LAMP Stack Setup Checklist

1. Linux Setup

Ensure you have a Linux server installed and updated
- Run: sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade (for Ubuntu/Debian)
- Run: sudo yum update (for CentOS/RHEL)
Configure firewall to allow HTTP (port 80) and HTTPS (port 443) traffic

2. Apache Web Server Installation

Install Apache
- Ubuntu/Debian: sudo apt install apache2
- CentOS/RHEL: sudo yum install httpd
Start Apache service and enable it to start on boot
- Ubuntu/Debian: sudo systemctl start apache2 && sudo systemctl enable apache2
- CentOS/RHEL: sudo systemctl start httpd && sudo systemctl enable httpd
Verify Apache is running: sudo systemctl status apache2 (or httpd for CentOS/RHEL)
Configure Apache virtual hosts (if needed)

3. MySQL Database Installation

Install MySQL server
- Ubuntu/Debian: sudo apt install mysql-server
- CentOS/RHEL: sudo yum install mysql-server
Start MySQL service and enable it to start on boot
- sudo systemctl start mysql && sudo systemctl enable mysql
Run MySQL secure installation: sudo mysql_secure_installation
Verify MySQL is running: sudo systemctl status mysql

4. PHP Installation

Install PHP and necessary modules
- Ubuntu/Debian: sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql
- CentOS/RHEL: sudo yum install php php-mysqlnd
Install additional PHP modules as needed (e.g., GD, XML, ZIP)
- Ubuntu/Debian: sudo apt install php-{gd,xml,zip}
- CentOS/RHEL: sudo yum install php-{gd,xml,zip}
Restart Apache to load PHP module
- Ubuntu/Debian: sudo systemctl restart apache2
- CentOS/RHEL: sudo systemctl restart httpd
Create a PHP info file to test PHP installation
- echo "" | sudo tee /var/www/html/phpinfo.php

5. Configuration and Security

Configure PHP settings in php.ini (e.g., max_execution_time, memory_limit)
Set up Apache mod_rewrite for clean URLs (if needed)
Configure MySQL user accounts and databases
Set up SSL/TLS for HTTPS (using Let's Encrypt or a commercial certificate)
Configure Apache to use SSL
Set appropriate file permissions for web directories
Configure PHP error logging

6. Testing

Verify Apache is serving HTML pages correctly
Check PHP is working by accessing the phpinfo.php file
Test MySQL connection from PHP
Verify HTTPS is working correctly (if configured)

7. Maintenance and Monitoring

Set up regular backups for website files and databases
Configure log rotation for Apache, MySQL, and PHP logs
Set up a monitoring solution (e.g., Nagios, Zabbix) for server health checks
Create a maintenance schedule for updates and security patches

Note: This checklist provides a general guide for setting up a LAMP stack.
Specific steps may vary depending on your Linux distribution and specific requirements.
Always refer to the official documentation for the most up-to-date information.