To uninstall a LAMP stack, first identify which Apache, PHP, and MySQL-or-MariaDB packages are actually installed; export every database and copy the site and custom configuration; simulate the APT transaction; then stop services, remove or purge the selected packages, review orphan cleanup, and verify that no web or database service remains.
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LAMP means Linux, Apache, MySQL or MariaDB, and PHP. Ubuntu package names differ by release and by database choice, so a command copied from another server can remove too little, fail to match anything, or affect software used by another application. Package removal is also separate from deleting your websites, uploads, database files, TLS keys, and other user-created data.
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There are three different jobs people call an uninstall:
- Stop the stack: leave packages and data installed but stop Apache and the database service.
- Remove software: uninstall packaged programs while normally retaining their package configuration files.
- Clean-slate removal: purge package configuration and, only as a separate deliberate action, remove application data that you have backed up and no longer need.
Do not assume that purging packages deletes every website or database. Files under /var/www/, database storage, virtual-host content, uploads, certificates, and hand-edited settings may be user data or may be retained for recovery. Conversely, a broad dependency cleanup can remove software that another application still needs. Treat package removal and data destruction as separate approvals.
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Canonical’s Ubuntu security guidance, updated May 1, 2026, describes the default behavior this way: “By default, removal of a package will not delete its configuration files, as a data-loss avoidance strategy, as these may have been customised by you.” Ubuntu package-management guidance updated June 26, 2026, states that adding --purge to apt remove removes package configuration files as well.
Inventory the release and installed components
Run the inventory before stopping or deleting anything. The release string helps you interpret versioned package names, while the package queries distinguish installed packages (ii) from removed packages whose configuration remains (rc).
. /etc/os-release
printf '%sn' "$PRETTY_NAME"
dpkg -l | grep -E '^(ii|rc) (apache2|php|libapache2-mod-php|mysql|mariadb)'
apt-mark showmanual | grep -E 'apache2|php|mysql|mariadb'dpkg -l is an inventory, not a removal command. Ubuntu supports filtering its package listing by package name or regular expression. The apt-mark showmanual result shows packages explicitly marked as manually installed; this matters later when APT decides which dependencies are eligible for autoremove.
Map the names you find
| Stack part | Names you may see | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Web server | apache2 and related Apache modules |
Whether Apache is the server you intend to remove, and whether another site depends on it. |
| PHP runtime | php, versioned packages such as php8.x, and libapache2-mod-php |
The installed default metapackage, the actual versioned modules, and extensions used by other applications. |
| Database | Either the MySQL family or the MariaDB family, including server, client, and common packages | Which family is installed. Do not remove both families merely because both names appear in a generic command. |
| Optional tools | For example, phpmyadmin if it appears in your inventory |
Whether it is part of this stack and safe to remove, rather than a tool still used elsewhere. |
Current Ubuntu releases can install an unversioned php metapackage alongside versioned PHP modules. Package names can therefore differ even between two machines running the same broad Ubuntu release. Use the names returned by the inventory instead of guessing a version.
Back up databases, sites, and custom configuration
Make backups before any purge or autoremove. Keep them on storage that will survive the package transaction, and do not delete the originals until a replacement service has been installed and tested.
Export each database
List the databases through the client supplied by the installed MySQL-compatible server, then export the databases your applications require. A typical logical export uses the MySQL-compatible dump utility:
mysqldump -u root -p --all-databases > all-databases.sqlOn installations that provide MariaDB’s client tools, the equivalent utility may be named mariadb-dump:
mariadb-dump -u root -p --all-databases > all-databases.sqlUse the utility and authentication method configured on your server; a root account may authenticate through a local socket rather than a password. For a production system, verify that the dump completes without errors and that its file is readable by the account performing the backup. If you need per-database files, export each application database separately and record its database user, character-set expectations, and connection settings.
Copy website and configuration files
Inspect the usual locations before copying:
/var/www/for document roots, uploads, and application files./etc/apache2/for virtual hosts, enabled modules, and Apache settings./etc/php/for PHP versions, module settings, andphp.inifiles.- The database data directory reported by the installed database package, rather than assuming a fixed path.
