How to Install PHP on Ubuntu

PHP powers everything from personal blogs to enterprise web applications, handling dynamic content generation, form processing, and database interactions. Each Ubuntu LTS release includes a tested PHP version in its default repositories, providing automatic security updates through the Ubuntu security team. This guide walks through installing the default PHP on Ubuntu 22.04, 24.04, and 26.04 LTS with Apache or Nginx, configuring common settings, managing extensions, and switching between PHP versions when needed.

As a result, by the end of these steps, you will have PHP configured with your preferred web server, essential extensions installed for WordPress or Laravel development, and the knowledge to manage PHP versions across multiple projects.

Choose Your PHP Version

Default PHP Versions by Ubuntu Release

Ubuntu’s default repositories provide different PHP versions depending on your release. Consequently, the version you get with sudo apt install php varies by Ubuntu version. The table below shows what each LTS release provides and when to consider alternatives.

Ubuntu Release	Default PHP	Support Status	Best For
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS	PHP 8.4	Active support through November 2026	New projects wanting latest features (property hooks, asymmetric visibility)
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS	PHP 8.3	Active support through December 2025	Production servers, WordPress 6.x, Laravel 11, Drupal 10
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS	PHP 8.1	Security-only through December 2025	Legacy applications requiring PHP 8.1 compatibility

For most users, the default PHP version is the recommended choice because it receives automatic security updates through Ubuntu’s security team and requires no external repositories. However, if your application requires a specific PHP version not available in your Ubuntu release, see the version-specific guides linked below.

Install a Specific PHP Version via PPA

When your project requires a PHP version different from Ubuntu’s default, the Ondrej Sury PPA provides co-installable PHP versions from 5.6 through 8.5. The comparison below helps you decide which release fits your project requirements and maintenance preferences.

PHP Version	Primary Focus	Support Status	Best For	Trade-offs
Distro Default	Stability with Ubuntu security team maintenance	Matches Ubuntu release lifecycle	Production servers prioritizing official Ubuntu updates and minimal external dependencies	Version varies by release (8.1 on 22.04, 8.3 on 24.04, 8.4 on 26.04)
PHP 8.5	URI extension, pipe operator, clone with properties	Active support through December 2027; security through December 2029	Modern applications using functional programming patterns, URL parsing, and immutable object patterns	Requires Sury PPA; newest release
PHP 8.4	Property hooks, asymmetric visibility, #[\Deprecated] attribute	Active support through December 2026; security through December 2028	Production applications using modern OOP patterns, type-safe APIs, and improved deprecation handling	Default on 26.04; requires Sury PPA on older releases
PHP 8.3	Typed class constants, json_validate(), readonly property cloning	Security-only through December 2027 (active support ended)	WordPress 6.x, Laravel 11, Drupal 10 sites needing stable features with long security support	Default on 24.04; security patches only on Sury PPA
PHP 8.2	Readonly classes, DNF types, null/false standalone types	Security-only through December 2026 (active support ended)	Legacy applications requiring PHP 8.2 compatibility	No new features; security patches only

Recommendation: For most users, the distro default PHP is the safest choice because it receives automatic security updates through Ubuntu’s security team and requires no external repositories. Choose a specific version from the Sury PPA only when your application framework explicitly requires it or you need features unavailable in the default version.

This guide covers Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, 24.04 LTS, and 26.04 LTS installations using the default repository PHP. Commands shown work identically on all supported LTS releases unless otherwise noted, though the PHP version installed will match your Ubuntu release as shown in the table above.

Update System Packages

Before installing PHP, synchronize your package index and upgrade installed packages to ensure compatibility with new installations:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

The apt update command refreshes the local package database from configured repositories, while apt upgrade applies any available security patches and bug fixes. Running both commands before new installations prevents dependency conflicts.

Install PHP on Ubuntu

PHP integrates with web servers in different ways, each with distinct performance and management characteristics. To proceed, select the method that matches your web server and use case from the options below.

Compare PHP Integration Methods

Method	Web Server	Process Model	Best For
Apache mod_php	Apache only	Embedded in Apache workers	Development environments; simplest setup
Apache + PHP-FPM	Apache	Separate FastCGI pool	Production sites; better memory management
Nginx + PHP-FPM	Nginx	Separate FastCGI pool	High-traffic production; static file performance

For production environments, PHP-FPM is recommended because it runs PHP in a separate process pool with independent memory management, timeout settings, and the ability to run different PHP versions per virtual host. In contrast, use mod_php only for development or low-traffic sites where simplicity matters more than resource efficiency.

