LAPP Stack

Linux, Apache, PostgreSQL, PHP stack installation and configuration

0. Specs

0.1. The What

The LAPP stack is another popular open-source web development platform. The acronym stands for:

Linux (the operating system)
Apache (the web server)
PostgreSQL (the database management system)
PHP/Perl/Python (the programming language for application logic)

It provides a robust foundation for building and hosting dynamic websites and web applications.

In this guide, we will use PHP as our server-side scripting language.

0.2. Environment

Server Distribution: Debian 12/13 or Ubuntu 22.04/24.04 LTS Server

0.3. Sources

stackoverflow.com

1. Install Packages

Update package repositories and install Apache:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install --yes apache2

Install PostgreSQL:

sudo apt install --yes postgresql

Install PHP along with the necessary modules for Apache and Postgresql integration:

sudo apt install --yes php libapache2-mod-php php-pgsql

Optional: Depending on your application (e.g., WordPress), you may need additional PHP extensions:

sudo apt install --yes php-curl php-gd php-mbstring php-xml php-xmlrpc \
     php-soap php-intl php-zip

Restart Apache to load the PHP module:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

2. Test LAPP Stack

We will create a test database, add a table with sample data, and then create a PHP script to retrieve this data and display it in a web page.

2.1. Database Operations

Create a test PostgreSQL user with a password:

sudo -u postgres createuser --pwprompt testuser

Create a test database:

sudo -u postgres createdb testdb

Connect to the PostgreSQL shell:

sudo -u postgres psql testdb

Create a table, populate it with data, and grant the test user access permissions.

Enter PostgreSQL shell:

sudo -u postgres psql testdb

Run the following commands in the PostgreSQL shell:

CREATE TABLE Employees (Name char(15), Age int, Occupation char(15));
INSERT INTO Employees VALUES ('Joe Smith', '26', 'Ninja');
INSERT INTO Employees VALUES ('John Doe', '33', 'Sleeper');
INSERT INTO Employees VALUES ('PostgreSQL', '14', 'RDBMS');
GRANT SELECT ON ALL TABLES IN SCHEMA public TO testuser;
\q

2.2. Create a Test PHP File

Create a new PHP file in the web server’s root directory:

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

Copy and paste the following content into the file. Replace 'password' with the actual password you set for testuser:

<?php
    $dbh = 'localhost';
    $dbn= 'testdb';
    $dbu = 'testuser';
    $dbp = 'password';
    $dbconn = pg_connect("host=$dbh dbname=$dbn user=$dbu password=$dbp")
        or die('Connection Error: ' . pg_last_error());
   $query = 'SELECT * FROM Employees';
   $result = pg_query($query) or die('Error message: ' . pg_last_error());
?>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
    <table>
        <thead>
            <tr>
                <th>Name</th>
                <th>Age</th>
                <th>Occupation</th>
            </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
            <?php
               while ($row = pg_fetch_row($result)) {
            ?>
            <tr>
                <td><?php echo $row[0]; ?></td>
                <td><?php echo $row[1]; ?></td>
                <td><?php echo $row[2]; ?></td>
            </tr>
            <?php } ?>
        </tbody>
    </table>
</body>
</html>
<?php
    pg_free_result($result);
    pg_close($dbconn);
?>

2.3. Test the Setup

Open a web browser on your workstation and navigate to the following URL, replacing srv with your server’s IP address or hostname:

http://srv/test.php

You should see a table displaying the data from the Employees table.