How to Install Magento 2.4.8 on Ubuntu 24.04

Magento is one of the most powerful eCommerce platforms available today. It offers enterprise-level flexibility, advanced product management, extensive customization options, and a strong ecosystem for businesses of every size.

Installing Magento correctly is essential for achieving good performance, security, and long-term stability. A poorly configured server can lead to slow page loading, indexing issues, failed upgrades, and unnecessary maintenance problems.

This guide walks you through a complete installation of Magento 2.4.8 on Ubuntu 24.04 using a modern software stack consisting of:

• Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
• Nginx
• PHP 8.4
• MySQL 8
• OpenSearch
• Composer

By the end of this tutorial, you will have a fully functional Magento installation ready for development or production deployment.

Why Ubuntu 24.04?

Ubuntu 24.04 is a Long-Term Support (LTS) release that provides stability, regular security updates, and excellent compatibility with modern web technologies.

Some advantages include:

• Long-term security updates
• Stable package management
• Excellent PHP support
• Reliable performance
• Wide community support
• Suitable for cloud platforms such as AWS, DigitalOcean, Azure, and Google Cloud

For Magento deployments, Ubuntu remains one of the most widely adopted Linux distributions because of its reliability and extensive documentation.

Minimum Server Requirements

Before beginning the installation, ensure your server meets these minimum requirements.

For development environments, 4 GB of RAM is generally sufficient. Production servers should have at least 8 GB of memory along with SSD or NVMe storage to ensure smooth performance.

Prerequisites

Before installing Magento, make sure the following prerequisites are completed:

• A fresh Ubuntu 24.04 server
• A user with sudo privileges
• Root or SSH access
• A registered domain name (recommended)
• Firewall configured
• Internet connectivity
• Basic Linux command-line knowledge

Using a clean server avoids dependency conflicts and makes troubleshooting much easier later in the installation process.

Installation Overview

The installation process consists of the following major steps:

1. Update Ubuntu packages
2. Install Nginx
3. Install PHP 8.4
4. Configure PHP
5. Install Composer
6. Install MySQL 8
7. Create the Magento database
8. Install OpenSearch
9. Download Magento
10. Configure file permissions
11. Install Magento
12. Configure Nginx
13. Enable SSL
14. Configure Cron Jobs
15. Verify the installation

Let's begin by preparing the Ubuntu server.

Step 1 – Update the Ubuntu Server

The first step in any server installation is to update the operating system. This ensures that all installed packages are up to date with the latest security patches and bug fixes.

Run the following commands:

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sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

What these commands do

• apt update refreshes the package repository information.
• apt upgrade installs the latest available package updates.

Depending on your server, this process may take several minutes.

After the update completes, reboot the server if a new Linux kernel has been installed.

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sudo reboot

Reconnect to your server using SSH after the reboot.

Verify your Ubuntu version:

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lsb_release -a

Expected output should display Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.

Step 2 – Install Nginx

Magento performs exceptionally well with Nginx because of its low memory usage and high performance.

Install Nginx by running:

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sudo apt install nginx -y

Once the installation is complete, enable the service so it starts automatically whenever the server boots.

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sudo systemctl enable nginx

Start the web server.

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sudo systemctl start nginx

Verify that Nginx is running correctly.

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sudo systemctl status nginx

You should see a status similar to:

Active: active (running)

You can also verify from a web browser by visiting your server IP address.

If everything is configured correctly, the default Nginx welcome page will be displayed.

Step 3 – Configure the Firewall

Ubuntu uses UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall) to manage firewall rules.

Allow HTTP traffic:

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sudo ufw allow 'Nginx Full'

Enable the firewall.

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sudo ufw enable

Verify the configuration.

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sudo ufw status

Expected output:

Status: active

80/tcp
443/tcp

Allowing both HTTP and HTTPS traffic ensures that your Magento storefront remains accessible after SSL is configured.

Step 4 – Install PHP 8.4

Magento 2.4.8 requires PHP 8.4.

Ubuntu 24.04 already includes PHP 8.4 in its official repositories, making installation straightforward.

Install PHP together with the extensions required by Magento.

