Deploying CakePHP on a LAMP VPS is a repeatable process: match the framework to a supported PHP release, install Apache/PHP/database/Composer, keep the project outside the public directory, point Apache at webroot, enable URL rewriting, secure the database and secrets, then add DNS and HTTPS. The most common production failures—404s on every route except the home page, exposed configuration files, and database errors—come from skipping one of those steps.
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This guide uses an Ubuntu VPS with sudo access and MySQL or MariaDB. Package names and service commands can differ slightly between Ubuntu images, so check the image’s current package layout when a command reports a different name.
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Check CakePHP, PHP and database compatibility first
Do this before creating a project. CakePHP 5 documentation lists PHP 8.1 as the minimum and requires the mbstring, intl, SimpleXML and PDO extensions. MySQL 5.7 or newer and MariaDB 10.1 or newer are among the supported database versions.
The framework’s compatibility information is branch-specific. CakePHP 5.0 requires PHP 8.1; PHP 8.4 and 8.5 compatibility is listed for CakePHP 5.1 and newer. CakePHP 4.x and 3.x have different PHP support ranges, while 2.x is end-of-life. Pin the CakePHP major and minor version in Composer instead of allowing an unexpected framework upgrade during deployment.
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Record what the VPS actually provides
Check the image before installing anything:
lsb_release -a
php -v 2>/dev/null || true
apache2 -v 2>/dev/null || true
mysql --version 2>/dev/null || trueIf PHP is already installed, confirm that its minor version is supported by the CakePHP branch you intend to run. A newer PHP release is not automatically compatible with an older CakePHP application.
Why the version decision affects the whole deployment
The PHP interpreter used by the command line and the one loaded by Apache must be compatible with the same CakePHP release. Installing Composer with one PHP version and serving requests with another can produce confusing dependency or runtime failures. Record the selected CakePHP constraint, PHP minor release and database engine in the deployment notes. When you move the application to another VPS, compare those values before copying the project.
Prepare the Ubuntu VPS
Update the operating system
Log in with a sudo-capable account and apply updates before adding application software:
sudo apt update
sudo apt full-upgradeReboot if the update installs a new kernel or the provider requests it, then reconnect and continue. Keep administrative SSH access available while changing firewall or web-server settings.
Install Apache, PHP and the required extensions
Install Apache and the PHP module that lets Apache execute PHP scripts. The following package set covers the CakePHP 5 requirements on Ubuntu releases that provide the unversioned PHP packages:
sudo apt install apache2 libapache2-mod-php php-cli php-mysql php-mbstring php-intl php-xmlphp-xml supplies SimpleXML on typical Ubuntu packages. If your image uses versioned packages, install the matching php8.x-* names instead. Verify the loaded modules:
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php -m | grep -E 'mbstring|intl|SimpleXML|PDO|pdo_mysql'libapache2-mod-php configures Apache to pass PHP files to the PHP runtime. Restart Apache after module or PHP-handler changes:
sudo systemctl enable --now apache2
sudo systemctl restart apache2Do not assume that a package installation completed merely because Apache starts. Check the module list and make a small, temporary PHP test only when needed to prove that Apache executes PHP rather than returning source text. Delete the test file immediately after verification.
Install MySQL or MariaDB
Choose one database server supported by your CakePHP branch. On Ubuntu, the distribution package is commonly installed with:
sudo apt install mysql-server
sudo systemctl enable --now mysqlUse the provider’s MariaDB package and service name if that is the database supplied by your image. Run the database server’s security-hardening process where available, remove anonymous accounts and test databases, and keep database administration separate from the application account.
Install Composer and create the CakePHP project
Install Composer safely
Use Composer’s current installation procedure, verify its installer signature as documented by the Composer project, and place the executable somewhere on the deployment user’s PATH (for example, /usr/local/bin/composer). Ubuntu images may also offer a composer package; check its version and prefer a current Composer release for a new CakePHP 5 application.
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composer --version
php --versionRun Composer as the non-root deployment user whenever possible. Running dependency installation as root often leaves a project tree owned by root, which later prevents Apache or a release user from writing cache and log files.
