Adminer Tool

Web-based database management (PHPMyAdmin alternative)

0. Specs

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0.1. The What

Adminer is a lightweight database management tool written in PHP that allows users to manage databases like MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQLite through a simple web interface. It is distributed as a single PHP file, making it easy to deploy on a server.

In this configuration, I wanted to bind Adminer to a specific site configuration on the server side and restrict access to only one client IP (though more can be added).

0.2. The Environment

• My Hostname: adminer.386387.xyz
• LAMP is already installed (See LAMP Stack tutorial)
• My Client IP address: 192.168.1.56
• MariaDB Admin User: dbadmin | Password: PaSswOrD1234
• Server Versions: Debian 13/12, Ubuntu 24.04/22.04 LTS Server

1. Install Adminer

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While it’s possible to download the Adminer PHP files directly, I prefer installing the package. This way, all upgrades will be managed by Debian/Ubuntu’s package management system.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install adminer --yes

2. DB Admin User

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We need to create a database admin user to log into Adminer and manage the databases.

sudo mariadb

Run the following in the MariaDB shell:

grant all on *.* to 'dbadmin'@'localhost' identified by 'PaSswOrD1234';
exit;

3. Prepare a Web Site

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3.1. Create a Web Site Config File and Fill it

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/adminer.386387.xyz.conf

Add the following configuration. If you have more than one IP that needs access to Adminer, add them to the Require ip line. If you don’t need IP-based access control, remove the entire <Directory> section (lines 2-4).

<VirtualHost *:80>
    <Directory /usr/share/adminer/adminer>
       Require ip 192.168.1.56
    </Directory>
    Alias /adminer /usr/share/adminer/adminer
    ServerAdmin webmaster@386387.xyz
    ServerName adminer.386387.xyz
    DocumentRoot /var/www/adminer
    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/adminer-error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/adminer-access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

3.2. Create the Site Directory and Set Permissions

sudo mkdir /var/www/adminer
sudo chown www-data:www-data /var/www/adminer
sudo chmod 770 /var/www/adminer

You can optionally place an index.html file in the home directory, but I prefer leaving it empty and accessing Adminer directly through its subdirectory.

3.3. Enable the Site and Reload Apache

sudo a2ensite adminer.386387.xyz.conf
sudo systemctl reload apache2

4. Run Adminer

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Your web-based database management tool is now ready:

URL: http://adminer.386387.xyz/adminer

Login Information:

• System: Select MySQL for MariaDB
• Server: localhost (default)
• Username: dbadmin
• Password: PaSswOrD1234 (or whatever you set in the MariaDB script)
• Database: Leave empty to access all databases

5. Security

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You should enable HTTPS, especially if you plan to expose your site to the internet. HTTPS is also recommended for local network sites for enhanced security.

Refer to the Certbot tutorial for instructions on enabling HTTPS with free Let’s Encrypt certificates.