Preserve file ownership, permissions, hidden files, deployment scripts, scheduled jobs, TLS private keys, and environment files. A recursive copy into a backup location is only useful if that location has sufficient space and access controls for secrets. Do not recursively delete any of these paths until you have inspected their contents and confirmed that no unrelated application uses them.
Stop services and inspect dependencies
Stopping services prevents requests and database writes while packages are being changed. Service names vary, so the following attempts to stop each possible database service and ignores the error for a name that is not present.
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sudo systemctl stop mysql 2>/dev/null || true
sudo systemctl stop mariadb 2>/dev/null || true
apt-cache depends apache2 php mysql-server mariadb-server 2>/dev/nullThe dependency query is informative; it does not alter the system. Check application documentation, systemd units, container definitions, and deployment scripts for software that still expects Apache, PHP modules, a database client library, or a local database socket. If another application shares any of those packages, remove only the components that are genuinely obsolete.
Choose remove or purge
Use plain removal when you may reinstall the stack and want package configuration retained. Use purge when you intentionally want APT to remove the selected packages’ configuration files as well. Neither choice is permission to erase website or database data.
| APT action | Effect | When it fits | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
apt remove |
Removes packaged software and normally keeps its package configuration files. | You may reinstall, need to preserve customized settings, or want a reversible first step. | Old configuration can remain and influence a later reinstall. |
apt purge |
Removes the package and its package-managed configuration files. | You want a clean package-level reset after recording settings. | Customized package configuration is discarded; user data still needs a separate decision. |
apt autoremove --purge |
Removes packages APT considers automatically installed and no longer required, purging their configuration. | After reviewing a simulated transaction and confirming every listed package is disposable. | It can include dependencies needed by another program if package markings or assumptions are wrong. |
Ubuntu recommends using APT for dependency-aware removal. Canonical’s package-management documentation says, “Uninstalling packages using dpkg, is NOT recommended in most cases.” Direct dpkg -r removal does not resolve dependencies and can leave dependent packages broken.
Preview the transaction before confirming it
APT accepts multiple package names in one command. Preview the exact operation first, especially if you use wildcards. Quoted patterns prevent the shell from expanding them against filenames in your current directory.
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mysql-server mysql-client mysql-common
mariadb-server mariadb-client mariadb-commonThis broad example is only a preview. Replace it with the packages shown by your inventory. Include versioned PHP packages or phpmyadmin only when they are installed and truly belong to the stack. Review every removal, including libraries and applications that are not named in your command. If the simulation proposes removing a package used by another service, stop and narrow the list.
A safer approach is to name only installed top-level packages. For a MySQL-family installation, the command might look like this:
sudo apt purge apache2 php libapache2-mod-php mysql-server mysql-clientFor a MariaDB-family installation, substitute the MariaDB server and client names that your inventory returned. Do not include both database families unless your inspection proves that both are installed and neither is needed.
Remove the selected packages
Retain configuration with remove
If preserving package configuration is intentional, run the reviewed package list with remove:
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sudo apt remove apache2 php libapache2-mod-php mysql-server mysql-clientUse the MariaDB package names instead when MariaDB is installed. Read APT’s confirmation screen; never accept a transaction whose removal list differs from the reviewed simulation. A plain remove is often the better first pass on a server that may be restored.
Delete package configuration with purge
For a package-level clean slate, run the reviewed list with purge:
sudo apt purge apache2 php libapache2-mod-php mysql-server mysql-clientPurging removes package configuration files, including customized settings managed by those packages. Save virtual-host definitions, PHP settings, module choices, and database configuration before confirming. If you selected a versioned PHP module in the simulation, include that exact installed name rather than assuming the unversioned php metapackage covers it.
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Handle automatically installed dependencies cautiously
After the explicit removal succeeds, simulate orphan cleanup:
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sudo apt-mark manual package-nameOnly after the simulation contains exclusively unwanted packages should you run:
sudo apt autoremove --purgeRun a new simulation after any change in package markings. Do not treat autoremove as a harmless finishing command; it is a second transaction with its own removal set.
