If you want to build dynamic websites or web applications, installing PHP is the first step. Ubuntu 24.04 is one of the most popular Linux distributions for developers because it is stable, secure, and easy to use.

In this tutorial, you will learn how to install PHP on Ubuntu 24.04 from scratch. We will also install commonly used PHP extensions, verify the installation, and prepare your system for PHP development.

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced developer, this guide will help you set up a complete PHP development environment.

Prerequisites

Before installing PHP, make sure you have:

Ubuntu 24.04 installed
Internet connection
A user account with sudo privileges
Terminal access

To open the terminal, press:

Ctrl + Alt + T

Step 1: Update Your Ubuntu System

Before installing any package, it is recommended to update your package list and upgrade existing packages.

Run the following commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

Why is this important?

Updating your system ensures:

Latest security patches
Bug fixes
New package versions
Better compatibility with PHP packages

Once the update is complete, reboot your system if required.

Step 2: Install PHP

Installing PHP on Ubuntu 24.04 is straightforward.

Run:

sudo apt install php -y

Ubuntu will download and install the latest PHP package available in its repositories.

The installation may take a few minutes depending on your internet speed.

Step 3: Verify PHP Installation

After the installation is complete, verify that PHP has been installed successfully.

Run:

php -v

Example output:

PHP 8.x.x (cli)
Zend Engine
Zend OPcache

If you see the PHP version information, congratulations! PHP has been installed successfully.

If you receive “php: command not found”, don’t worry. We will cover troubleshooting later in this guide.

Step 4: Install Common PHP Extensions

Most PHP applications require additional extensions.

Install the commonly used extensions with the following command:

sudo apt install php-cli php-fpm php-mysql php-curl php-xml php-mbstring php-zip php-gd -y

What do these extensions do?

Extension	Purpose
php-cli	Run PHP scripts from the terminal
php-fpm	High-performance PHP process manager
php-mysql	Connect PHP with MySQL/MariaDB
php-curl	Send HTTP requests and use APIs
php-xml	Read and process XML files
php-mbstring	Handle multilingual text
php-zip	Create and extract ZIP archives
php-gd	Image processing and thumbnail generation

These extensions are sufficient for most beginner and intermediate PHP projects.

Step 5: Check Installed Modules

To see all installed PHP modules, run:

php -m

This command displays every enabled PHP module installed on your system.

It is useful for troubleshooting and verifying whether required extensions are available.

What’s Next?

Now that PHP is installed, the next steps are:

Verify PHP in your browser using phpinfo()
Configure Apache or Nginx
Set up a local development environment
Learn how to write your first PHP program

These topics are covered in the next part of this guide.

How to Install PHP on Ubuntu 24.04 (Step-by-Step Guide) Part 1