Configuring Virtual Hosts in LAMP

After installing the LAMP web server, most users want to set up virtual hosts. Personally, I find it inconvenient to store projects in the /var/www/ directory. Here is the simplest way to configure virtual hosts in LAMP.

Step 1: Open the Terminal and navigate to the configuration directory

cd /etc/apache2/sites-available

This directory contains configuration files for virtual hosts.

Step 2: Create a new Virtual Host configuration file

Create a new file with the name of the virtual host. In this example, we create test.local:

sudo vi test.local

Step 3: Add Configuration settings

In the editor, add the following minimal virtual host configuration:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName test.local
    DocumentRoot /home/USERNAME/www/test.local/
</VirtualHost>

The DocumentRoot line defines the path where project files are stored. Replace USERNAME with your actual username and ensure the directories exist.

Step 4: Edit the Hosts file

To ensure the browser resolves the virtual host correctly, edit the hosts file:

sudo vi /etc/hosts

Add the following line:

127.0.0.1          test.local

Step 5: Enable the Virtual Host

You can activate the virtual host in two ways:

Use the built-in a2ensite tool:

sudo a2ensite test.local

Manually create a symbolic link from sites-available/ to sites-enabled/:

cd /etc/apache2/sites-enabled
sudo ln -s /etc/apache2/sites-available/test.local 001-test.local

However, managing multiple hosts with manual symbolic links can become confusing. The a2ensite tool is recommended for simplicity.

Step 6: Restart Apache

To apply the changes, restart Apache:

sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 reload

Step 7: Set File Permissions

Sometimes, the user does not have sufficient permissions to access files in the home directory. To fix this, adjust permissions:

sudo chmod -R 755 ~/www/test.local

Conclusion

The virtual host is now configured and accessible in a browser at test.local.

Note: This is a minimal and quick virtual host setup method.