terminal to grab the latest installation package directly from the official site. Place these files into your Apache web root directory so the server can display your new website.

The command block below will download and create a new Joomla folder in the Apache root directory.

First, create a Joomla folder in the Apache root directory.

You will download Joomla files into the `/tmp` directory. After unzipping the Joomla file, you will move the unzipped Joomla content into the Joomla folder you previously created in the Apache root directory.

Rest assured, the final step is to change the permissions. This will allow the Apache web server to safely interact with the files, ensuring a secure environment for your Joomla installation.

Stay up-to-date with the Latest Joomla version. Get it from the official download page and replace the link with the new version so you can benefit from the latest features and security updates.

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/joomla
cd /tmp/
wget https://downloads.joomla.org/cms/joomla5/5-1-1/Joomla_5-1-1-Stable-Full_Package.zip
sudo unzip -d /var/www/joomla Joomla_*.zip
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/joomla/

Once you have completed all the above steps, continue below to configure the Apache web server to serve the Joomla content.

Run the commands below to create an Apache virtual host file for Joomla.

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/joomla.conf

Then, copy and paste the content block below into the Apache server block.

<VirtualHost *:80>
  ServerName joomla.example.com
  ServerAlias www.joomla.example.com
  ServerAdmin admin@example.com
  DocumentRoot /var/www/joomla
    
  <Directory /var/www/joomla/>
       Options FollowSymlinks
       AllowOverride All
       Require all granted
  </Directory>

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

Save the file.

The Apache server block for Joomla will be enabled by running the `sudo a2ensite joomla.conf` command, followed by restarting the Apache server using `sudo systemctl restart apache2`. This action applies the new website configuration, making your Joomla installation accessible through your web browser.

sudo a2ensite joomla.conf
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Setup Let’sLet'sypt SSL/TLS for Joomla

To setup Let's Encrypt SSL TLS for Joomla, install the Certbot tool and request a free security certificate for your domain. This encrypts traffic between visitors and your server to keep user data safe.

Please read the post below for additional resources on installing and creating Let’sLet'sypt SSL certificates for Apache.

How to set up Let’sLet'sypt SSL certificate for Apache on Ubuntu Linux

After installing, the Apache server block file /etc/apache2/sites-available/joomla.conf will automatically be configured with HTTPS, done by the Certbot Apache plugin.

Once you have restarted the Apache web server, open your browser and browse to the server hostname or IP address defined in the Apache server block.

http://joomla.example.com

A Joomla installation wizard page should appear. Select the installation language, enter the site name and continue to the next page.

Next, enter your name, username, password for your account, email address and continue to the next page.

On the next page, type in the database name, username, and password created above. Then, click "Install Joomla."

Your new Joomla site should be created and ready to use.

That should do it!

Conclusion:

• This comprehensive guide has equipped you with the steps to set up a Joomla site on an Ubuntu server with Apache support. This allows you to harness the power of Joomla while benefiting from the stability of the Apache web server on the Ubuntu operating system.
• You now have the knowledge to install and configure essential components such as Apache, MariaDB, and PHP, create a Joomla database, and download the Joomla files.
• By following this guide, you also learned how to enhance the security of your Joomla installation with Let’sLet'sypt SSL/TLS certificates.
• This detailed walkthrough has given you the tools and understanding to seamlessly create and manage dynamic websites using Joomla on a robust and scalable platform.
• Should you have any feedback or additional insights, please utilize the comments section below the article.