Option 1: Install PHP with Apache mod_php

The mod_php approach embeds PHP directly into Apache worker processes, making it the simplest option for development environments. To install PHP as an Apache module:

sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php

This command installs the PHP interpreter and the Apache module that loads PHP into each worker process. After installation, restart Apache to activate the module:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Then verify PHP is active:

php --version

Expected output on Ubuntu 26.04 (PHP 8.1 on 22.04, PHP 8.3 on 24.04):

PHP 8.4.11 (cli) (built: Aug 13 2025 01:43:48) (NTS)
Copyright (c) The PHP Group
Built by Ubuntu
Zend Engine v4.4.11, Copyright (c) Zend Technologies
    with Zend OPcache v8.4.11, Copyright (c), by Zend Technologies

Option 2: Install PHP with Apache and PHP-FPM

PHP-FPM (FastCGI Process Manager) runs PHP as a separate service, providing better memory isolation and the ability to configure process pools independently from Apache. First, install the required packages:

sudo apt install php-fpm libapache2-mod-fcgid

If you previously installed mod_php, disable it before enabling PHP-FPM to avoid conflicts: sudo a2dismod php8.x (replace 8.x with your PHP version)

Next, enable the required Apache modules and the PHP-FPM configuration:

sudo a2enmod proxy_fcgi setenvif
sudo a2enconf php*-fpm

The proxy_fcgi module allows Apache to communicate with PHP-FPM via FastCGI protocol, while the php*-fpm configuration file tells Apache where to find the PHP-FPM socket. Now restart both services:

sudo systemctl restart php*-fpm
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Finally, confirm PHP-FPM is running:

sudo systemctl status php*-fpm --no-pager

The expected output below confirms PHP-FPM is running with active status:

● php8.x-fpm.service - The PHP 8.x FastCGI Process Manager
     Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/php8.x-fpm.service; enabled; preset: enabled)
     Active: active (running) since [date and time]
   Main PID: [pid] (php-fpm8.x)
      Tasks: [number]
     Memory: [size]
        CPU: [time]
     CGroup: /system.slice/php8.x-fpm.service

Option 3: Install PHP with Nginx and PHP-FPM

Unlike Apache, Nginx does not embed PHP directly, so PHP-FPM is the only option. To begin, install the required packages:

sudo apt install php php-fpm php-cli

PHP-FPM starts automatically after installation. Next, verify it is running:

sudo systemctl status php*-fpm --no-pager

Configure Nginx Server Block for PHP

To enable PHP processing, add the following location block to your Nginx server configuration (typically in /etc/nginx/sites-available/your-site):

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

The socket path /var/run/php/php-fpm.sock is a symlink that points to your active PHP-FPM version. If you need version-specific control, use /var/run/php/php8.x-fpm.sock with your specific version number.

Before applying changes, test the configuration syntax:

sudo nginx -t

Expected output for valid configuration:

nginx: the configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf syntax is ok
nginx: configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf test is successful

Once validated, apply the configuration:

sudo systemctl reload nginx

Verify PHP Installation

Regardless of which method you chose, confirm PHP installed correctly by checking the version:

php --version

This output confirms your installed PHP version, which matches your Ubuntu release (8.1 on 22.04, 8.3 on 24.04, 8.4 on 26.04).

Install Common PHP Extensions

Most web applications require extensions beyond the base PHP installation. The following command installs a comprehensive set covering WordPress, Laravel with Composer, and general PHP development needs:

sudo apt install php-curl php-mysql php-gd php-opcache php-zip php-intl php-common php-bcmath php-imagick php-xmlrpc php-readline php-memcached php-redis php-mbstring php-apcu php-xml php-soap

JSON support is built into PHP 8.0 and later, so no separate php-json package is needed. The php-xml package provides DOM, SimpleXML, XMLReader, and XMLWriter support. The php-mysql package includes both MySQLi and PDO MySQL drivers.

After installation, restart your PHP handler to load the new extensions. For PHP-FPM users:

sudo systemctl restart php*-fpm

Alternatively, for Apache mod_php users, restart Apache instead:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Subsequently, verify the core extensions loaded correctly:

php -m | grep -E 'curl|mysqli|gd|mbstring|xml'

The following output confirms the extensions are active:

curl
gd
libxml
mbstring
mysqli
xml
xmlreader
xmlwriter

PHP Extension Reference

For reference, the extensions above provide these capabilities:

• php-curl: HTTP client for API requests and remote file operations
• php-mysql: MariaDB and MySQL database connectivity via MySQLi and MySQLnd
• php-gd: Image creation and manipulation for thumbnails, watermarks, and captchas
• php-opcache: Bytecode caching to reduce PHP compilation overhead
• php-zip: ZIP archive creation and extraction
• php-intl: Internationalization including number formatting, date handling, and collation
• php-bcmath: Arbitrary precision mathematics for financial calculations
• php-imagick: Advanced image processing through ImageMagick
• php-memcached and php-redis: Distributed caching backends for session storage and object caching
• php-mbstring: Multibyte string handling for UTF-8 and international text processing
• php-apcu: In-memory user data cache for frequently accessed application data
• php-xml: XML parsing including DOM, SimpleXML, and XSL support
• php-soap: SOAP web services client and server functionality

