Install PHP 8.3, MySQL, phpMyAdmin, and Apache on Alma / Rocky Linux (LAMP Stack)

CentOS 7 is dead (EOL was June 30, 2024).
AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux are supported, RHEL-compatible rebuilds, so if CentOS 7 were still alive, the overall LAMP install flow would look essentially the same.

Prerequisites

• Root or sudo access
• AlmaLinux/Rocky 8 or 9
• Internet access to pull repositories/packages

Check your major version:

cat /etc/os-release
rpm -E %rhel

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1) Update the server

sudo dnf -y update
sudo reboot

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2) Install Apache (httpd)

sudo dnf -y install httpd
sudo systemctl enable --now httpd

Open HTTP/HTTPS in the firewall:

sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=http
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=https
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

Quick check:

curl -I http://127.0.0.1

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3) Install MySQL Community Server (8.4 LTS by default)

Alma/Rocky ship MariaDB in the base repos, so for Oracle MySQL you install the official MySQL repo RPM first. The current repo setup RPMs are published by MySQL (EL8/EL9).

3.1 Add the MySQL Yum repo (EL9 vs EL8)

For EL9 (Alma/Rocky 9):

sudo dnf -y install https://dev.mysql.com/get/mysql84-community-release-el9-2.noarch.rpm

For EL8 (Alma/Rocky 8):

sudo dnf -y install https://dev.mysql.com/get/mysql84-community-release-el8-2.noarch.rpm

3.2 Install and start MySQL

sudo dnf -y install mysql-community-server
sudo systemctl enable --now mysqld

3.3 Set root password and secure MySQL

MySQL generates a temporary root password and writes it to the error log; grab it like this:

sudo grep 'temporary password' /var/log/mysqld.log

Then run:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Optional: Use MySQL 8.0 instead of 8.4

MySQL’s Yum repo enables 8.4 LTS by default; other series (like 8.0) are available as separate subrepos you can enable/disable.
Edit /etc/yum.repos.d/mysql-community.repo, disable the 8.4 repo, enable the 8.0 repo, then dnf install mysql-community-server.

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4) Install PHP 8.3 (Remi) + common extensions

Remi’s repo is the standard way to get a consistent PHP 8.3 on EL8/EL9, and the exact flow is: install EPEL + Remi release RPM, enable CRB/PowerTools, then switch the PHP module to remi-8.3.

4.1 Enable CRB / PowerTools (needed for EPEL deps)

• EL9: crb
• EL8: powertools

sudo dnf -y install dnf-plugins-core

# EL9:
sudo dnf config-manager --set-enabled crb

# EL8:
sudo dnf config-manager --set-enabled powertools

4.2 Install EPEL + Remi release RPM

EL9:

sudo dnf -y install https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-release-latest-9.noarch.rpm
sudo dnf -y install https://rpms.remirepo.net/enterprise/remi-release-9.rpm

EL8:

sudo dnf -y install https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-release-latest-8.noarch.rpm
sudo dnf -y install https://rpms.remirepo.net/enterprise/remi-release-8.rpm

(Those are Remi’s published install URLs for Alma/Rocky 8/9.)

4.3 Enable PHP 8.3 module stream and install PHP

sudo dnf -y module reset php
sudo dnf -y module install php:remi-8.3

Install PHP + common modules for LAMP:

sudo dnf -y install \
  php php-cli php-common php-opcache \
  php-mysqlnd \
  php-gd php-mbstring php-xml php-json php-zip php-curl php-intl

Restart Apache:

sudo systemctl restart httpd

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5) Install phpMyAdmin

phpMyAdmin is typically installed from EPEL on EL-family systems; once EPEL is enabled (and CRB/PowerTools is on), the package install is straightforward.

sudo dnf -y install phpmyadmin
sudo systemctl restart httpd

5.1 Allow access (don’t leave it wide open)

EPEL’s Apache config often restricts phpMyAdmin to localhost by default; edit the Apache config and allow only your IP (or your admin subnet).

Common location:

sudo vi /etc/httpd/conf.d/phpMyAdmin.conf

Typical pattern (example: allow only your workstation IP):

Require ip 203.0.113.10

Reload:

sudo systemctl reload httpd

Access it:

• http://YOUR_SERVER_IP/phpmyadmin

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6) Validate the stack

6.1 Confirm versions

php -v
mysql --version
httpd -v

6.2 Quick PHP test page

echo '<?php echo "PHP OK\n"; ?>' | sudo tee /var/www/html/health.php
curl -s http://127.0.0.1/health.php

(Optional) If you also want a phpinfo() page for debugging, Rocky’s docs show the classic info.php method—just don’t leave it sitting there.

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Troubleshooting

Apache shows PHP code instead of executing it

• Verify PHP is installed from the expected module stream: sudo dnf module list php
• Restart Apache: sudo systemctl restart httpd

phpMyAdmin 403 Forbidden

• You didn’t allow your IP in /etc/httpd/conf.d/phpMyAdmin.conf. Fix the Require rules, then: sudo systemctl reload httpd

Can’t log in to MySQL root

• Re-check the generated temporary password: sudo grep 'temporary password' /var/log/mysqld.log

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