Create the application outside Apache’s public directory
Keep source code, configuration and environment files outside the directory that Apache exposes. For example:
sudo mkdir -p /var/www
sudo chown "$USER":"$USER" /var/www
cd /var/www
composer create-project --prefer-dist cakephp/app myappThe resulting project is /var/www/myapp; its public entry point is /var/www/myapp/webroot. Do not point Apache at /var/www/myapp itself, because that directory contains application code and configuration that should not be directly downloadable.
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For an existing application, deploy the locked dependency set instead of recreating it:
cd /var/www/myapp
composer install --no-dev --optimize-autoloaderRun that command during a controlled release after uploading the matching composer.lock. Keep development dependencies out of the production runtime unless the application explicitly needs them.
Composer’s create-project flow is also suitable for a first deployment on hosted LAMP images. The important distinction is not the provider’s image branding; it is that Composer creates the framework in a private project directory while Apache serves only the intended public entry point.
Configure Apache for CakePHP routing
Create a name-based virtual host
Create a site file such as /etc/apache2/sites-available/myapp.conf. Replace the domain and filesystem paths with your values:
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ServerName example.com
ServerAlias www.example.com
DocumentRoot /var/www/myapp/webroot
<Directory /var/www/myapp/webroot>
Options FollowSymLinks
AllowOverride All
Require all granted
</Directory>
ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/myapp-error.log
CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/myapp-access.log combined
</VirtualHost>DocumentRoot must be the CakePHP webroot directory. The Directory block grants Apache access to that path and permits the application’s .htaccess files to work. On a tightly controlled server, limit AllowOverride to the directives your policy permits; CakePHP’s standard routing setup needs rewrite directives to be honored.
Serving webroot is a security boundary as well as a routing requirement. A project-root document root can expose configuration, source files, dependency metadata or environment files if another Apache rule serves them as static content. The virtual host should therefore be checked whenever the project is moved, renamed or symlinked.
Enable rewriting and the site
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo a2ensite myapp.conf
sudo a2dissite 000-default.conf
sudo apache2ctl configtest
sudo systemctl reload apache2Disabling the default site is optional when its host does not conflict, but it avoids serving the wrong document root for requests that arrive without the expected host name. A successful Syntax OK from configtest is necessary before reloading.
Confirm the front controller is reachable
CakePHP routes requests through its front controller in webroot. Test the root URL and then a URL that is handled by a controller action rather than a physical file. If the home page works but every other route returns 404, check mod_rewrite, the virtual-host AllowOverride value, and /var/www/myapp/webroot/.htaccess before changing application routes.
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Inspect the active virtual host, not only a similarly named file in sites-available. A correctly written configuration has no effect until the intended site is enabled and Apache has been reloaded. If requests arrive by both the apex and www names, include both in ServerName/ServerAlias or redirect one deliberately.
Create a least-privilege database
Create the schema and application account
Use an administrative database session to create a database with utf8mb4 character support and a dedicated account. Choose a long, unique password and restrict the account to the application database:
sudo mysqlCREATE DATABASE myapp CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
CREATE USER 'myapp_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'use-a-long-random-password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON myapp.* TO 'myapp_user'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;The exact collation available depends on the MySQL or MariaDB release. Grant only the privileges the application needs; do not configure CakePHP with the database server’s root account.
The account host matters. A user created for localhost may not match a connection that uses 127.0.0.1, and a Unix socket can differ from a TCP connection. Keep the host, socket choice and account grant consistent with the values in CakePHP’s datasource configuration.
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Put connection details in local configuration
Edit /var/www/myapp/config/app_local.php and set the default datasource. A typical configuration includes:
'Datasources' => [
'default' => [
'className' => Connection::class,
'driver' => Mysql::class,
'host' => 'localhost',
'username' => 'myapp_user',
'password' => 'use-a-long-random-password',
'database' => 'myapp',
'encoding' => 'utf8mb4',
'timezone' => 'UTC',
],
],Use the Unix socket or a specific host only when it matches the database service configuration. A connection failure can result from a wrong socket path even when the username and password are correct.
Keep app_local.php, environment files and database credentials out of version control. If the project is deployed from a repository, provide production values through a protected release step or environment-specific configuration.
