← Back to Blog

How to Set Up a LEMP Stack on Ubuntu 24.04

Published May 3, 2026  ·  9 min read  ·  Galaxy Cloud Solutions

LEMP is Linux, Nginx, MySQL, and PHP — the standard stack for WordPress, Laravel, or any PHP web application. A clean install on Ubuntu 24.04 takes about 20 minutes. This covers everything including the PHP-FPM configuration that actually makes it work, and a test to confirm the pieces are wired together correctly before you deploy anything real.

⚡ Need a VPS? Plans from $5/mo — use code LAUNCH2026 for 50% off

Before You Start

A fresh Ubuntu 24.04 VPS with root or sudo access. The Nebula 1 plan ($5/mo) is plenty for a typical PHP application.

Step 1: Update

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install Nginx

sudo apt install nginx -y
sudo systemctl enable nginx
sudo systemctl start nginx

Open your server IP in a browser. Default Nginx page means it is working.

Step 3: Install MySQL 8.0

sudo apt install mysql-server -y
sudo systemctl enable mysql
sudo systemctl start mysql
sudo mysql_secure_installation

When it asks about the password validation component, I skip it (answer N) and just use a strong password. The validation plugin adds friction without much benefit in practice.

Step 4: Install PHP 8.3-FPM

PHP-FPM runs PHP as a separate service that Nginx talks to. Faster than the old module approach and easier to configure independently.

sudo apt install php8.3-fpm php8.3-mysql php8.3-curl php8.3-gd php8.3-mbstring php8.3-xml php8.3-zip php8.3-intl -y

That extension set covers most PHP applications including everything WordPress needs.

Step 5: Configure Nginx for PHP

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/default

Replace the contents with:

server {
    listen 80 default_server;
    listen [::]:80 default_server;

    root /var/www/html;
    index index.php index.html index.htm;

    server_name _;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
    }

    location ~ \.php$ {
        include snippets/fastcgi-php.conf;
        fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/php/php8.3-fpm.sock;
    }

    location ~ /\.ht {
        deny all;
    }
}

sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx

Step 6: Test PHP

echo "<?php phpinfo(); ?>" | sudo tee /var/www/html/test.php

Visit http://your-server-ip/test.php. You should see the PHP 8.3 info page with FPM/FastCGI listed as the server API. If you get a blank page or a file download, the FPM socket path in the Nginx config does not match what PHP-FPM actually created — check /var/run/php/ to see what socket name it made.

Step 7: Remove the Test File

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

The phpinfo page exposes server details publicly. Delete it before you forget.

Create a Database

sudo mysql -u root -p

CREATE DATABASE myapp;
CREATE USER 'myappuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'strong_password_here';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON myapp.* TO 'myappuser'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Optional: Add SSL

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y
sudo certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com

Stack is ready. Drop your app into /var/www/html or create new server blocks in /etc/nginx/sites-available/ for multiple sites.