How to Install Apache with PHP-FPM on Ubuntu 22.04

Apache and PHP-FPM are both widely used in web development to serve dynamic content. While Apache is the most popular web server used today, PHP-FPM is a FastCGI process manager that provides a faster and more efficient way to process PHP requests. Combining the two can significantly improve the performance of a website.

In this article, we will provide a step-by-step guide on how to install Apache with PHP-FPM on Ubuntu 22.04.

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Step 1: Update your system

Before installing any new software, you should update your system to ensure that all packages are up to date. You can do this by running the following command in the terminal:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade 

Step 2: Install Apache

To install Apache on Ubuntu 22.04, run the following command in the terminal:

sudo apt install apache2 

Once the installation is complete, you can start the Apache service by running the following command:

sudo systemctl start apache2 

You can also enable Apache to start at boot time by running the following command:

sudo systemctl enable apache2 

Step 3: Install PHP-FPM

The default repositories may not contain the latest PHP version packages. So we always prefer to use ondrej/php PPA for installing PHP that contains most of the versions.

1. To configure PPA, run the following commands:

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

2. Then install the PHP along with PHP-FPM, by running the following command in the terminal:

   sudo apt install php8.2 php8.2-fpm 
   

   Note: Replace “8.2” with the required PHP versions (Like: 8.1, 7.4, 7.3, etc).

3. Once the installation is complete, you can start the PHP-FPM service by running the following command:

   sudo systemctl start php8.2-fpm 
   

4. You can also enable PHP-FPM to start at boot time by running the following command:

   sudo systemctl enable php8.2-fpm 
   

Step 4: Configure Apache to use PHP-FPM

1. To configure Apache to use PHP-FPM, you need to enable the “proxy_fcgi” and “proxy” modules. You can do this by running the following command:

   sudo a2enmod proxy_fcgi proxy 
   

2. Create a new configuration file for your virtual host using the following command:

   sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/example.com.conf 
   

   Note: Replace “example.com” with your domain name.

3. Inside the new configuration file, add the following configuration with PHP-FPM:

   
   <VirtualHost *:80>
       ServerName example.com
       ServerAlias www.example.com
       DocumentRoot /var/www/html
    
       <Directory /var/www/html>
           Options -Indexes +FollowSymLinks +MultiViews
           AllowOverride All
           Require all granted
       </Directory>
    
       <FilesMatch \.php$>
           SetHandler "proxy:unix:/run/php/php8.2-fpm.sock|fcgi://localhost/"
       </FilesMatch>
    
       ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
       CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
   </VirtualHost>
   
   

   Note: Adjust the “ServerName”, “ServerAlias”, “DocumentRoot” directives, and PHP FPM socket path to match your domain and desired file path.

4. Save and close the file by pressing CTRL+X, then Y and ENTER.
5. Enable the new virtual host by running the following command:

   sudo a2ensite example.com.conf 
   

6. Reload the Apache web server to apply the changes:

   sudo systemctl reload apache2 
   

Step 5: Test the configuration

To test the Apache with PHP-FPM configuration, create a new PHP file in the document root directory of your website:

sudo nano /var/www/html/info.php 

Add the following lines to the file:

<?php 
  phpinfo();
?&t;

Save the file and exit the text editor. Then, open your web browser and navigate to “http://server-ip-or-domain/info.php”. If everything is configured correctly, you should see the PHP information page.

Conclusion

Installing Apache with PHP-FPM on Ubuntu 22.04 can enhance website performance and overall user experience. Apache is a widely used web server, while PHP-FPM is a FastCGI process manager that enables efficient processing of PHP requests. Together, they provide a powerful combination that can optimize website speed and performance. By following the step-by-step guide in this article, you can easily install Apache with PHP-FPM on Ubuntu 22.04 and take advantage of its benefits.