How to Monitor Authentication Logs in Ubuntu

In this guide, we will describe installing PHP and PHP-FPM on Ubuntu 24.04. PHP, which stands for Hypertext Preprocessor, is a language that is widely used and open-sourced, mainly for web development. PHP is the only PHP FastCGI implementation, that is extremely useful for high-traffic websites. At the end of this guide, you should be ready to go with PHP running on your server. Prerequisites Before we start, please confirm you have the following: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS installed on the server A user account with the sudo access An essential command-line operation understanding A reliable internet connection for downloading software packages To ensure that your system is up to date, run the following commands: sudo apt updatesudo apt upgrade Install Apache Launch the Apache web server using the following command: sudo apt install apache2 Install PHP Let's begin with installing the PHP package in Ubuntu 24.04 server. First, open a terminal on your Ubuntu system. PHP and common modules are included in the installation action: sudo apt install php That command installs the core PHP package, the command-line interface, and common libraries. Make sure the installation works: php -v Install PHP Extensions PHP extensions are the way to go to extending PHP installation with certain functions. Start by installing extensions: sudo apt install php-curl php-mbstring php-xml Short description: php-mysql: Allows MySQL database connection php-gd: Adds ability to manipulate images php-curl: Makes possible to communicate with servers php-mbstring: Provides multibyte string support php-xml: Enables XML support php-zip: Enables ZIP support Additional extensions can be installed as you see fit for your projects. You can search them using: apt-cache search php- Install and Configure PHP-FPM PHP-FPM is essential when dealing with high-traffic websites. To install and configure it: Install the package: sudo apt install php-fpm Launch PHP-FPM service. Depending on the installation, version number may differ. sudo systemctl start php8.3-fpm Tell PHP-FPM to go on boot: sudo systemctl enable php8.3-fpm Verfy PHP-FPM is working: systemctl status php8.3-fpm This will output a response that says "Active (Running)" if everything is working as expected. Test PHP and PHP-FPM To ensure that PHP and PHP-FPM are both running with no problems, create a test file then serve it via the website's server. Let's say it uses Apache in this example: Generate PHP Info File. To show PHP settings using the phpinfo() function, do the following: mkdir -p /var/www/htmlecho "<?php phpinfo(); ?>" | sudo tee /var/www/html/info.php Set Up Apache for PHP-FPM. Ensure Apache is made compatible for PHP-FPM, by first finding Apache configuration file (usually /etc/apache2/sites-available/000-default.conf) then inserting: <FilesMatch \.php$>   SetHandler "proxy:unix:/var/run/php/php8.3-fpm.sock|fcgi://localhost/"</FilesMatch> Remember we must alter specific PHP version and socket path to suit individual settings of the server. Activate PHP and PHP-FPM. Enable PHP and PHP-FPM following these instructions: sudo apt install libapache2-mod-phpsudo a2enmod proxy_fcgi setenvif Reboot Apache. Apply changes by restarting Apache server: sudo systemctl restart apache2 Access PHP Info Page. First open your web browser and go to: http://your_server_ip/info.php Replace [server_ip] with the server IP address or domain. You can see details of your PHP installation. Install Multiple PHP Versions For particular projects you might need to run different applications, each one may require different functionalities. This is the way to manage and manipulate multiple PHP versions on Ubuntu 24.04. First, add PHP repository: sudo apt install software-properties-commonsudo add-apt-repository ppa:ondrej/php && sudo apt update Install PHP versions you need: sudo apt install php8.1 php8.1-fpm Deselect one PHP version and elect the other: sudo update-alternatives --set php /usr/bin/php8.1 If you are using multiple PHP versions, ensure that your web server is pointing to the appropriate PHP-FPM socket. Securing PHP and PHP-FPM: Best Practices As a web developer, you know the importance of incorporating both PHP and PHP-FPM into web applications that are safe and robust. In this section, we will introduce a number of security steps that you should adapt using PHP and PHP-FPM. 1. Keep PHP and PHP-FPM Updated PHP and PHP-FPM should be up to date. Doing regular updates will eliminate known security breaches and provide overall security improvements. You need to check for updates as often as possible then update the system as soon as the updates are available. 