How To Install Moodle On Ubuntu 24.04 and LAMP

Welcome to the Greenhost.cloud blog! In today’s post, we’re going to guide you through the process of installing Moodle on Ubuntu 24.04 with a LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP). Moodle is a powerful Learning Management System (LMS) that enables educators to create effective online learning environments. Whether you’re setting up an online course, a training program, or a learning community, Moodle provides the tools you need.

Let’s dive into the step-by-step installation process.

Prerequisites

Before we start, ensure you have the following:

1. A server running Ubuntu 24.04.
2. Access to a terminal with sudo privileges.
3. A basic understanding of command-line operations.

Step 1: Update Your System

First, make sure your system is up to date. Open your terminal and run:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install the LAMP Stack

Moodle requires a LAMP stack. Let’s install each component.

2.1 Install Apache

To install Apache, run:

sudo apt install apache2 -y

After installation, you can check if Apache is running:

sudo systemctl status apache2

2.2 Install MySQL

Next, install MySQL:

sudo apt install mysql-server -y

Once installed, you should secure the MySQL installation:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Follow the prompts to set a root password and secure your installation.

2.3 Install PHP

Now, let’s install PHP and the required extensions for Moodle:

sudo apt install php php-cli php-fpm php-mysql php-xml php-curl php-zip php-gd php-mbstring php-intl php-json php-bcmath -y

You can check your PHP version with:

php -v

Step 3: Configure MySQL for Moodle

Now, we need to create a database and user for Moodle.

3.1 Log into MySQL

sudo mysql -u root -p

3.2 Create a Database and User

Run the following commands in the MySQL shell:

CREATE DATABASE moodle DEFAULT CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
CREATE USER 'moodleuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_password_here';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON moodle.* TO 'moodleuser'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Make sure to replace your_password_here with a strong password.

Step 4: Download and Configure Moodle

4.1 Download Moodle

Navigate to the /var/www/html directory and download the latest version of Moodle:

cd /var/www/html
sudo wget https://download.moodle.org/latest.zip
sudo unzip latest.zip
sudo mv moodle/* .
sudo rm -rf moodle latest.zip

4.2 Set Permissions

Set the correct permissions for the Moodle directory:

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html

4.3 Create the Moodle Data Directory

Moodle requires a data directory outside of the web server’s root directory. Let’s create it:

sudo mkdir /var/moodledata
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/moodledata

Step 5: Configure Apache for Moodle

5.1 Create a Virtual Host File

Create a new configuration file for Moodle:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/moodle.conf

Add the following configuration:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerAdmin [email protected]
    DocumentRoot /var/www/html
    ServerName your_domain_or_IP

    <Directory /var/www/html>
        Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/moodle_error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/moodle_access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Make sure to replace your_domain_or_IP with your actual domain or server IP.

5.2 Enable the New Site and Rewrite Module

Enable the new site and the rewrite module:

sudo a2ensite moodle.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite

5.3 Restart Apache

Restart Apache to apply the changes:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Step 6: Complete Moodle Installation Through the Web Interface

Now, open your web browser and go to http://your_domain_or_IP. You should see the Moodle installation page.

1. Select your language and click “Next”.
2. Confirm the paths and database settings. Use the database name, username, and password you created earlier.
3. Follow the prompts to complete the installation, including configuring the Moodle data directory.

Step 7: Finalize Your Installation

After completing the installation, you’ll be prompted to set up an admin account. Once you finish this, you can log into Moodle and start configuring your courses and settings!

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve successfully installed Moodle on Ubuntu 24.04 with a LAMP stack. You now have a powerful platform to facilitate online learning.

At Greenhost.cloud, we’re dedicated to helping you with your hosting needs and providing support for your web applications. Stay tuned for more tutorials and tips on optimizing your online presence!

Happy teaching and learning!