How to install a web development environment on a VPS or a dedicated server

Objective

If you would like to install a CMS (Content Management System) on your VPS (e.g. WordPress), you will need to install a web development environment on your VPS or dedicated server in advance. The main services to install are:

• PHP: PHP is one of the most widely used languages for building websites. You need to install PHP so that your website can run scripts and dynamic features. It is best to install the most recent PHP version.
• Web server: The web server is essential for serving your website pages. The most popular web servers include Apache and Nginx, each with their own advantages in terms of flexibility, performance and ease of configuration.
• DBMS: To store, manage and retrieve your data efficiently, you will need a DBMS (DataBase Management System). MySQL, PostgreSQL and MariaDB are the most widely used DBMS in web development.

Find out how to manually install a web development environment on an OVHcloud VPS or dedicated server.

Requirements

• A [VPS] solution (https://www.ovhcloud.com/en-au/vps/) or a dedicated server in your OVHcloud Control Panel
• Administrative (sudo) access to your server via SSH

Instructions

Log in to your VPS via SSH with your username and password.

Update the package index

Before installing the components, update the package list:

sudo apt update

Apply the available updates:

sudo apt -y upgrade

Install PHP

Install PHP:

sudo apt install -y php php-cli php-fpm php-xml php-gd php-curl

To check that PHP is installed properly, enter the following command:

sudo php -v

If PHP is correctly installed, you should see this message:

Install a web server

Install Nginx:

sudo apt install nginx -y

To verify that Nginx is installed properly, enter the following command:

sudo nginx -v

If Nginx is correctly installed, you should see a message like this:

If you have any queries, please refer to Nginx official website.

Install a DBMS (DataBase Management System)

sudo apt install -y mariadb-server php-mysql

sudo mariadb-secure-installation

sudo apt install -y postgresql postgresql-contrib php-pgsql

sudo -u postgres psql -c "CREATE DATABASE db_name;"
sudo -u postgres psql -c "CREATE USER db_user WITH ENCRYPTED PASSWORD 'strong_password';"
sudo -u postgres psql -c "GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE db_name TO db_user;"

Conclusion

You have just installed PHP, an Nginx server, and a DBMS (MariaDB/MySQL or PostgreSQL). You now have a functional web development environment on your VPS or OVHcloud dedicated server. If you wish, you can now install the CMS (Content Management System) of your choice, such as WordPress. To find out more, please read the guides “How to install WordPress with WP-CLI on a VPS or a dedicated server” and “How to install WordPress with Docker on a VPS or a dedicated server”.

For some general tips on securing a GNU/Linux-based server, see our guides:

• Securing a VPS
• Securing a dedicated server

Go further

How to install WordPress with WP-CLI on a VPS or a dedicated server

How to install WordPress with Docker on a VPS or a dedicated server

Securing a VPS

Securing a dedicated server

For specialised services (SEO, development, etc.), contact OVHcloud partners.

Join our community of users.