Set production secrets and file permissions
Replace sample salts and keys
Change every sample security salt, encryption key and other secret before the first public request. Generate unpredictable values with a cryptographically secure tool; a key should be at least 32 characters and must not be a dictionary phrase, hostname or repository value.
Disable debug output
Set the application environment to production and turn debug mode off before launch. Development mode can expose SQL statements, filesystem paths, configuration values and stack traces to visitors. Confirm the setting in the deployed configuration rather than assuming the default changed automatically.
Grant only the writes the runtime needs
CakePHP must be able to write its cache and log directories, but the entire project should not be world-writable. First identify the account Apache runs as on the image (commonly www-data), then assign ownership or group permissions only to runtime directories:
ps -o user,group,comm -C apache2
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/myapp/tmp /var/www/myapp/logs
sudo find /var/www/myapp -type d -exec chmod 755 {} ;
sudo find /var/www/myapp -type f -exec chmod 644 {} ;Adjust the paths if your CakePHP version uses a different cache or log layout. Do not apply a blanket chmod 777; it hides ownership mistakes and creates an unnecessary write surface.
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After changing ownership, exercise a page that writes cache and inspect the application log. If a release user must update files later, use a shared group or a release process that restores the intended ownership; do not solve every deployment failure by making the whole tree writable.
Connect the domain and enable HTTPS
Point DNS at the VPS
Register or use a domain you control, then create an A record for the apex name pointing to the VPS’s public IPv4 address. Add a separate A record for www if the virtual host serves that hostname. Add an AAAA record only when the VPS has working IPv6 connectivity and Apache is configured to serve it.
DNS changes can take time to propagate. Test with the hostname, not only the IP address, because Apache chooses a name-based virtual host from the request’s Host header.
Issue and enforce a certificate
Use a current certificate authority such as Let’s Encrypt to issue a certificate for every hostname you serve. Complete HTTP validation while port 80 is reachable, then configure Apache’s TLS virtual host and redirect HTTP to HTTPS. Enable automatic renewal and test the renewal path before relying on it.
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Keep the certificate renewal task in the same operational checklist as backups and updates. A site can appear healthy for months and then fail when a certificate expires, so verify that renewal is scheduled and that Apache reloads the renewed certificate.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Release and verification checklist
- Confirm the VPS PHP version satisfies the selected CakePHP branch and that
mbstring,intl, SimpleXML and PDO are loaded. - Run
composer install --no-dev --optimize-autoloaderfrom the project directory using the locked dependency set. - Run
sudo apache2ctl configtest; reload Apache only after it reports valid syntax. - Open the site over HTTPS and test the home page plus at least one non-root routed URL.
- Submit a representative form and verify both a database read and a write.
- Inspect Apache access/error logs and CakePHP logs for warnings, permission errors and failed queries.
- Verify that visitors do not see PHP errors or stack traces and that no temporary
phpinfo.phpfile remains. - Check certificate renewal, backups or snapshots, DNS records, firewall rules and the documented rollback procedure.
Run the checks in this order: dependency and PHP compatibility, Apache syntax, application routing, database operations, then HTTPS behavior. That sequence narrows failures quickly. For a repeat release, record the commit or archive deployed, the database migration state and the time of the Apache reload so a rollback can identify exactly what changed.
Troubleshoot the failures that appear most often
| Symptom | Likely cause | Checks and corrective action |
|---|---|---|
Every route except / returns 404 |
Rewrite support is disabled or .htaccess is blocked |
Run apache2ctl -M and look for rewrite_module; verify AllowOverride All (or an equivalent rewrite policy) in the active virtual host; confirm webroot/.htaccess exists and is readable. |
| PHP source downloads or appears as plain text | The Apache PHP handler is missing or not enabled | Install the matching libapache2-mod-php package, verify the enabled PHP module files, restart Apache, and retest with a minimal PHP page. Remove that test page afterward. |
| Database connection failure | Wrong host or socket, credentials, missing PDO driver, or insufficient grants | Check php -m for pdo_mysql, compare every value in config/app_local.php with the database account, test the account locally, and review database-server logs. |
| Cache or log permission denied | Runtime directories belong to the wrong account | Identify Apache’s service user, inspect ownership and mode bits, and grant write access only to CakePHP’s cache and log paths. |
| HTTPS loads but assets are blocked as mixed content | Hard-coded HTTP URLs or incorrect proxy/base-URL settings | Search generated HTML and configuration for http://, use HTTPS-aware asset helpers, verify redirects and forwarded-protocol headers, then clear CakePHP cache. |
| The wrong site appears | The default virtual host is still selected or DNS points elsewhere | Check the hostname’s A/AAAA records, list enabled sites, confirm ServerName/ServerAlias, and disable the conflicting default site when appropriate. |
Choose VPS infrastructure around deployment needs
For this workload, compare infrastructure rather than a headline CPU number. Verify the Ubuntu release offered, PHP versions available, Apache and Composer support, whether MySQL or MariaDB is managed or self-administered, snapshot and backup facilities, storage and network limits, IPv4/IPv6 and DNS controls, automated TLS options, region and latency, and the total recurring monthly cost. Provider pricing and plan limits change frequently, so confirm them immediately before purchase.
