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

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


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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.

This tutorial will show you how to use one or more OVHcloud solutions with external tools, and the changes you need to make in specific contexts. You may need to adapt the instructions according to your situation.

We recommend that you contact a specialist service provider or reach out to our community if you face difficulties or doubts concerning the administration, usage or implementation of services on a server.

Requirements

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:

env dev web

Install a web server

For this guide, we choose Nginx, but you are free to install the web server of your choice.

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:

env dev web

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

Install a DBMS (DataBase Management System)

Select the tab corresponding to the DBMS you want to use. The appropriate PHP extension will be installed in each case.

  • MySQL / MariaDB
  • PostgreSQL

Install MariaDB (or MySQL) and the associated PHP extension:

sudo apt install -y mariadb-server php-mysql

Secure the installation:

sudo mariadb-secure-installation

Set a password for your DBMS and follow the on-screen instructions. Once the MariaDB (or MySQL) installation is complete, the following message should appear:

env dev web

Install PostgreSQL and the corresponding PHP extension:

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

Create a database and a user (example):

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:

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.

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