Installing LEMP (LAMP) on AlmaLinux 10 is one of the best ways to install a high-performance web application on Linux. LEMP stack is the combination of Linux, NGINX, MySQL, and PHP in order to provide a fast, secure, and scalable web hosting environment for modern websites and applications.
The AlmaLinux 10 distribution is gaining popularity with enterprises due to its long-term stability, RHEL compatibility, security, and package management features. AlmaLinux can be used in combination with NGINX, MySQL, and PHP to host WordPress, Laravel applications, cloud-native web deployments, eCommerce websites, and APIs.
In this step-by-step tutorial, you will install the full LEMP stack on AlmaLinux 10 and configure the NGINX web server, MySQL database, PHP, PHP-FPM, and configure the firewall.
Table of Content
- What Is a LEMP Stack?
- Why Use AlmaLinux 10 for a LEMP Stack?
- Install LEMP Stack on AlmaLinux 10 for NGINX, MySQL, and PHP Hosting
- Common LEMP Stack Commands on AlmaLinux 10
- Security a LEMP Stack – Expert DevOps Practices
- Why the LEMP Stack Is Popular for Modern Web Hosting
- Conclusion
What Is a LEMP Stack?
LEMP stack is a widely used web development stack for dynamic websites and web applications to be hosted using open source technologies.
LEMP stands for:
- Linux – Operating system
- NGINX – Web server
- MySQL – Database server
- PHP – Server-side scripting language
The LEMP stack replaces the traditional LAMP stack with NGINX, a high-performance, low-resource, and highly scalable web server.
The LEMP stack is commonly used in modern web applications, such as websites built with WordPress, PHP applications, REST APIs, cloud VPS hosting, enterprise web servers, and frameworks like Laravel and Symfony.
Why Use AlmaLinux 10 for a LEMP Stack?
AlmaLinux 10 is an enterprise-stable and secure version of RHEL, with no modifications necessary to make it compatible.
The AlmaLinux 10 platform makes running a LEMP stack more convenient than ever before, offering long-term support for Linux, enterprise-grade security patches, a solid package system, deep integration with SELinux, server optimization, great VPS and cloud support, and highly stable DNF package management for production workloads.
AlmaLinux is lightweight, stable, and suitable for production-level web hosting.
Prerequisites
Here are some prerequisites for installing the LEMP stack:
- AlmaLinux 10 server installed
- Root/sudo privileges are available
- An active internet connection
- This requirement is for minimum storage.
- Firewall access configured
How to Install LEMP Stack on AlmaLinux 10 for NGINX, MySQL, and PHP Hosting
The LEMP stack on AlmaLinux 10 combines NGINX, MySQL, and PHP to create a secure and scalable Linux web hosting environment for WordPress, Laravel, and modern web applications.
Step 1: Install NGINX on AlmaLinux 10
NGINX is a fast web server that is used to power websites, APIs, reverse proxy services, and load-balanced applications.
sudo dnf install nginx -y |
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Enable and start the NGINX service:
sudo systemctl enable nginx sudo systemctl start nginx |
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Check the status of the service:
sudo systemctl status nginx |
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Step 2: Configure Firewall for NGINX
Enable traffic for HTTP and HTTPS in the AlmaLinux firewall.
Allow HTTP:
sudo firewall-cmd –permanent –add-service=http |
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Allow HTTPS:
sudo firewall-cmd –permanent –add-service=https |
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Reload the firewall:
sudo firewall-cmd –reload |
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Verify firewall services:
sudo firewall-cmd –list-services |
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Step 3: Test the NGINX Web Server
Go to a web browser and type your server IP address:
http://your-server-ip |
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If NGINX has been installed properly, then the default NGINX welcome page will appear.
You can also check locally with:
curl http://localhost |
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Step 4: Install MySQL Server on AlmaLinux 10
MySQL is one of the most popular relational database management systems (RDBMS) used for Linux Web Hosting.
Install MySQL server:
sudo dnf install mysql-server -y |
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Run the following commands to enable and start MySQL:
sudo systemctl enable mysqld sudo systemctl start mysqld |
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Check if the MySQL service is running:
sudo systemctl status mysqld |
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Step 5: Secure the MySQL Installation
Run the MySQL secure installation script:
sudo mysql_secure_installation |
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The MySQL secure installation script is used to help set the MySQL root password, to remove anonymous users, to disable remote root login, to remove test databases, and to improve the overall security of the database server in a production environment.
Do use a strong password for your database in production environments.