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sudo apt install php8.4 \
php8.4-fpm \
php8.4-cli \
php8.4-common \
php8.4-mysql \
php8.4-bcmath \
php8.4-curl \
php8.4-gd \
php8.4-intl \
php8.4-mbstring \
php8.4-soap \
php8.4-xml \
php8.4-zip \
php8.4-opcache \
php8.4-readline \
php8.4-xsl \
php8.4-sockets \
php8.4-ldap -y

The installation may take a few minutes depending on your server and internet connection.

Step 5 – Verify PHP Installation

After installing PHP, verify that the installation completed successfully.

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php -v

You should see output similar to:

PHP 8.4.x (cli)

To confirm that all required extensions are available, run:

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php -m

The output should include modules such as:

• bcmath
• curl
• gd
• intl
• mbstring
• mysqli
• openssl
• PDO
• soap
• xml
• zip

If any required extension is missing, install it before continuing with the Magento installation.

Step 6 – Configure PHP

Magento performs significantly better when PHP is configured with appropriate limits.

Open the PHP configuration file.

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sudo nano /etc/php/8.4/fpm/php.ini

Update the following values.

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memory_limit = 2G
max_execution_time = 1800
max_input_time = 1800
upload_max_filesize = 64M
post_max_size = 64M
zlib.output_compression = On

Save the file.

Restart PHP-FPM to apply the changes.

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sudo systemctl restart php8.4-fpm

Verify that the service is running.

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sudo systemctl status php8.4-fpm

Once PHP is configured correctly, the server is ready for installing Composer and the remaining Magento dependencies.

Step 7 – Install Composer

Composer is the official dependency manager for PHP and is required to download and manage Magento packages.

Download the latest Composer installer.

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cd /tmp

curl -sS https://getcomposer.org/installer -o composer-setup.php

Verify the installer signature (recommended for production environments).

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HASH=$(curl -sS https://composer.github.io/installer.sig)

php -r "if (hash_file('sha384', 'composer-setup.php') === '$HASH') { echo 'Installer verified'; } else { echo 'Installer corrupt'; unlink('composer-setup.php'); } echo PHP_EOL;"

Install Composer globally.

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sudo php composer-setup.php --install-dir=/usr/local/bin --filename=composer

Remove the installer.

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rm composer-setup.php

Verify the installation.

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composer --version

Expected output:

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Composer version 2.x.x

Composer is now available system-wide and can be used by Magento and other PHP applications.

Step 8 – Install MySQL 8

Magento stores all catalog data, customer information, orders, configuration settings, and CMS content inside a MySQL database.

Install the MySQL server.

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sudo apt install mysql-server -y

Enable MySQL.

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sudo systemctl enable mysql

Start the service.

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sudo systemctl start mysql

Verify the service status.

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sudo systemctl status mysql

Expected output:

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Active: active (running)

Step 9 – Secure MySQL

Run the MySQL security script.

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sudo mysql_secure_installation

The script will ask several questions.

Recommended answers:

These settings improve the security of your MySQL installation.

Step 10 – Create the Magento Database

Log in to MySQL.

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sudo mysql

Create a new database.

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CREATE DATABASE magento;

Create a dedicated Magento user.

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CREATE USER 'magento'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'StrongPasswordHere';

Grant the required privileges.

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GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON magento.* TO 'magento'@'localhost';

Reload the privileges.

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FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

Exit MySQL.

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EXIT;

Using a dedicated database user instead of the root account is considered a security best practice.

Step 11 – Install OpenSearch

Magento 2.4.8 requires a supported search engine.

OpenSearch is the recommended option because it is actively maintained, open source, and fully compatible with Magento.

Install Java.

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sudo apt install openjdk-21-jdk -y

Verify the installation.

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java -version

Expected output:

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openjdk version "21"

Import the OpenSearch repository key.

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curl -o- https://artifacts.opensearch.org/publickeys/opensearch.pgp \
| sudo gpg --dearmor \
-o /usr/share/keyrings/opensearch-keyring

Add the repository.

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echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/opensearch-keyring] https://artifacts.opensearch.org/releases/bundle/opensearch/2.x/apt stable main" \
| sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/opensearch.list

Update package information.

