How to Install Zend Framework on Ubuntu 24.04 or Newer

Welcome back to the Greenhost.cloud blog! Today, we will guide you through the steps to install Zend Framework on your Ubuntu 24.04 system or newer. Zend Framework, now known as Laminas, is a powerful PHP framework that allows developers to build robust web applications. With its modular architecture, it provides a wide range of components for various web development needs.

In this post, we will cover the installation process from scratch, including the necessary prerequisites and configuration steps. Let’s get started!

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have the following:

1. Ubuntu 24.04 or newer: Ensure your operating system is up to date.
2. PHP 7.4 or higher: Zend Framework requires a compatible version of PHP.
3. Composer: A dependency manager for PHP, Composer will help manage Zend Framework and its packages.
4. Web Server: We will use Apache for this guide, but you can use Nginx or another web server if you prefer.

Step 1: Update Your System

First, it’s a good practice to update your system’s package lists. Open your terminal and run the following commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install PHP and Required Extensions

To install PHP and the necessary extensions, run the following command:

sudo apt install php php-cli php-mbstring php-xml php-curl php-zip php-json libapache2-mod-php -y

You can check your PHP version to ensure it’s installed correctly:

php -v

Step 3: Install Composer

Next, we need to install Composer. You can do this by running the following commands:

curl -sS https://getcomposer.org/installer | php
sudo mv composer.phar /usr/local/bin/composer

Verify the installation by checking the Composer version:

composer -V

Step 4: Install Zend Framework (Laminas)

Now that you have Composer installed, you can create a new project using Zend Framework. Navigate to the directory where you want to create your project, then run:

composer create-project laminas/laminas-mvc-skeleton my-zend-app

This command will create a new directory called my-zend-app containing the Zend Framework skeleton application.

Step 5: Configure Apache

To serve your application through Apache, you’ll need to configure a virtual host. Create a new configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/my-zend-app.conf

Add the following configuration, replacing /path/to/my-zend-app with the actual path to your project:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName my-zend-app.local
    DocumentRoot /path/to/my-zend-app/public

    <Directory /path/to/my-zend-app/public>
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/my-zend-app-error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/my-zend-app-access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Step 6: Enable the Virtual Host and Rewrite Module

Enable the new virtual host and the Apache rewrite module:

sudo a2ensite my-zend-app.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite

Step 7: Restart Apache

To apply your changes, restart the Apache web server:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Step 8: Update Your Hosts File

To access your application using the configured ServerName, update your /etc/hosts file:

sudo nano /etc/hosts

Add the following line:

127.0.0.1 my-zend-app.local

Step 9: Access Your Application

Now, open your web browser and navigate to http://my-zend-app.local. You should see the default Zend Framework welcome page, confirming that the installation was successful!

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Zend Framework on your Ubuntu 24.04 system. From here, you can start building your web applications using the powerful features provided by Zend Framework (Laminas).

Happy coding!

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