Step 6: Install PHP on AlmaLinux 10
WordPress, Laravel, Drupal, Magento, and other web apps use PHP as their server-side language.
Install PHP and required extensions:
sudo dnf install php php-fpm php-mysqlnd php-cli php-gd php-mbstring php-xml php-curl php-zip -y |
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Specify the PHP version:
php -v |
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Step 7: Configure PHP-FPM
NGINX uses PHP-FPM to process PHP requests. Enable & start PHP-FPM:
sudo systemctl enable php-fpm sudo systemctl start php-fpm |
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Check PHP-FPM status:
sudo systemctl status php-fpm |
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Modify the PHP-FPM configuration:
sudo nano /etc/php-fpm.d/www.conf |
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Find these lines:
user = apache group = apache |
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Replace them with:
user = nginx group = nginx |
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Save the file and restart PHP-FPM:
sudo systemctl restart php-fpm |
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Step 8: Configure NGINX for PHP Processing
Edit the default NGINX configuration:
sudo nano /etc/nginx/conf.d/default.conf |
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Add the following configuration:
server { listen 80; server_name _; root /usr/share/nginx/html; index index.php index.html; location / { try_files $uri $uri/ =404; } location ~ \.php$ { include fastcgi_params; fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php-fpm/www.sock; fastcgi_index index.php; fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name; } } |
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Test the NGINX configuration:
sudo nginx -t |
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If it appears to be correct syntax, restart NGINX:
sudo systemctl restart nginx |
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Step 9: Test PHP Processing on NGINX
Write a PHP test file:
sudo nano /usr/share/nginx/html/info.php |
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Include the following information:
<?php phpinfo(); ?> |
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Save the file and open it in a web browser:
The PHP information page will display if PHP is set up properly.
http://your-server-ip/info.php |
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To secure the file, remove the file after testing:
sudo rm -f /usr/share/nginx/html/info.php |
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Step 10: Enable SELinux Permissions for NGINX and PHP
AlmaLinux 10 is based on SELinux, which is a higher level of security for Linux operating systems.
Turn on NGINX network connections:
sudo setsebool -P httpd_can_network_connect 1 |
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Restore correct file permissions:
sudo restorecon -Rv /usr/share/nginx/html |
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SELinux can enhance the security of the server against unauthorized access and application exploits.
Common LEMP Stack Commands on AlmaLinux 10
Here is a list of some commonly used commands for LEMP Stack on AlmaLinux 10.
Task | Command |
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Install NGINX | sudo dnf install nginx -y |
sudo dnf install mysql-server -y | |
Install PHP | sudo dnf install php php-fpm php-mysqlnd -y |
Start NGINX | sudo systemctl start nginx |
Start MySQL | sudo systemctl start mysqld |
Start PHP-FPM | sudo systemctl start php-fpm |
Test NGINX config | sudo nginx -t |
Reload firewall | sudo firewall-cmd –reload |
Security a LEMP Stack – Expert DevOps Practices
Keep Packages Updated
Keep NGINX, PHP, and MySQL packages up to date for security fixes.
Use HTTPS Encryption
Secure, HTTPS connections with SSL Certificates via Let’s Encrypt.
Disable Unused Services
Use only services that are necessary for the applications.
Use Strong Database Passwords
Use strong passwords and minimum privileges for MySQL accounts.
Enable Firewall Protection
Use firewalld to permit only network traffic that is necessary.
Monitor Server Logs
Check NGINX and MySQL logs periodically for anything amiss.
Why the LEMP Stack Is Popular for Modern Web Hosting
The LEMP stack is widely used because it provides excellent performance, lower memory usage, and strong scalability.
NGINX handles concurrent connections more efficiently than many traditional web servers, making it ideal for:
- High-traffic websites
- WordPress hosting
- Cloud applications
- API servers
- eCommerce platforms
- VPS hosting
- Containerized applications
Combined with PHP and MySQL, the LEMP stack offers a reliable foundation for modern web development.
Conclusion
Install the LEMP stack on AlmaLinux 10 by setting up NGINX, MySQL, and PHP to create a fast, secure, and production-ready Linux web hosting environment for WordPress, Laravel, and modern web applications. This setup is suitable for WordPress hosting, Laravel development, APIs, enterprise web applications, and cloud deployments.
Whether you are a beginner learning Linux server administration or an experienced DevOps engineer deploying production infrastructure, mastering the LEMP stack on AlmaLinux 10 is an essential skill for modern web hosting and application management.
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