Search Available Extensions

To explore additional options, list all available PHP extension packages:

apt search ^php.*- | head -30

List Loaded Modules

Alternatively, to display all currently active PHP modules:

php -m

Configure PHP Settings

Locate PHP Configuration Files

PHP maintains separate configuration files for CLI (command line) and web server contexts (PHP-FPM or Apache). To find the active CLI configuration file:

php --ini | head -3

The following output shows CLI configuration paths:

Configuration File (php.ini) Path: /etc/php/8.x/cli
Loaded Configuration File:         /etc/php/8.x/cli/php.ini
Scan for additional .ini files in: /etc/php/8.x/cli/conf.d

For PHP-FPM (used by Nginx or Apache with PHP-FPM), the configuration file is at /etc/php/8.x/fpm/php.ini instead. Notably, changes to CLI settings do not affect web applications, and vice versa.

Adjust Common Settings

To modify settings for web applications using PHP-FPM, edit the FPM configuration file. The path varies by PHP version:

sudo nano /etc/php/*/fpm/php.ini

Below are common settings to adjust based on your application requirements:

; Maximum upload file size (default: 2M)
upload_max_filesize = 64M

; Maximum POST data size (must be >= upload_max_filesize)
post_max_size = 64M

; Maximum memory per script (default: 128M)
memory_limit = 256M

; Maximum script execution time in seconds (default: 30)
max_execution_time = 120

; Maximum input variables (default: 1000)
max_input_vars = 3000

After making changes, restart PHP-FPM to apply them:

sudo systemctl restart php*-fpm

Then verify the new settings are active:

php -i | grep upload_max_filesize

The following output confirms the new value:

upload_max_filesize => 64M => 64M

The CLI command above reads CLI settings. To verify web server settings, create a phpinfo.php file in your web root and access it through your browser, then delete it when finished for security.

Test PHP with a Sample Script

To confirm PHP processes correctly through your web server, create a test file in your document root:

echo '<?php echo "PHP is working!"; ?>' | sudo tee /var/www/html/test.php

Access the file through your browser at http://your-server/test.php. If PHP is configured correctly, you will see “PHP is working!” in plain text. Alternatively, test from the command line:

php /var/www/html/test.php

Expected output:

PHP is working!

After testing, remove the file for security:

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

Troubleshoot Common PHP Issues

PHP Files Download Instead of Executing

This issue typically means the web server is not configured to process PHP files. For Apache mod_php, first verify the module is enabled:

apache2ctl -M | grep php

If no output appears, enable the PHP module:

sudo a2enmod php*
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Similarly, for Apache with PHP-FPM, verify the proxy configuration is enabled:

sudo a2enconf php*-fpm
sudo a2enmod proxy_fcgi setenvif
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Likewise, for Nginx, verify your server block includes the PHP location directive and points to the correct socket path.

PHP-FPM Socket Not Found

If Nginx returns a 502 Bad Gateway error, the PHP-FPM socket may not exist or PHP-FPM may not be running. First, check if PHP-FPM is active:

sudo systemctl status php*-fpm

If inactive, start it:

sudo systemctl start php*-fpm

Then verify the socket exists:

ls -la /var/run/php/

In the output, you should see php-fpm.sock or a version-specific socket like php8.3-fpm.sock. Ensure your Nginx configuration matches the actual socket filename.

Extension Not Loading

If a required extension is not appearing in php -m output after installation, confirm the extension package is installed:

dpkg -l | grep php.*curl

If installed but not loading, check for configuration issues:

php -i | grep -i "additional .ini"

Then verify the extension’s .ini file exists in that directory. After troubleshooting, always restart PHP-FPM or Apache to apply changes.

Remove PHP from Ubuntu

Uninstall PHP Packages

When no longer needed, you can remove PHP and all its extensions with the following command:

sudo apt remove php*

During execution, APT will display the packages to be removed before proceeding:

The following packages will be removed:
  libapache2-mod-php php php-cli php-common php-curl php-fpm
  php-gd php-mbstring php-mysql php-opcache php-xml php-zip
  [additional packages...]

After removal, clean up orphaned dependencies that were installed automatically with PHP:

sudo apt autoremove

Purge Configuration Files

To also remove PHP configuration files (php.ini, pool configs, extension configs), use purge instead of remove:

sudo apt purge php*
sudo apt autoremove

The purge command removes all PHP configuration files in /etc/php/. If you have custom configurations you want to preserve, back them up before running purge.

Verify PHP is completely removed:

php --version

Expected output confirming removal:

bash: php: command not found

Conclusion

You now have PHP installed from Ubuntu’s default repositories with your chosen web server integration. The default version provides automatic security updates through Ubuntu’s security team and works seamlessly with WordPress, Laravel, and other PHP applications. For projects requiring a specific PHP version, the PHP 8.5, PHP 8.4, PHP 8.3, and PHP 8.2 guides cover PPA-based installations.