LAMP — Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP — has been the default stack for self-hosted web applications since the late 90s, and despite decades of new frameworks and cloud platforms, it’s still the fastest way to get a traditional PHP application running on your own server.
Installing the Stack
sudo apt update sudo apt install -y apache2 mysql-server php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql # Verify each component apache2 -v mysql --version php -v
Securing MySQL
sudo mysql_secure_installation # Answer yes to: remove anonymous users, disallow remote root login, # remove test database, reload privilege tables
A Minimal Virtual Host
<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerName myapp.local
DocumentRoot /var/www/myapp
<Directory /var/www/myapp>
AllowOverride All
Require all granted
</Directory>
ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/myapp-error.log
CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/myapp-access.log combined
</VirtualHost>
sudo a2ensite myapp.conf sudo a2enmod rewrite sudo systemctl reload apache2
Is LAMP Still Relevant in 2026?
For WordPress, legacy PHP applications, and anyone who wants full control without container orchestration overhead, absolutely. For new greenfield projects you’d more likely reach for Nginx and a containerized stack — but LAMP’s simplicity and enormous body of existing documentation still make it the pragmatic choice for a huge share of the web.