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sudo apt update

Install OpenSearch.

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sudo apt install opensearch -y

Step 12 – Configure OpenSearch

Edit the configuration file.

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sudo nano /etc/opensearch/opensearch.yml

Update the following values.

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network.host: 127.0.0.1

http.port: 9200

discovery.type: single-node

Save the file.

Enable the service.

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sudo systemctl enable opensearch

Restart OpenSearch.

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sudo systemctl restart opensearch

Verify the status.

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sudo systemctl status opensearch

The service should show:

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Active: active (running)

Step 13 – Verify OpenSearch

Run:

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curl -X GET http://localhost:9200

If everything is configured correctly, you should receive a JSON response similar to:

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{
  "name": "ubuntu-server",
  "cluster_name": "opensearch",
  "version": {
    "number": "2.x.x"
  }
}

This confirms that OpenSearch is running successfully and is ready for Magento.

At this stage, your server has all the major software required to run Magento:

• Ubuntu 24.04
• Nginx
• PHP 8.4
• Composer
• MySQL 8
• OpenSearch

The next section covers downloading Magento, configuring file permissions, and running the Magento installer.

Step 14 – Create the Web Root Directory

Before downloading Magento, create a directory where the application will be stored.

A common location for Nginx websites is /var/www/.

Run:

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sudo mkdir -p /var/www/magento

Assign ownership to your current user so Composer can download files without permission issues.

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

Move into the newly created directory.

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cd /var/www/magento

Verify the current directory.

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pwd

Expected output:

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/var/www/magento

Step 15 – Download Magento Using Composer

Magento recommends installing the application using Composer because it simplifies dependency management and future upgrades.

Download Magento Community Edition.

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composer create-project --repository-url=https://repo.magento.com/ \
magento/project-community-edition .

During the installation, Composer will ask for your Magento Marketplace Public Key and Private Key.

Example:

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Username:
Public Key

Password:
Private Key

You can generate these keys by signing in to your Adobe Commerce Marketplace account and creating new access keys.

Composer will now download all Magento dependencies.

Depending on your internet connection, this process may take several minutes.

After completion, verify that the files were downloaded successfully.

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ls

You should see folders similar to:

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app
bin
dev
generated
lib
pub
setup
var
vendor

Step 16 – Configure File Permissions

Correct file permissions are essential for Magento to function properly.

First, change ownership.

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sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/magento

Set directory permissions.

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sudo find var generated vendor pub/static pub/media app/etc -type f -exec chmod g+w {} +

Set directory write permissions.

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sudo find var generated vendor pub/static pub/media app/etc -type d -exec chmod g+ws {} +

Give execute permission to the Magento CLI.

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sudo chmod +x bin/magento

Verify the file.

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ls -l bin/magento

Step 17 – Install Magento

Now it's time to install Magento.

Run the setup command.

Replace the values below with your own domain name, database credentials, and administrator information.

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bin/magento setup:install \
--base-url=https://yourdomain.com \
--db-host=localhost \
--db-name=magento \
--db-user=magento \
--db-password=StrongPasswordHere \
--admin-firstname=Admin \
--admin-lastname=User \
--admin-email=admin@example.com \
--admin-user=admin \
--admin-password='Admin@1234' \
--language=en_US \
--currency=USD \
--timezone=Asia/Kolkata \
--use-rewrites=1 \
--search-engine=opensearch \
--opensearch-host=localhost \
--opensearch-port=9200

The installer performs several tasks:

• Creates the Magento database structure
• Installs required modules
• Generates dependency injection files
• Creates the administrator account
• Configures the storefront
• Generates encryption keys
• Writes configuration files

The installation may take between five and fifteen minutes depending on the server specifications.

When completed successfully, you should see a message similar to:

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[SUCCESS]: Magento installation complete.

Step 18 – Verify the Magento Installation

Check the installed version.

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bin/magento --version

Example output:

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Magento CLI version 2.4.8

Display all available commands.

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bin/magento list

If the command list appears without errors, Magento has been installed correctly.

Step 19 – Configure Magento Deployment Mode

Magento supports three deployment modes.

For production servers, switch to production mode.

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bin/magento deploy:mode:set production

Verify the deployment mode.

