LAMP Setup

Setting up the LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MariaDB/MySQL, PHP) on Arch Linux involves installing each component separately using pacman and then configuring them to work together.

1. Update the System

Always start by ensuring your system is fully updated.

sudo pacman -Syu

2. Install and Start Apache (Web Server)

Install the Apache web server package, which is named apache on Arch.

Install Apache:
```
sudo pacman -S apache
```
Enable and Start the Service:
```
sudo systemctl enable --now httpd
```
- enable: Configures the service to start automatically on boot.
- --now: Starts the service immediately.
- The Apache service on Arch is named httpd.
Verify Apache:
- Open your web browser and navigate to http://localhost. You should see the default Apache "It works!" page. The default web root directory is typically /srv/http.

3. Install and Configure MariaDB (Database)

MariaDB is the default MySQL implementation in the Arch repositories.

Install MariaDB:
```
sudo pacman -S mariadb
```
Initialize the Data Directory:
- You must initialize the database directories before starting the service for the first time.
```
sudo mariadb-install-db --user=mysql --basedir=/usr --datadir=/var/lib/mysql
```
Enable and Start the Service:
```
sudo systemctl enable --now mariadb
```
Secure the Installation:
- Run the security script to set the root password and remove test users/databases. Note: The MariaDB root password is not your system root password.
```
sudo mariadb-secure-installation
```
- Press Enter for the current root password (as it's the first time), then follow the prompts to set a new root password and answer 'Y' to the security questions.

4. Install and Configure PHP

Install PHP and the necessary Apache module (php-apache).

Install PHP and Module:
```
sudo pacman -S php php-apache
```
Configure Apache to Use PHP:
- Edit the main Apache configuration file:
```
sudo nano /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf
```
- A. Change the Multi-Processing Module (MPM):
  - Comment out mpm_event_module (add # to the start of the line).
  - Uncomment mpm_prefork_module (remove # from the start of the line).
```
#LoadModule mpm_event_module modules/mod_mpm_event.so
LoadModule mpm_prefork_module modules/mod_mpm_prefork.so
```
- B. Load the PHP Module:
  - Add the following lines to the end of the file:
```
LoadModule php_module modules/libphp.so
AddHandler php-script php
Include conf/extra/php_module.conf
```
- Save the file (Ctrl+O, then Enter) and exit (Ctrl+X).
Enable Database Extensions (Optional but Recommended):
- For PHP to interact with MariaDB, edit the main PHP configuration file:
```
sudo nano /etc/php/php.ini
```
- Search for the following lines and uncomment them (remove the ; at the start of the line):
```
;extension=mysqli
;extension=pdo_mysql
```
Restart Apache:
- The web server must be restarted for all changes to take effect.
```
sudo systemctl restart httpd
```

5. Test PHP

Create a Test File:
- Create a file named info.php in the web root directory (/srv/http).
```
sudo nano /srv/http/info.php
```
Add PHP Code:
- Paste the following content:
```
<?php
phpinfo();
?>
```
Verify Installation:
- Open your web browser and navigate to http://localhost/info.php. If you see the detailed PHP configuration page, the LAMP stack is correctly installed and configured.