How to Install and Configure phpMyAdmin on Ubuntu

phpMyAdmin is a web-based tool for managing MySQL databases. It's useful for developers and site owners who prefer a GUI over the command line.

This guide shows you how to install and secure phpMyAdmin on Ubuntu 24.04.

Prerequisites

A VPS running Ubuntu 24.04 with LAMP stack installed (Apache, MySQL, PHP). Check our tutorial if you haven't set up LAMP yet.

Step 1: Install phpMyAdmin

sudo apt update
sudo apt install phpmyadmin -y

During installation, you'll be prompted to select a web server. Press Space to select Apache2, then Tab and Enter.

You'll also be asked to configure a database for phpMyAdmin. Select "Yes" and enter a password for phpMyAdmin's database user.

Step 2: Enable phpMyAdmin in Apache

The installer should automatically enable phpMyAdmin. If not, enable it manually:

sudo ln -s /usr/share/phpmyadmin /var/www/html/phpmyadmin

Reload Apache:

sudo systemctl reload apache2

Step 3: Access phpMyAdmin

Open your browser and visit:

http://your_server_ip/phpmyadmin

Login with your MySQL root username and password.

Step 4: Secure phpMyAdmin (Critical)

phpMyAdmin is a common target for attackers. You must secure it.

Method A: Set up a separate login password (basic auth)

Create a .htpasswd file:

sudo htpasswd -c /etc/phpmyadmin/.htpasswd admin

Create a .htaccess file in /usr/share/phpmyadmin/:

sudo nano /usr/share/phpmyadmin/.htaccess

Add this content:

AuthType Basic
AuthName "Restricted Access"
AuthUserFile /etc/phpmyadmin/.htpasswd
Require valid-user

Reload Apache.

Method B: Restrict by IP

Edit the Apache config file:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/conf-available/phpmyadmin.conf

Add your IP to the "Require" line:

<Directory /usr/share/phpmyadmin>
    Options FollowSymLinks
    DirectoryIndex index.php
    Require ip 192.168.1.100
    Require all denied
</Directory>

Replace 192.168.1.100 with your IP. Reload Apache.

Step 5: Change phpMyAdmin URL (Optional)

Moving phpMyAdmin to a non-standard URL reduces bot scanning.

sudo mv /usr/share/phpmyadmin /usr/share/phpmyadmin_secretname

Update the symlink:

sudo rm /var/www/html/phpmyadmin
sudo ln -s /usr/share/phpmyadmin_secretname /var/www/html/mysecret

Access phpMyAdmin at http://your_server_ip/mysecret.

Troubleshooting

404 Not Found – Ensure the symlink is correct. Check if phpMyAdmin is installed in /usr/share/.

Login error – Verify your MySQL username and password. If you forgot the root password, reset it via command line.

Blank page – PHP error. Check Apache error logs: sudo tail -f /var/log/apache2/error.log.

Next Steps

phpMyAdmin is now ready. Use it to manage databases, run queries, and backup tables. Remember to keep it secure and update regularly.