A small CakePHP site can run on a modest VPS, but leave headroom for database memory, Composer builds, log files, backups and traffic spikes. A managed database reduces administration but adds a network dependency and usually a separate charge; a local database simplifies latency and cost while making upgrades, backups and recovery your responsibility.
Also check whether the provider supplies a supported Ubuntu release rather than an old image with obsolete PHP packages. Confirm that snapshots can be restored, that you receive the IPv4 or IPv6 addresses your DNS plan requires, and that the provider’s control panel does not silently replace Apache configuration during image upgrades.
Keep the deployment repeatable
Document the exact PHP/CakePHP compatibility decision, Ubuntu image, enabled Apache modules, virtual-host file, database grants, secret-handling method and certificate-renewal job. Store application code and composer.lock in version control, but keep production credentials outside the repository. Use a staging hostname or maintenance window for framework upgrades, take a database backup before schema changes, and retain the previous release so Apache can be pointed back quickly if a deployment fails.
A practical release record includes the domain names, document root, Apache service account, writable CakePHP directories, database host and socket choice, and the commands used to validate configuration. This turns a one-off VPS setup into a procedure another administrator can reproduce without guessing which PHP module, virtual host or secret was used.
Frequently Asked Questions
What PHP version does CakePHP 5 require?
CakePHP 5.0 requires PHP 8.1 at minimum. CakePHP 5.1 and newer list compatibility with PHP 8.4 and 8.5. Check the branch-specific compatibility information and the PHP version supplied by the VPS before installing.
Where should Apache point for a CakePHP application?
Set Apache’s DocumentRoot to the application’s webroot directory, such as /var/www/myapp/webroot. Do not expose the project root, which contains configuration and source files.
Why do CakePHP routes return 404 except for the home page?
The usual causes are a disabled mod_rewrite, restrictive AllowOverride settings, or a missing or unreadable webroot/.htaccess. Check the active virtual host and run apache2ctl -M.
Can CakePHP use MariaDB instead of MySQL?
Yes. MariaDB 10.1 and newer are among the supported database versions listed for CakePHP 5. Install the provider’s MariaDB package and use the matching service name and PDO driver.
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No. Create a separate application database user, grant it access only to the application schema, and place its credentials in config/app_local.php or protected environment configuration.
Which CakePHP directories need write permission?
The runtime cache and log directories need to be writable by the Apache service account. Keep source, configuration and dependency files non-writable by the web server where possible, and never make the whole project world-writable.
Is HTTPS required for a production VPS deployment?
A public deployment should use a registered domain, DNS records pointing to the VPS and a TLS certificate. Redirect HTTP to HTTPS, automate renewal and check for mixed-content URLs after enabling TLS.
What should be tested before launch?
Open the HTTPS site, test the home page and a non-root route, submit a representative form, verify database reads and writes, inspect Apache and CakePHP logs, confirm debug output is disabled, and remove temporary files such as phpinfo.php.
The Bottom Line
A reliable CakePHP LAMP deployment depends on a few non-negotiable boundaries: use a PHP release supported by the selected CakePHP branch, keep the project outside Apache’s public root, serve only webroot, enable rewriting, use a least-privilege database account, protect secrets and runtime permissions, and finish with DNS and HTTPS. Validate routing, database operations, logs and certificate renewal before declaring the VPS production-ready.
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