How to Install Piwigo with Apache on Ubuntu 24.04
Installing Piwigo with Apache on Ubuntu 24.04 lets you create your own online photo gallery. Piwigo is free software that helps you organize and share your pictures online.
You’ll download the Piwigo files and then set up the Apache web server. Apache is what makes websites show up when people visit them.
This guide focuses on getting Piwigo working on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, a common version of the Linux operating system for computers.
Install Apache, then MariaDB, and finally PHP using apt commands. Create a Piwigo database and user in MariaDB. Download Piwigo and configure Apache to serve the files.
Install Apache HTTP server on Ubuntu
Install the Apache web server on Ubuntu to make your Piwigo site visible online. Apache acts as the host for your Piwigo installation, so it’s essential to get it set up first. Open your terminal and run ‘sudo apt update’ then ‘sudo apt install apache2’ to begin.
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 the Apache web server 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.
Install the MariaDB database server on Ubuntu
Install the MariaDB database server on Ubuntu to store all your Piwigo website’s information, like photos and settings. MariaDB is crucial for Piwigo’s functionality. Open your terminal and run ‘sudo apt update’ followed by ‘sudo apt install mariadb-server’ to install it.
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 Piwigo database
Create a dedicated database for your Piwigo site after installing MariaDB. This database, named ‘piwigodb’, and its user ‘piwigodbuser’ will securely hold all your Piwigo gallery photos and settings. This step is necessary to store your website’s content.
As part of the setup, we will create a piwigodb database and a user account called piwigodbuser.
The user must grant the database user, `piwigodbuser`, full permissions on the `piwigodb` database to allow Piwigo to manage its data correctly. This action ensures Piwigo can create, read, update, and delete records within its dedicated database, which is essential for the photo gallery application to function.
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 piwigodb CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_general_ci;
CREATE USER piwigodbuser@localhost IDENTIFIED BY 'type_your_password_here';
GRANT ALL ON piwigodb.* TO piwigodbuser@localhost WITH GRANT OPTION;
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
exit
Install PHP on Ubuntu Linux
Install PHP on your Ubuntu Linux system because Piwigo is built with it. You’ll also need specific tools like php-mysql for database connections and php-gd for handling images. Run ‘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-bcmath php-json’ to get everything.
Then, run the commands below to install the latest PHP version.
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-bcmath php-json php-sqlite3 php-soap php-zip php-ldap php-imap
Additional help on installing PHP
Download Piwigo files
Download the latest version of Piwigo from its official website to start your installation. After downloading, you’ll need to extract these files and put them on your server where Apache can find them. This makes your Piwigo photo gallery ready to be used online.
To always install the latest version, check the download page for Piwigo. Get the download link and download the archived package to your computer. Then, extract it.
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 Piwigo installation.
Apache root folder permissions must change for the Piwigo app to function correctly. Execute the commands shown below to set the correct permissions, ensuring the Piwigo application can read and write necessary files within the Apache root directory.
cd /tmp
wget https://piwigo.org/download/dlcounter.php?code=latest -O piwigo.zip
sudo unzip piwigo.zip -d /var/www
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/piwigo/
Once you have completed all the above steps, continue configuring the Apache web server below to serve the Piwigo content.
Run the commands below to create an Apache virtual host file for Piwigo.
sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/piwigo.conf
Then, copy and paste the content block below into the Apache server block.
<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerName b2evolution.example.com
ServerAlias www.b2evolution.example.com
ServerAdmin admin@example.com
DocumentRoot /var/www/b2evolution
<Directory /var/www/b2evolution/>
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.
Apache's virtual host configuration for Piwigo requires activation and a server restart for changes to take effect. Run the command `sudo a2ensite piwigo.conf` to activate the virtual host. Then, run `sudo systemctl restart apache2` to restart the Apache server.
sudo a2ensite piwigo.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl restart apache2
Setup Let’s Encrypt SSL/TLS for Piwigo
Secure your Piwigo website with HTTPS using Let’s Encrypt for private visitor connections. This adds a layer of security to your photo gallery. You can set this up by following guides for installing Let’s Encrypt with Apache, which provides free SSL/TLS certificates.
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://piwigo.example.com
The Piwigo installation wizard should appear.
Type in the database name, password, and admin account. Click the Start installation button when done.
Piwigo should be ready to use.
That should do it!
Conclusion:
In summary, installing Piwigo on Ubuntu with Apache involves several key steps:
- Web Server Setup: Successfully installed and configured Apache to serve the Piwigo application.
- Database Installation: Installed MariaDB and set up a dedicated database for Piwigo.
- PHP Installation: Installed the required PHP packages for the Piwigo application to function smoothly.
- File Download and Permissions: Downloaded the latest Piwigo files, extracted them, and set appropriate permissions for Apache.
- Virtual Host Configuration: Created a virtual host configuration for Piwigo to ensure proper routing of requests.
- SSL/TLS Security: Recommended the installation of an SSL certificate using Let’s Encrypt for secure access to the Piwigo site.
- User-Friendly Setup: Navigated through the Piwigo installation wizard to finalize the setup.
This paragraph explains that following the outlined steps lets you set up a secure, self-hosted photo gallery with Piwigo on an Ubuntu server. You can then manage and share your photo collections.
Is piwigo any good?
But unlike that embarrassing website you built in 2002, Piwigo has aged rather well. Think of it as WordPress, but specifically designed for photos and images. You get a familiar dashboard, themes, plugins, and user management – but everything is laser-focused on making your visual content shine.
How do I install Piwigo plugins?
To install Piwigo plugins, go to the ‘Add a plugin’ tab within your Piwigo admin area. This page lets you search and filter plugins available on piwigo.org by keywords, date, author, or rating.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard, a writer for Geek Rewind, is a tech enthusiast who loves breaking down complex IT topics into simple, easy-to-understand ideas. With years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, he’s developed a knack for offering practical tips and solutions. Richard aims to make technology more accessible and actionable. He's deeply committed to the Geek Rewind community, always ready to answer questions and engage in discussions.
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