Install Apache and PHP on CentOS 7

This article demonstrates how to install Apache® and PHP® on CentOS® 7. The default CentOS 7 image doesn't have access to repositories that support PHP version 5.6 and higher, so you should enable a repository that does. Install this repository by using the default CentOS package manager, yum. The advantage of using yum to perform the installation is that yum automatically installs future security updates and handles dependencies.

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This guide enables the In line with Upstream Stable (IUS) repository, which provides newer versions of some software found in the official CentOS and Red Hat® repositories. For more information about the IUS repository, see the Install EPEL and IUS repositories on CentOS and Red Hat article.

Install Apache

Use the following steps to install Apache:

1. Run the following command:

   yum install httpd
   

2. Use the systemd systemctl tool to start the Apache service:

   systemctl start httpd
   

3. Enable the service to start automatically on boot:

   systemctl enable httpd.service
   

4. Open up port 80 for web traffic:

   firewall-cmd --add-service=http --permanent
   

5. Reload the firewall:

   firewall-cmd --reload
   

Confirm successful installation by entering your server's IP address in a browser to view the default Apache test page.

Install PHP 7.3

Use yum to install a repository that supports PHP 7.3:

1. Run the following command:

   sudo yum install https://repo.ius.io/ius-release-el7.rpm
   

2. Install PHP and some popular PHP modules:

   yum install mod_php73 php73-bcmath php73-cli php73-gd php73-ldap php73-mbstring php73-mysqlnd php73-soap
   

3. Confirm your server is using PHP 7.3 by running the following command:

   php -v
   

You should see the following output:

    PHP 7.3.25 (cli) (built: Dec 1 2020 21:50:13) ( NTS )