Installing and Basic Configuration of Apache on Debian 12

2 months ago

nikolay

3 minutes

How to install Apache on Debian 12 and perform its basic configuration for a stable web server setup

🔧 1. Installing Apache

Step 1: Update the system

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install Apache

sudo apt install apache2 -y

🚀 2. Starting and Checking Apache

Step 1: Check Apache status

sudo systemctl status apache2

Expected output — a line containing active (running).

Step 2: Verify in browser
Open your browser and enter your server’s IP address:

http://your_IP

You should see the Apache2 Debian Default Page.

⚙️ 3. Basic Settings

Step 1: Enable Apache to start on boot

sudo systemctl enable apache2

Step 2: Open port 80 in the firewall (UFW)

sudo ufw allow 'Apache'
sudo ufw reload

🌐 4. Creating Your First Site (Virtual Host)

Step 1: Create a directory for the site

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/mysite.com/public_html

Step 2: Set ownership

sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /var/www/mysite.com/public_html

Step 3: Create a starter page

nano /var/www/mysite.com/public_html/index.html

Insert:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>Welcome to MySite!</title>
</head>
<body>
    <h1>It works!</h1>
</body>
</html>

📁 5. Configuring a Virtual Host

Step 1: Create a configuration file

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/mysite.com.conf

Insert:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerAdmin webmaster@mysite.com
    ServerName mysite.com
    ServerAlias www.mysite.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/mysite.com/public_html
    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/mysite.com_error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/mysite.com_access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Step 2: Enable the site

sudo a2ensite mysite.com.conf

Step 3: Disable the default site (optional)

sudo a2dissite 000-default.conf

Step 4: Reload Apache

sudo systemctl reload apache2

🧪 6. Testing

Step 1: Add an entry to /etc/hosts (local testing)

sudo nano /etc/hosts

Add:

127.0.0.1 mysite.com

Step 2: In the browser
Enter:

http://mysite.com

You should see your It works! page.

📦 7. Optional: Installing PHP

Install PHP:

sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php -y

Test PHP:

nano /var/www/mysite.com/public_html/info.php

Insert:

<?php phpinfo(); ?>

In the browser:

http://mysite.com/info.php

✅ Done!

File Structure:

/var/www/mysite.com/public_html/     ← your site
/etc/apache2/sites-available/        ← virtual host configurations
/etc/apache2/sites-enabled/          ← enabled sites (symlinks)

🛡 Security & Final Steps

Remove the PHP test file after testing:

rm /var/www/mysite.com/public_html/info.php

Add HTTPS with Let’s Encrypt (instructions can be provided if needed).

Order a dedicated server here.