How to Install PHP on Ubuntu Linux

Installing 💿 PHP on Ubuntu Linux lets you run dynamic websites and web applications like WordPress on your server. PHP is a server-side scripting language that turns static text files into interactive web pages with real-time data.

Most modern web projects run best on PHP 8.0 or newer to get speed boosts and security updates. Setting up PHP takes a few terminal commands and links the language to your web server, usually Apache or Nginx, so your browser can read and display PHP pages correctly.

How to install PHP on Ubuntu with Apache support

To install PHP Ubuntu with Apache support, open your terminal and run the update command followed by the package installation command for PHP and the Apache module. This process sets up the scripting language on your web server so you can run dynamic websites. Once the command finishes, restart the 🔄 Apache web server to load the new modules properly.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php

PHP is tightly integrated with Apache. If you change PHP and want the changes to apply, restart or reload Apache.

To do that, run the commands below.

To install PHP on Ubuntu for Nginx, you must set up PHP-FPM (FastCGI Process Manager). PHP-FPM (FastCGI Process Manager) acts as a bridge between the Nginx web server and PHP. Nginx does not handle PHP files directly, so PHP-FPM processes those requests. The commands install PHP and configure it to work with your Nginx server.

Unlike Apache, Nginx does not natively process PHP files. Run the commands below to install PHP-FPM (FastCGI Process Manager), which handles these requests.

Run the commands below to set that up.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install php-fpm

Since PHP is not as integrated with Nginx, you need to restart or reload both PHP and Nginx separately whenever you make PHP changes.

You need to add lines to your Nginx server block configuration to process PHP files. Ensure the correct PHP version appears in the highlighted line, for instance, `fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/php/php8.1-fpm.sock;`. This action allows Nginx to communicate with the PHP processor.

PHP installation includes optional extensions that improve performance and add features. Common extensions include `php-mysql` for database access and `php-curl` for transferring data with URLs. You can install these extensions by running the `apt install` command.

To install a newer PHP version on Ubuntu Linux when the newest PHP version is not available in Ubuntu's default software sources, you can add an extra repository. This process involves adding a tool to manage software sources and then a specific PPA (Personal Package Archive) that contains newer PHP versions. The commands below demonstrate how to set up the extra repository.

To install the latest of other versions of PHP that are not available in the Ubuntu repository, run the commands below to install a third-party PPA repository that includes multiple versions of PHP.

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

After adding the repository above, you can then install another PHP version.

sudo apt install php8.0 php8.0-common php8.0-cli php8.0-gd php8.0-curl php8.0-mysql