How to install TYPO3 with Apache on Ubuntu 24.04

Install Apache HTTP server on Ubuntu

To install Apache HTTP server on Ubuntu for your TYPO3 website, open your terminal and run the commands sudo apt update and sudo apt install apache2. Apache is the web server software that handles page requests and serves your site content on Ubuntu 24.04.

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 the MariaDB database server on Ubuntu Linux for TYPO3, open your terminal and run the sudo apt update command followed by the installation command. MariaDB is the database system TYPO3 uses to store all your website content, user accounts, and settings.

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 TYPO3 database

To create a TYPO3 database, log into your MariaDB prompt and run the SQL commands to set up a database named typo3db and a user account called typo3dbuser with full permissions. This database stores all the content and settings for your website.

As part of the setup, we will create a database named 'typo3db' and a corresponding user account called 'typo3dbuser.'

The `typo3dbuser` database user receives full access permissions for the `typo3db` database. This access ensures the TYPO3 content management system can create, read, update, and delete necessary data for its operations.

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 typo3db CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_general_ci;
CREATE USER typo3dbuser@localhost IDENTIFIED BY 'type_your_password_here';
GRANT ALL ON typo3db.* TO typo3dbuser@localhost WITH GRANT OPTION;
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
exit

Install PHP on Ubuntu Linux

To install PHP on Ubuntu Linux for TYPO3, open your terminal and run the command 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 is the core programming language TYPO3 needs to function properly.

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-zip

Additional help on installing PHP

How to install PHP on Ubuntu Linux

Download TYPO3 files

To download TYPO3 files, visit the official website or GitHub repository to get the most recent release archive for your server. Always check for the latest stable version to ensure your website has all new features and important security updates.

TYPO3 download page

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

You may want to use the GitHub repository to get TYPO3's latest release. Install Composer, Curl, and other dependencies to get started.

sudo apt install curl git
curl -sS https://getcomposer.org/installer | sudo php -- --install-dir=/usr/local/bin --filename=composer

After installing curl and Composer above, change the directory to the Apache2 root directory and download the TYPO3 packages from Github. Always replace the release number with the latest release.

cd /var/www/
sudo composer create-project typo3/cms-base-distribution typo3 ^13
sudo touch /var/www/typo3/public/FIRST_INSTALL
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/typo3

Once all the steps are done, configure the Apache webserver to serve the TYPO3 content.

Run the commands below to create an Apache virtual host file for TYPO3.

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/typo3.conf

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

<VirtualHost *:80>
  ServerName typo3.example.com
  ServerAlias www.typo3.example.com
  ServerAdmin admin@example.com
  DocumentRoot /var/www/typo3/public
    
  <Directory /var/www/typo3/public/>
       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.

You enable the TYPO3 virtual host and restart the Apache server by running the commands: `sudo a2ensite typo3.conf` and `sudo systemctl restart apache2`. This action makes your TYPO3 website accessible online.

sudo a2ensite typo3.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Setup Let's Encrypt SSL/TLS for TYPO3

To set up a free Let's Encrypt SSL/TLS certificate for TYPO3 on Ubuntu, use Certbot to secure your website with HTTPS. This process configures Apache to encrypt traffic and make your site trusted by modern web browsers.

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://typo3.example.com

A TYPO3 installation wizard page should appear. Click the continue button if all requirements are met.

Run the command below to fix some of the problems detected.

sudo sed -i "s/;max_input_vars = .*/max_input_vars = 1500/" /etc/php/8.3/apache2/php.ini
sudo sed -i "s/max_execution_time = .*/max_execution_time = 240/" /etc/php/8.3/apache2/php.ini
sudo systemctl reload apache2

Next, enter the database username and password created above and click continue.

Then, select the database on the next page.

Next, create an administrator account and click continue.

Your TYPO3 site should be ready to use.

That should do it!

Conclusion:

• This comprehensive guide has provided the steps to set up a TYPO3 site on Ubuntu with Apache support, empowering you to establish a potent and adaptable content management system.
• By following the outlined instructions, you can harness the stability and performance of the Apache web server while reaping the benefits of TYPO3's robust features.
• The installation process includes setting up Apache and MariaDB, creating a TYPO3 database, installing PHP, downloading TYPO3 files, configuring the Apache web server, and setting up Let's Encrypt SSL/TLS for added security.
• If you encounter any discrepancies or require further assistance, please utilize the comments section for support and clarification.