How to configure a lamp with WordPress and Let's Encrypt

Setting up a LAMP server (Linux, Apache, MySQL/MariaDB, PHP) to run WordPress with HTTPS (Let’s Encrypt) is a fundamental system administration task.

Below is a straightforward and optimized guide, focused on Ubuntu 22.04/24.04 (the most common distribution for tutorials), but the concepts apply to other distributions as well.

Prerequisites

A VPS/Dedicated server with root or sudo access.
A domain name (e.g., yoursite.com) pointing to the server’s IP address (A records).

Step 1: Update the System and Install Apache

First, ensure that the repositories are up to date and install the web server.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install apache2 -y

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install apache2 -y

Configure the Firewall (UFW):

Allow HTTP and HTTPS traffic.

sudo ufw allow in "Apache Full"

sudo ufw allow in "Apache Full"

Step 2: Install and Configure the Database (MariaDB)

MariaDB is generally preferred over MySQL because it is open-source and offers better performance.

Install:

apt install mariadb-server -y

apt install mariadb-server -y

Initial Security: Run the security script. Answer Y to everything (remove anonymous users, disable remote root login, etc.).

sudo mysql_secure_installation

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Create Database and User: Access the MariaDB console:

mysql -u root -p

mysql -u root -p

Execute the SQL commands below (replace strong_password):

CREATE DATABASE wordpress_db DEFAULT CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_unicode_ci; 
CREATE USER 'wp_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'strong_password'; 
GRANT ALL ON wordpress_db.* TO 'wp_user'@'localhost'; 
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

CREATE DATABASE wordpress_db DEFAULT CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_unicode_ci; 
CREATE USER 'wp_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'strong_password'; 
GRANT ALL ON wordpress_db.* TO 'wp_user'@'localhost'; 
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Step 3: Install PHP and Extensions

WordPress requires several PHP extensions to function correctly (image processing, XML, database connection).

sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql php-curl php-gd php-mbstring php-xml php-xmlrpc php-soap php-intl php-zip -y

sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql php-curl php-gd php-mbstring php-xml php-xmlrpc php-soap php-intl php-zip -y

To check the installed version:

php -v

php -v

Step 4: Configure Apache (Virtual Host)

Never edit the default file (000-default.conf). Create a specific one for your domain.

Create a configuration file: bash sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/yoursite.com.conf
Paste the following content (replace yoursite.com with your domain):

<VirtualHost *:80> 
ServerAdmin admin@yoursite.com 
ServerName yoursite.com
ServerAlias www.yoursite.com 
DocumentRoot /var/www/yoursite.com 
<Directory /var/www/yoursite.com> 
Options Indexes FollowSymLinks AllowOverride All Require all granted 
</Directory> 
ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log 
CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined 
</VirtualHost>

<VirtualHost *:80> 
ServerAdmin admin@yoursite.com 
ServerName yoursite.com
ServerAlias www.yoursite.com 
DocumentRoot /var/www/yoursite.com 
<Directory /var/www/yoursite.com> 
Options Indexes FollowSymLinks AllowOverride All Require all granted 
</Directory> 
ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log 
CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined 
</VirtualHost>

Enable the site and the Rewrite module (for WP Permalinks):

sudo a2ensite yoursite.com.conf 
sudo a2enmod rewrite 
sudo systemctl restart apache2

sudo a2ensite yoursite.com.conf 
sudo a2enmod rewrite 
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Passo 5: Baixar e Configurar o WordPress

Baixar a última versão:

cd /tmp curl -O https://wordpress.org/latest.tar.gz 
tar xzvf latest.tar.gz

cd /tmp curl -O https://wordpress.org/latest.tar.gz 
tar xzvf latest.tar.gz

Move to the correct directory:

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/yoursite.com
sudo cp -a /tmp/wordpress/. /var/www/yoursite.com

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/yoursite.com
sudo cp -a /tmp/wordpress/. /var/www/yoursite.com

Adjust Permissions (Critical): The Apache user (www-data) needs to own the files to install plugins and perform uploads.

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/yoursite.com
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/yoursite.com

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/yoursite.com
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/yoursite.com

Step 6: Configure HTTPS with Let’s Encrypt (Certbot)

This is the automated way to obtain a free SSL certificate. Before requesting, make sure to point the DNS type A entry with the domain to the server’s IP address.

Install Certbot and the Apache plugin:

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache -y

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache -y

Generate the certificate:

sudo certbot --apache

sudo certbot --apache

The script will ask for your email.
It will ask if you accept the terms.
Important: It may ask if you want to redirect HTTP traffic to HTTPS. Choose the Redirect option (2).

Certbot will automatically update the Apache configuration file that we created in Step 4.

Step 7: Finalization via Browser

Now, go to https://yoursite.com in your browser. You will see the WordPress installation screen.

Choose the language.
Enter the:
Database Name: wordpress_db
Username: wp_user
Password: your strong_password
Server: localhost

Technical Summary

Component	Function	Key Configuration
Apache	Web Server	Enable mod_rewrite for friendly URLs.
MariaDB	Database	Use utf8_unicode_ci or utf8mb4 for character support.
PHP	Processor	Increase upload_max_filesize in php.ini if necessary.
Certbot	SSL	Adds an automatic cron job for certificate renewal.

How to configure a lamp with WordPress and Let’s Encrypt