phpMyAdmin is a free, open-source tool that makes it easier to manage MySQL and MariaDB databases via a web interface. With features like user management, query execution, and export/import functionality, phpMyAdmin simplifies database tasks for both beginners and advanced users. You can easily configure phpMyAdmin to suit your server environment and streamline database operations efficiently.

This article will guide you through the steps to install, configure, secure, and maintain phpMyAdmin on a Linux server.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure that you meet the following prerequisites:

A Linux server running Ubuntu, Debian, or CentOS.
A LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL/MariaDB, PHP) or LEMP (Linux, Nginx, MySQL/MariaDB, PHP) stack installed.
Root or sudo privileges are required to install software and make configuration changes.
Access to the terminal or SSH for remote configuration.

Installing phpMyAdmin

Before configuring, you need to install phpMyAdmin on your Linux machine.

Update System Packages

Before installing phpMyAdmin, it’s important to ensure that your system packages are up to date. This helps avoid any potential conflicts during the installation.

For Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

For CentOS/RHEL:

sudo yum update

Install phpMyAdmin

Once the system is updated, proceed with installing phpMyAdmin.

For Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt install phpmyadmin

For CentOS/RHEL:

phpMyAdmin can be installed from the EPEL (Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux) repository. First, install EPEL, then install phpMyAdmin:

sudo yum install epel-releasesudo yum install phpmyadmin

Verify phpMyAdmin Installation

After the installation is complete, verify that phpMyAdmin is installed and running. Open a web browser and navigate to the following URL:

For Apache: http://<server_ip>/phpmyadmin
For Nginx: Ensure the server block is correctly configured to point to phpMyAdmin.

If phpMyAdmin loads successfully, your installation is complete.

Configure phpMyAdmin

To use phpMyAdmin effectively, you need to configure both your web server (Apache or Nginx) and PHP environment. This setup ensures proper connectivity, performance, and compatibility, allowing seamless management of MySQL or MariaDB databases through the web interface.

Configure Web Server (Apache/Nginx)

For Apache:

Create a symbolic link to phpMyAdmin in the web root directory:

sudo ln -s /usr/share/phpmyadmin /var/www/html/

Enable phpMyAdmin by including the configuration in Apache’s main configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/apache2.conf

Add the following line at the end:

Include /etc/phpmyadmin/apache.conf

For Nginx:

Open the server block configuration file for your site:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/default

Inside the server block, add a location block to serve phpMyAdmin:

location /phpmyadmin { root /usr/share; index index.php; try_files $uri $uri/ =404; }

Save the file and restart Nginx:

sudo systemctl restart nginx

PHP Configuration for phpMyAdmin

phpMyAdmin requires several PHP extensions to function correctly. Ensure these extensions are installed:

For Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt install php-mbstring php-zip php-gettext

After installing the required PHP extensions, restart your web server to apply changes:

For Apache:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

For Nginx:

sudo systemctl restart nginx

Securing phpMyAdmin in Linux

Protecting phpMyAdmin with Authentication (Apache)

By default, phpMyAdmin is open to anyone with access to the server. To improve security, use .htaccess and .htpasswd for basic authentication.

Create a .htpasswd file to store user credentials:

sudo htpasswd -c /etc/phpmyadmin/.htpasswd <username>

Enable .htaccess in Apache’s configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/apache2.conf

Inside the <Directory /usr/share/phpmyadmin> directive, add:

AllowOverride All

Create a .htaccess file in /usr/share/phpmyadmin with the following content:

AuthType Basic AuthName "Restricted Access" AuthUserFile /etc/phpmyadmin/.htpasswd Require valid-user

Configuring SSL for Secure Connections

It is highly recommended to configure SSL to encrypt the connection to phpMyAdmin.

For Apache, enable SSL:

sudo a2enmod ssl sudo systemctl restart apache2

Then configure an SSL certificate for your domain. Use Let’s Encrypt or a self-signed certificate.
For Nginx, ensure SSL is enabled in your server block configuration.

Restricting phpMyAdmin Access by IP

To further secure phpMyAdmin, restrict access to specific IP addresses.

For Apache:

Edit the /etc/apache2/apache2.conf file and modify the <Directory /usr/share/phpmyadmin> block:

<Directory /usr/share/phpmyadmin>
    Order Deny,Allow
    Deny from all
    Allow from <your_ip>
</Directory>

For Nginx:

In the server block for phpMyAdmin, use the allow and deny directives:

location /phpmyadmin {
    allow <your_ip>;
    deny all;
}

Configuring phpMyAdmin with MySQL/MariaDB

Database Configuration

phpMyAdmin automatically detects MySQL/MariaDB configurations. To confirm or modify, you can edit the config-db.php file located in /etc/phpmyadmin/.

User Authentication Methods

In the config.inc.php file, set the authentication method. The default method is cookie, but you can configure other methods like config or http.

$cfg['Servers'][$i]['auth_type'] = 'cookie';

Multi-Server Configuration

If you want to manage multiple MySQL/MariaDB servers, phpMyAdmin allows adding configurations for each server in the config.inc.php file.

Testing phpMyAdmin

Accessing phpMyAdmin via Web Browser

To test phpMyAdmin, open your web browser and visit http://<server_ip>/phpmyadmin or https://<server_ip>/phpmyadmin for secure access.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Login Issues: Verify the correct username and password. Make sure the MySQL/MariaDB user has the necessary privileges.
Access Denied: Ensure that your Apache or Nginx configuration allows traffic from your IP.
Missing Dependencies: Check if the required PHP extensions (like php-mbstring, php-zip) are installed.

Advanced phpMyAdmin Configurations

Enabling Two-Factor Authentication: To add an extra layer of security, you can enable two-factor authentication (2FA) in phpMyAdmin using plugins or custom configurations. This step will require you to install additional libraries or set up 2FA mechanisms.

Customizing the phpMyAdmin Interface: You can personalize the phpMyAdmin interface by modifying settings in the config.inc.php file, such as changing the theme or default language.

Performance Tuning phpMyAdmin: For servers with heavy database traffic, it is essential to optimize phpMyAdmin performance. You can adjust PHP settings like memory limits and execution time in php.ini or optimize server-side MySQL/MariaDB performance.

Regular Maintenance of phpMyAdmin

Updating phpMyAdmin

phpMyAdmin should be regularly updated to ensure that you’re protected from known vulnerabilities. Update phpMyAdmin by running:

For Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade phpmyadmin

For CentOS/RHEL:

sudo yum update phpmyadmin

Backup and Restore of phpMyAdmin Configuration

Regular backups of your phpMyAdmin configurations and MySQL/MariaDB databases are essential for disaster recovery. Use phpMyAdmin’s export feature to backup databases and configuration files.

Conclusion

By following the steps in this guide, you’ve successfully installed and configured phpMyAdmin on your Linux server. You’ve also implemented essential security measures to protect your phpMyAdmin installation. Regular updates and backups are crucial for maintaining the stability and security of your system. Consider further optimizations, such as enabling two-factor authentication and fine-tuning performance, as your server grows.

How to Configure phpMyAdmin on a Linux Server (Step-by-Step Guide)