Introduction

Caddy is an open-source web server that offers automatic HTTPS and is designed to be easy to use. In this guide, you will learn how to install Caddy web server along with PHP 8.1 on Ubuntu 22.04. This setup can be effectively hosted on a Windows VPS UK for optimal performance and security.

Prerequisites

• An Ubuntu 22.04 server with root access
• Basic knowledge of Linux commands
• An active internet connection

Step 1: Update Your System

Start by updating your package index and upgrading existing packages:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install PHP 8.1

To install PHP 8.1 along with necessary extensions, run the following commands:

sudo apt install software-properties-common -y
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ondrej/php -y
sudo apt update
sudo apt install php8.1 php8.1-fpm php8.1-cli php8.1-mysql php8.1-xml php8.1-curl -y

Verify the installation of PHP:

php -v

Step 3: Install Caddy

To install Caddy, add its official repository:

echo "deb [trusted=yes] https://apt.caddyserver.com/ caddy main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/caddy.list
sudo apt update
sudo apt install caddy -y

Step 4: Configure Caddy

Edit the Caddyfile to configure your website:

sudo nano /etc/caddy/Caddyfile

Replace the content with the following example, adjusting the domain name and root directory:

yourdomain.com {
    root * /var/www/html
    php_fastcgi unix//run/php/php8.1-fpm.sock
    file_server
}

Make sure to replace yourdomain.com with your actual domain name.

Step 5: Create a Web Directory

Create a directory for your web content:

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/html

Set the appropriate permissions:

sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /var/www/html

Step 6: Test Caddy Configuration

Test the Caddy configuration to ensure there are no errors:

sudo caddy validate --config /etc/caddy/Caddyfile

Step 7: Start Caddy

Start Caddy and enable it to run at boot:

sudo systemctl start caddy
sudo systemctl enable caddy

Step 8: Access Your Web Server

Open your web browser and navigate to http://yourdomain.com (replace with your actual domain). You should see your Caddy server serving the PHP application.

Step 9: Conclusion

You have successfully installed Caddy web server with PHP 8.1 on Ubuntu 22.04. This setup provides a robust environment for hosting modern web applications and can greatly benefit from being hosted on a Windows VPS. For additional options, explore various VPS UK Windows solutions, including Windows Virtual Private Server Hosting and Windows VPS Hosting UK for optimal performance.