How To Install Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP (LAMP) stack On CentOS 6

LAMP stack is a group of open source software used to get web servers up and running. The acronym stands for Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP. Since the server is already running CentOS, the linux part is taken care of. Here is how to install the rest.

Step 1—Install Apache

To install apache, open terminal and type in this command:

#yum install httpd

Once it installs, you can start apache running:

#service httpd start

That’s it. To check if Apache is installed, direct your browser to your server’s IP address (http://Your-server-ip-adress). The page should display the words “It works!".

Step 2—Install MySQL

To install MySQL, open terminal and type in these commands:

#yum install mysql-server

#service mysqld start

During the installation, MySQL will ask you for your permission twice. After you say Yes to both, MySQL will install.

Once it is done installing, you can set a root MySQL password:

sudo /usr/bin/mysql_secure_installation

The prompt will ask you for your current root password.

Since you just installed MySQL, you most likely won’t have one, so leave it blank by pressing enter.

mysql> Enter current password for root (enter for none):

OK, successfully used password, moving on...

Then the prompt will ask you if you want to set a root password. Go ahead and choose Y and follow the instructions.

CentOS automates the process of setting up MySQL, asking you a series of yes or no questions.

It’s easiest just to say Yes to all the options. At the end, MySQL will reload and implement the new changes.

By default, a MySQL installation has an anonymous user, allowing anyone

to log into MySQL without having to have a user account created for

them.  This is intended only for testing, and to make the installation

go a bit smoother.  You should remove them before moving into a

production environment.

Remove anonymous users? [Y/n] y                                           

 ... Success!

Normally, root should only be allowed to connect from 'localhost'.  This

ensures that someone cannot guess at the root password from the network.

Disallow root login remotely? [Y/n] y

... Success!

By default, MySQL comes with a database named 'test' that anyone can

access.  This is also intended only for testing, and should be removed

before moving into a production environment.

Remove test database and access to it? [Y/n] y

 - Dropping test database...

 ... Success!

 - Removing privileges on test database...

 ... Success!

Reloading the privilege tables will ensure that all changes made so far

will take effect immediately.

Reload privilege tables now? [Y/n] y

 ... Success!

Cleaning up...

All done!  If you've completed all of the above steps, your MySQL

installation should now be secure.

Thanks for using MySQL!

Step 3—Install PHP

PHP is an open source web scripting language that is widely used to build dynamic webpages.

To install PHP on your virtual private server, open terminal and type in this command:

#yum install php php-mysql

Once you answer yes to the PHP prompt, PHP will be installed.

Step 4—RESULTS: See PHP on your Server

Although LAMP is installed on your virtual server, we can still take a look and see the components online by creating a quick php info page

To set this up, first create a new file:

# vi /var/www/html/info.php

Add in the following line:

<?php

phpinfo();

?>

Then Save and Exit.

Restart apache so that all of the changes take effect on your virtual server:

sudo service httpd restart

Finish up by visiting your php info page (http://Your-server-ip-adress/info.php