How to install ownCloud with Apache on Ubuntu 24.04

Install Apache HTTP server on Ubuntu

To install Apache HTTP server on Ubuntu for your ownCloud setup, open your terminal and run sudo apt update followed by sudo apt install apache2. This installs the web server needed to handle your incoming requests. Once the installation finishes, start the service and check its status to make sure Apache runs correctly on your system.

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, open your terminal and type sudo apt install mariadb-server mariadb-client. MariaDB stores all your files, user accounts, and app data securely. After the installation completes, run the security script to protect your database installation before you create your ownCloud database.

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 an ownCloud database

To create an ownCloud database, log into your MariaDB prompt as the root user and run CREATE DATABASE ownclouddb;. Next, create a dedicated user with CREATE USER 'ownclouddbuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_password'; and grant them full permissions using GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON ownclouddb.* TO 'ownclouddbuser'@'localhost'; so ownCloud can save its data properly.

As part of the setup, we will create a database named 'ownclouddb' and a corresponding user account called 'ownclouddbuser.'

Finally, we'll grant the ownclouddbuser full access to the ownclouddb 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 ownclouddb CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_general_ci;
CREATE USER ownclouddbuser@localhost IDENTIFIED BY 'type_your_password_here';
GRANT ALL ON ownclouddb.* TO ownclouddbuser@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 for ownCloud, add the required PHP repository and run sudo apt install php7.4 libapache2-mod-php7.4 php7.4-mysql php7.4-xml php7.4-curl. ownCloud requires specific PHP modules to work properly with your database and web server. Always verify the exact PHP version supported by your specific ownCloud release before you start.

ownCloud runs with PHP version 7.4, but PHP 8.x is not currently supported. Always check the PHP requirements page to ensure you install the latest compatible version.

Run the commands below to install PHP 7.4.

First, add the following repository.

sudo apt-get install software-properties-common
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ondrej/php

Then, install PHP 7.4 using the command below.

sudo apt install php7.4 libapache2-mod-php7.4 php7.4-intl php7.4-mysql php7.4-curl php7.4-cli php7.4-zip php7.4-xml php7.4-gd php7.4-gmp php7.4-common php7.4-mbstring php7.4-xmlrpc php7.4-json php7.4-sqlite3 php7.4-ldap php7.4-imap php7.4-pgsql php7.4-ssh2 php7.4-soap php7.4-zip

Additional help on installing PHP

How to install PHP on Ubuntu Linux

Download ownCloud files

To download ownCloud files, visit the official ownCloud website and copy the link for the latest archive file. Use the wget command in your terminal to download the tarball directly to your server. Extract the downloaded files using the tar command and move the resulting folder into your Apache web root directory so the server can display it.

ownCloud download page

Replace the download link below with the current so you have the latest version.

First, navigate to the /tmp/ directory and download ownCloud files. After unzipping the file, move the content into the ownCloud folder in the Apache root directory.

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 ownCloud installation.

wget https://download.owncloud.com/server/stable/owncloud-complete-20240226.zip -P /tmp
sudo unzip /tmp/owncloud-complete-20240226.zip -d /var/www
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/owncloud/

Once all the steps are done, configure the Apache webserver to serve the ownCloud content.

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

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

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

Alias /owncloud "/var/www/owncloud/"

<Directory /var/www/owncloud/>
  Options +FollowSymlinks
  AllowOverride All

 <IfModule mod_dav.c>
  Dav off
 </IfModule>

 SetEnv HOME /var/www/owncloud
 SetEnv HTTP_HOME /var/www/owncloud

</Directory>

Save the file.

Enable the Apache virtual host for ownCloud by running `sudo a2ensite owncloud.conf`. Then, restart the Apache web server to apply the changes by running `sudo systemctl restart apache2`.

sudo a2ensite owncloud.conf
sudo a2enmod env rewrite dir mime headers setenvif ssl
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Setup Let's Encrypt SSL/TLS for ownCloud

To setup Let's Encrypt SSL/TLS for ownCloud, install the Certbot tool using your terminal and run the Apache plugin command. This tool automatically requests a free security certificate and updates your Apache configuration to force HTTPS connections. Encrypting your traffic keeps your passwords and files safe from prying eyes while you use your cloud server.

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://localhost/owncloud

An ownCloud installation wizard page should appear. Create an administrator account and password, enter the database name, database account name, and password created above, and click Finish setup.

Your ownCloud site should be ready to use.

Set up a reverse proxy for ownCloud

To set up a reverse proxy for ownCloud, enable the Apache proxy modules using sudo a2enmod proxy proxy_http. Next, create a new virtual host configuration file that points your custom domain name to your local ownCloud server port. This lets you access your cloud storage securely using a friendly web address instead of an IP address.

The links below should help you set that up.

• Set up reverse proxy with Nginx
• Set up reverse proxy with Apache

That should do it!

Conclusion:

• Installing and configuring ownCloud with Apache support on Ubuntu 24.04 ensures enhanced user experience and seamless integration with the popular web server, improving performance, stability, and security.
• The step-by-step guide detailed instructions on installing the necessary components, including Apache HTTP server, MariaDB database server, and PHP on Ubuntu Linux.
• It thoroughly explained how to create and configure your ownCloud database, download your ownCloud files, set up Let's Encrypt SSL/TLS for yourCloud, and optionally set up a reverse proxy with Nginx or Apache.
• Using the provided resources and following the instructions will result in a fully functional ownCloud site ready for Ubuntu with Apache support.