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bin/magento deploy:mode:show

Expected output:

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Current application mode: production

Production mode provides better performance by disabling unnecessary debugging features.

Step 20 – Flush Cache and Reindex

Magento uses caching extensively to improve performance.

After installation, flush the cache.

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bin/magento cache:flush

Rebuild all indexes.

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bin/magento indexer:reindex

Verify index status.

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bin/magento indexer:status

All indexers should report:

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Ready

At this stage, Magento is installed successfully and is ready to be connected to Nginx so that it can be accessed through your web browser.

Step 14 – Create the Web Root Directory

Before downloading Magento, create a directory where the application will be stored.

A common location for Nginx websites is /var/www/.

Run:

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sudo mkdir -p /var/www/magento

Assign ownership to your current user so Composer can download files without permission issues.

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

Move into the newly created directory.

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cd /var/www/magento

Verify the current directory.

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pwd

Expected output:

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/var/www/magento

Step 15 – Download Magento Using Composer

Magento recommends installing the application using Composer because it simplifies dependency management and future upgrades.

Download Magento Community Edition.

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composer create-project --repository-url=https://repo.magento.com/ \
magento/project-community-edition .

During the installation, Composer will ask for your Magento Marketplace Public Key and Private Key.

Example:

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Username:
Public Key

Password:
Private Key

You can generate these keys by signing in to your Adobe Commerce Marketplace account and creating new access keys.

Composer will now download all Magento dependencies.

Depending on your internet connection, this process may take several minutes.

After completion, verify that the files were downloaded successfully.

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ls

You should see folders similar to:

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app
bin
dev
generated
lib
pub
setup
var
vendor

Step 16 – Configure File Permissions

Correct file permissions are essential for Magento to function properly.

First, change ownership.

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sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/magento

Set directory permissions.

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sudo find var generated vendor pub/static pub/media app/etc -type f -exec chmod g+w {} +

Set directory write permissions.

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sudo find var generated vendor pub/static pub/media app/etc -type d -exec chmod g+ws {} +

Give execute permission to the Magento CLI.

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sudo chmod +x bin/magento

Verify the file.

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ls -l bin/magento

Step 17 – Install Magento

Now it's time to install Magento.

Run the setup command.

Replace the values below with your own domain name, database credentials, and administrator information.

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bin/magento setup:install \
--base-url=https://yourdomain.com \
--db-host=localhost \
--db-name=magento \
--db-user=magento \
--db-password=StrongPasswordHere \
--admin-firstname=Admin \
--admin-lastname=User \
--admin-email=admin@example.com \
--admin-user=admin \
--admin-password='Admin@12345' \
--language=en_US \
--currency=USD \
--timezone=Asia/Kolkata \
--use-rewrites=1 \
--search-engine=opensearch \
--opensearch-host=localhost \
--opensearch-port=9200

The installer performs several tasks:

• Creates the Magento database structure
• Installs required modules
• Generates dependency injection files
• Creates the administrator account
• Configures the storefront
• Generates encryption keys
• Writes configuration files

The installation may take between five and fifteen minutes depending on the server specifications.

When completed successfully, you should see a message similar to:

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[SUCCESS]: Magento installation complete.

Step 18 – Verify the Magento Installation

Check the installed version.

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bin/magento --version

Example output:

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Magento CLI version 2.4.8

Display all available commands.

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bin/magento list

If the command list appears without errors, Magento has been installed correctly.

Step 19 – Configure Magento Deployment Mode

Magento supports three deployment modes.

For production servers, switch to production mode.

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bin/magento deploy:mode:set production

Verify the deployment mode.

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bin/magento deploy:mode:show

Expected output:

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Current application mode: production

Production mode provides better performance by disabling unnecessary debugging features.

Step 20 – Flush Cache and Reindex

Magento uses caching extensively to improve performance.

After installation, flush the cache.

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bin/magento cache:flush

Rebuild all indexes.

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bin/magento indexer:reindex

Verify index status.

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bin/magento indexer:status

All indexers should report:

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Ready

At this stage, Magento is installed successfully and is ready to be connected to Nginx so that it can be accessed through your web browser.