How to Install Matomo Analytics with Apache on Ubuntu 24.04

Install Apache HTTP server on Ubuntu

To install the 💿 Apache HTTP server on Ubuntu 24.04 for your Matomo Analytics installation, open your terminal and run the commands sudo apt update and sudo apt install apache2. This sets up the web server required to host your Matomo analytics platform and makes your server ready to process incoming web traffic.

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 the MariaDB database server on Ubuntu

To install the MariaDB database server for your Matomo Analytics installation on Ubuntu 24.04, open your terminal and run the commands sudo apt update followed by sudo apt install mariadb-server. This installs the database engine required to store all your website tracking data 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 Matomo database

To create a Matomo database during your Matomo Analytics installation, log into the MariaDB shell and run the SQL commands to create a dedicated database and user account with full permissions. This gives Matomo the secure access it needs to read and write tracking data.

As part of the setup, we will create a matomodb database and a user account called matomodbuser.

Finally, we'll grant the matomodbuser full access to the matomodb 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 matomodb CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_general_ci;
CREATE USER matomodbuser@localhost IDENTIFIED BY 'type_your_password_here';
GRANT ALL ON matomodb.* TO matomodbuser@localhost WITH GRANT OPTION;
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
exit

Install PHP on Ubuntu Linux

To install PHP and the necessary modules for your Matomo Analytics installation on Ubuntu 24.04, run the apt install command with all required PHP extensions in your terminal. This provides the programming language and modules that Matomo needs to run properly on your server.

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-xml php-gd php-common php-mbstring php-xmlrpc php-json php-sqlite3 php-soap php-ldap php-zip

Additional help on installing PHP

How to install PHP on Ubuntu Linux

Download Matomo files

To download the Matomo files for your Matomo Analytics installation, fetch the latest package from the official source into your temporary directory, extract the archive, and move the folder to your Apache web root. This places the actual analytics application files where your web server can load them.

To always install the latest version, check the Matomo's download page. If a new version is available, replace the version number in the link below.

After unzipping the file, move the content into the Matomo folder in the Apache root directory.

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

cd /tmp
wget https://builds.matomo.org/matomo-latest.zip
sudo unzip matomo-latest.zip -d /var/www/
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/matomo

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

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

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

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

<VirtualHost *:80>
  ServerName matomo.example.com
  ServerAlias www.matomo.example.com
  ServerAdmin admin@example.com
  DocumentRoot /var/www/matomo
    
  <Directory /var/www/matomo/>
       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 Matomo virtual host enables and the Apache server restarts by running two commands: `sudo a2ensite matomo.conf` and `sudo systemctl restart apache2`. These commands ensure Apache recognizes your Matomo website's configuration file, making Matomo accessible through your web browser.

sudo a2ensite matomo.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Setup Let's Encrypt SSL/TLS for Matomo

To secure your Matomo Analytics installation with HTTPS, set up a free Let's Encrypt SSL/TLS certificate for your Apache web server on Ubuntu 24.04. This protects the analytics data traveling between your visitors' browsers and your server from being intercepted.

Please read the post below for additional resources on installing and creating Let's Encrypt SSL certificates for Apache.

How to set up Let's Encrypt SSL certificate for Apache on Ubuntu Linux

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://matomo.example.com

A Matomo installation wizard page should appear. Next to begin.

On the next page, confirm all requirements are met, then continue.

Next, enter the database name, account, and password and continue.

Next, create an admin account and continue.

On the next screen, type in your site details and continue

Copy the JavaScript code if you'd like and continue.

Your Matomo site should be set up and ready to use.

That should do it!

Conclusion:

• Installing Matomo Analytics with Apache on Ubuntu 24.04 provides a robust and customizable solution for web analytics. It empowers users with in-depth insights while prioritizing data ownership and user privacy.
• Integrating Matomo with the Apache web server on Ubuntu ensures reliable performance and flexibility, creating a robust environment for monitoring and optimizing website performance.
• By meticulously following the installation and setup procedures for Apache, MariaDB, PHP, and Let's Encrypt SSL/TLS, users can gain full control over their website's performance and make data-driven decisions to drive its success.