How to install Joomla with Apache on Ubuntu 24.04

Install Apache HTTP server on Ubuntu Linux

To install the Apache web server on Ubuntu Linux for your Joomla site, open the terminal and run the update and install commands.

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

You’ll need a database server for Joomla, and installing MariaDB on Ubuntu Linux is straightforward using the terminal.

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

After installing MariaDB, you need to create a new, blank database specifically for your Joomla installation to store all its content and data.

It’s important to note that this database will be the repository for all the Joomla application content and data, underscoring its significance in the 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

Joomla is built with PHP, so you need to install it on Ubuntu Linux along with necessary modules like libapache2-mod-php and php-mysql.

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 get your Joomla site running on Ubuntu Linux, you’ll download the Joomla files and place them in the correct Apache web server directory.

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.

Next, navigate to the /tmp directory and download Joomla files. After unzipping the file, move the content into the Joomla folder you 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.

Then, run the commands below to enable the server block and restart the Apache server.

sudo a2ensite joomla.conf
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Setup Let’sLet’sypt SSL/TLS for Joomla

Securing your Joomla site with HTTPS is important, and you can set up a free Let’sEncrypt SSL/TLS certificate for Apache on Ubuntu Linux.

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.