Step-by-Step Guide: Installing Nginx, PHP, and MariaDB (LEMP Stack) on Fedora 31

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The LEMP software stack is a collection of open-source software used to host websites and applications on a server. LEMP stands for Linux, ENginx server, MySQL (with MariaDB), and PHP. This guide will walk you through installing a LEMP stack on a Fedora 31 server, along with PHPMyAdmin, Redis, and Opcache.

Prerequisites

  • Ensure you have a server running Fedora 31.
  • Have a non-root sudo user ready.
  • Keep your system updated: 
    $ sudo dnf upgrade
  • Install essential packages: 
    $ sudo dnf install wget curl nano -y

    Note: These packages may already be installed.

  • Disable SELinux: 
    $ sudo setenforce 0

Configure Firewall

Begin by configuring the firewall. Fedora includes the Firewalld firewall by default. First, verify if the firewall is running:

$ sudo firewall-cmd --state

You should see:

running

Set the default firewall zone to public:

$ sudo firewall-cmd --set-default-zone=public

Check the current services/ports allowed:

$ sudo firewall-cmd --zone=public --permanent --list-services

Expected output:

dhcpv6-client mdns ssh

Add HTTP and HTTPS services:

$ sudo firewall-cmd --zone=public --permanent --add-service=http
$ sudo firewall-cmd --zone=public --permanent --add-service=https

Check the updated firewall settings:

$ sudo firewall-cmd --zone=public --permanent --list-services

New output should be:

dhcpv6-client http https mdns ssh

Reload the firewall settings:

$ sudo systemctl reload firewalld

Install PHP

Fedora 31 supports PHP 7.3 natively, but PHP 7.4 is preferred. Add the REMI repository:

$ sudo dnf -y install https://rpms.remirepo.net/fedora/remi-release-31.rpm

Enable the appropriate repositories and disable the modular repository:

$ sudo dnf config-manager --set-enabled remi
$ sudo dnf config-manager --set-enabled remi-php74
$ sudo dnf config-manager --set-disabled remi-modular

Install PHP 7.4 and additional packages:

$ sudo dnf install -y php-cli php-fpm php-mysqlnd

Verify PHP installation:

$ php --version

Expected output:

PHP 7.4.3 (cli) (built: Feb 18 2020 11:53:05) ( NTS )
Copyright (c) The PHP Group
Zend Engine v3.4.0, Copyright (c) Zend Technologies

Install MariaDB

MariaDB acts as a drop-in replacement for MySQL. Fedora 31 includes MariaDB 10.3 but we’ll set up version 10.4. Create a new repository file:

$ sudo nano /etc/yum.repos.d/MariaDB.repo

Add this content:

# MariaDB 10.4 Fedora repository list
# http://downloads.mariadb.org/mariadb/repositories/
[mariadb]
name = MariaDB
baseurl = http://yum.mariadb.org/10.4/fedora31-amd64
gpgkey=https://yum.mariadb.org/RPM-GPG-KEY-MariaDB
gpgcheck=1

Install MariaDB server:

$ sudo dnf install MariaDB-server -y

Verify MariaDB installation:

$ mysql --version

Expected output:

mysql  Ver 15.1 Distrib 10.4.12-MariaDB, for Linux (x86_64) using  EditLine wrapper

Enable and start MariaDB:

$ sudo systemctl enable mariadb
$ sudo systemctl start mariadb

Secure the installation:

$ sudo mysql_secure_installation

Install Nginx

Fedora 31 comes with Nginx 1.16.1. Install it by running:

$ sudo dnf install nginx -y

Verify Nginx installation:

$ nginx -v

Expected output:

nginx version: nginx/1.16.1

Start and enable Nginx:

$ sudo systemctl start nginx
$ sudo systemctl enable nginx

Visit your server’s IP in a browser to see Nginx’s test page.

Fedora Nginx Test Page

Configure Nginx

Create directories for server blocks:

$ sudo mkdir /etc/nginx/sites-available
$ sudo mkdir /etc/nginx/sites-enabled

Create a directory for your site:

$ sudo mkdir /var/www/example.com/html -p

Add a configuration file for your site:

$ sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/example.com.conf

Insert the following configuration:

server {
  listen          *:80;
  server_name     example.com;
  root            /var/www/example.com/html;
  index           index.php index.html;

  location / {
    try_files   $uri $uri/ =404;
  }

  access_log /var/log/nginx/example.com.access.log;
  error_log /var/log/nginx/example.com.error.log;

  location ~ \.php$ {
    try_files $uri =404;
    fastcgi_pass  unix:/run/php-fpm/www.sock;
    fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
    fastcgi_index index.php;
    include  fastcgi_params;
  }
}

Link this configuration to sites-enabled:

$ sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/example.com.conf /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/

Edit the main Nginx configuration:

$ sudo nano /etc/nginx/nginx.conf

Add these lines:

include /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/*.conf;
server_names_hash_bucket_size 64;

Modify types_hash_max_size:

types_hash_max_size 4096;

Save your changes, then test the Nginx configuration:

$ sudo nginx -t

Reload Nginx:

$ sudo systemctl reload nginx

Configure PHP-FPM

Edit PHP-FPM configuration file:

$ sudo nano /etc/php-fpm.d/www.conf

Change the user and group to nginx:

user = nginx
group = nginx

Set permission for the Unix socket:

listen.owner = nginx
listen.group = nginx

Restart PHP-FPM:

$ sudo systemctl restart php-fpm

Create a test.php in the html folder:

$ sudo nano /var/www/example.com/html/test.php

Add this code and save:

<?php phpinfo();

Visit http://<yourserverip>/test.php to verify PHP setup.

PHP Info page

Conclusion

You have successfully set up a LEMP stack on your Fedora 31 server. Begin developing and hosting your websites and applications!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  • Why use the REMI repository?The REMI repository provides newer versions of PHP than the default Fedora repositories, giving access to performance improvements and new features.
  • What is the benefit of using MariaDB over MySQL?MariaDB is an improved, drop-in replacement for MySQL. It provides better performance and additional features while maintaining compatibility.
  • Can I use a different version of PHP?Yes, you can use different PHP versions available in the repositories or compile from source code, though it may involve additional steps in configuration.
  • How can I enable SELinux?To re-enable SELinux, change its status with sudo setenforce 1 and ensure SELinux policies are set appropriately for your server services.
  • What if I encounter permission errors?If you face permission issues, ensure that file and directory permissions are set correctly, especially for the web server and PHP-FPM processes.