Decide separately whether to delete leftover data
Package removal and data destruction are different decisions. Purging Apache does not tell you whether an application’s document root, uploads, certificates, or virtual-host content should disappear. Removing a database package does not by itself establish that every database file is gone or that deleting those files is safe.
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For a clean reinstall, inspect the contents and ownership of each leftover directory, compare them with your backup, and confirm that no unrelated service references them. Keep the database dump and site backup until the replacement stack can serve the site and connect to its restored database. If the goal is only to change web servers or PHP versions, preserve the data and remove only the packages that block that change.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Verify that the stack is gone
Verification should cover package state, retained configuration, service health, listening ports, and the transaction log.
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dpkg -l | grep -E 'apache2|php|mysql|mariadb' || true
apt list '?config-files' 2>/dev/null | grep -E 'apache2|php|mysql|mariadb' || true
systemctl --failed
ss -ltnp | grep -E ':80|:443|:3306' || true
grep -E ' (apache2|php|mysql|mariadb)' /var/log/dpkg.log | tail -n 50| Check | How to interpret it | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Package listing | No ii entries means those packages are not currently installed. An rc entry means the package is removed but configuration remains. |
Use the retained-configuration list to decide whether those files should be purged. |
| APT config-file query | Entries identify package configuration files that survived a plain remove. | Confirm they are not needed, then purge the corresponding packages if appropriate. |
systemctl --failed |
Shows failed units, which may include a service left in a broken state rather than cleanly removed. | Inspect the unit name and logs before deleting files or retrying APT. |
| Listening ports | Ports 80 and 443 indicate an HTTP/HTTPS listener; 3306 commonly indicates a MySQL-compatible listener. | Identify the owning process. It may come from a different package, container, source build, or manually installed service. |
/var/log/dpkg.log |
Records the package removal transaction and helps establish what APT actually changed. | Use the timestamped entries when diagnosing a partial or unexpected removal. |
A port check is complementary to package inspection. A listener can remain when it was installed by another package, launched from a container, built from source, or started by a manually created systemd unit.
Troubleshoot common failure cases
The simulation wants to remove too much
Cancel the command. Identify which proposed package another application needs, then rerun the simulation with a narrower explicit list. Check manual-install markings and dependency relationships with apt-cache depends. Do not approve a large wildcard purge merely because it includes the packages you recognize.
APT reports interrupted configuration
Do not start deleting package directories manually. First inspect the error output and the recent entries in /var/log/dpkg.log. Resolve the reported package-state problem using APT’s normal recovery path, then rerun the simulation so you know what transaction will occur. Directly removing files can leave the package database inconsistent.
Configuration files remain after remove
This is expected for plain removal. The rc state and apt list '?config-files' query show retained package configuration. If you have copied any settings you need and genuinely want them gone, purge the affected package; otherwise retain them for a possible reinstall.
Apache or the database still listens
Use ss -ltnp to identify the process owning ports 80, 443, or 3306. Check the process’s package, systemd unit, container runtime, or source-install location. Removing the LAMP packages cannot stop a separately installed web server or database.
A reinstall behaves differently
Review whether the previous operation was remove or purge. Retained configuration can restore old module settings, virtual hosts, or PHP defaults. If you need a clean package configuration, back up the retained files and purge deliberately; if you need the old settings, keep them and restore data separately.
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Quick Recap
A safe decision checklist
- Record the Ubuntu release and the exact installed Apache, PHP, and database packages.
- Confirm whether the database is MySQL-family or MariaDB-family; do not assume both.
- Export databases and verify the dump files.
- Copy
/var/www/, Apache and PHP configuration, certificates, and other application-specific files. - Stop whichever Apache and database services actually exist.
- Simulate the explicit removal and inspect every package APT proposes to change.
- Choose
removefor retained package configuration orpurgefor a package-level clean slate. - Simulate
autoremove --purgeseparately and reject unrelated removals. - Delete user data only after a backup, content review, and explicit clean-wipe decision.
- Verify package states, retained configuration, failed units, listening ports, and
/var/log/dpkg.log.
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