2. Configure PHP Securely To configure PHP securely, start by disabling unnecessary and potentially dangerous functions, such as exec, shell_exec, and eval, in the PHP configuration file (php.ini). Use open_basedir directive to restrict PHP’s access to specific directories, preventing unauthorized access to sensitive files. Set display_errors to Off in production to avoid exposing error messages that could provide insights to attackers. Limit file upload sizes and execution times to reduce the risk of resource exhaustion attacks. Besides, ensure that PHP runs under a dedicated, restricted user account with minimal permissions to prevent privilege escalation. Regularly update PHP to the latest stable version to patch vulnerabilities and improve security. 3. Use Safe Error Reporting To ensure an error-free application, it is quite handy locating and correcting code bugs in a development environment. In production environment, you have the possibility to hide the PHP errors by setting the display_error directive to be off, and you should also set the log_errors directive to be On, thus this will help you prevent PHP from showing errors to the users whereas your server will log it in a safe location without problems to users. 4. Implement Input Validation Being aware of the input validations is quite crucial during the programming of your software. Make sure that all deficiencies are tested and only SQL statements containing their SQL equivalent that can produce outwardly neutral queries via prepared statements is considered safe. 5. Secure PHP-FPM Configuration PHP-FPM is required to run using a non-usual user account with minium rights. Furthermore, access to the PHP-FPM socket or port should be very limited to the web application. 6. Enable Open_basedir You need to bind open_basedir directive in order to restrict access files within the given directory. In this case, if you attempt to visit a forbidden directory and the request is accidentally transmitted to the server, PHP will prevent you from doing so. 7. Use HTTPS We need to secure web calls by making apps HTTPS-only, which is the only prominent way to block all the known hacking tricks. Conclusion With this guide, you've successfully set up PHP and PHP-FPM on Ubuntu 24.04. Your server is now configured for dynamic web applications. To maintain security and performance, remember to keep the system and packages regularly updated.

In the network administration world, the task of setting up additional IP addresses on a single network interface is commonly performed. The technique of IP aliasing, which is a system for a device to reply to several IP addresses on one network interface, penetrates this model. All Ubuntu users should be familiar with modifying and applying these settings to ensure robust networking administration. This guide will detail the methods of creating an extra IP address in Ubuntu as an alias for both the versions of Ubuntu 24.04 and 22.04. Prerequisites Obviously, one first needs to set up the system in a way that would allow for the manipulation of all IP addresses over the same network, using Ubuntu. Here is the list: A system running either Ubuntu 24.04 or Ubuntu 22.04 Admin access to the system (sudo privileges) Basic knowledge of command-line interface operations An additional IP address assigned by a network administrator or ISP Network interface name information (e.g., eth0, ens3) When troubleshooting problems, we are in danger of causing even more difficulty, as network interfaces provided by networks are not reliable. With this in mind, it would be wise to keep a backup of the configuration files before proceeding with the changes. Configuring an Additional IP Address within Ubuntu 24.04 Ubuntu 24.04, the latest long-term support release, uses Netplan for network configuration. This configuration is also applicable for Ubuntu 22.04 and beyond. Netplan is a utility for configuring networking on Linux systems. Here's how to create an additional IP address: Check the Network Interface Primarily, it is necessary to define the network interface that will carry the new address. You can achieve this by running the following command: ip addr show The output of this command will display all the interfaces. Find the name of the interface (e.g. ens3, eth0) currently in use. Edit the Netplan Configuration File Normally Netplan configuration files are found in the /etc/netplan/ directory. The file name may be different but most of them end with a .yaml extension. To change the file, use a text editor with root privileges: sudo nano /etc/netplan/50-cloud-init.yaml Insert the New IP Address In the YAML file, add the new IP address under the addresses section of the appropriate network interface. The configuration may appear like this: network: version: 2 renderer: networkd ethernets: eth0: addresses: - "195.133.93.70/24" - "166.1.227.189/24" #New IP address - "192.168.1.2/24" #Private IP address nameservers: addresses: - "1.1.1.1" - "1.0.0.1" dhcp4: false dhcp6: false routes: - to: "0.0.0.0/0" via: "195.133.93.1" Apply the Changes Upon saving your edits, you need to apply the new version of the configuration by running this command: sudo netplan apply Validate the Configuration After completing the steps above, you will need to repeat the ip addr show command to confirm that the new IP address is in place. Now the output of this command should also include the new IP address. Additional Considerations Persistent Configuration The choices made by Netplan are stable and will last through the restart of the device. But, it's a good idea to verify the configuration with a system reboot to make sure everything goes well after the restart. Firewall Configuration When adding a new IP address, you may need to update the firewall rules. Ubuntu traditionally uses UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall). To avoid blocking the new IP, you will have to create new rules to UFW. Network Services If the system has some services running which are linked to specific IP addresses, then you must update their configurations to recognize and utilize the new IP address as well. IPv6 Considerations The above examples talk about IPv4. If you have to use IPv6 addresses, then the procedure is relatively the same; you will have to use a different style of address though. Netplan supports both IPv4 and IPv6 configurations. Troubleshooting In case of issues emerging during the configuration stage, try: Check for syntax errors in the YAML file with the command: sudo netplan --debug generate. Ensure that there are no conflicts with other devices using the same IP address on the network. Verify correct setting of the subnet mask and the gateway. Check the system logfile for error messages: journalctl -xe. Advanced IP Aliasing Techniques Network administrators can see how advanced IP aliasing plays a key role in improving network management: virtual interfaces make it possible to have several logical interfaces on a physical network interface, wherein all have their IP and network settings. Dynamic IP Aliasing There are cases where network administrators would have to implement dynamic IP aliasing. With the help of scripts, it is possible to add or remove IP aliases according to certain conditions or occurrences. For example, a script can be made to insert an IP alias whenever a particular service starts and remove it every time the service stops. IP Aliasing in Containerized Environments The popularity of containerization in the present age necessitates having IP aliasing in order to control network configuration of Docker containers and any other containerized applications. In such cases, IP aliases are quite often employed to expose multiple services on a container at different IP addresses or assist containers to communicate with one another. Docker Network Aliases In Docker, network aliases can be used to allow multiple containers to respond to the same DNS name on a custom network. Among other things, this is indispensable in microservices architectures where service discovery is a very important issue. Security Implications of IP Aliasing Though IP aliasing has a multitude of advantages, the issue of security deserves also to be looked into. Among other things, the more IP addresses you put, the larger the possible security breach of a system. The network administrators must guarantee the applications are protected with: Configurations of a firewall that will secure all the IP aliases Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) to record the traffic of all IP addresses Periodically checking the use and need of each IP alias Enabling of appropriate security tools for those services bound to specific IP aliases Conclusion Putting a new IP address as an alias into Ubuntu is a highly efficient process as their utility of Netplan helps greatly. Whether you are using Ubuntu 24.04 or 22.04, the steps remain the same including editing the Netplan configuration file, adding the new IP address, and applying the changes. A system with multiple IP addresses on a single network interface of a single computer can be used to do different tasks on such a network. The ability to respond to several IP addresses on one network interface becomes very useful in several networking situations. Through these steps, you can increase the Ubuntu computer networking capabilities quickly and effectively. The sequence is always to first back up existing configurations then to make changes followed by in-depth test post-installation. With these skills, a network infrastructure manager or an IT technician can effectively manage and optimize his Ubuntu-powered network infrastructure to cater to diverse networking requirements.

PHP is a scripting programming language commonly used for developing web applications. It allows developers to create dynamic websites that adapt their pages for specific users. These websites are not stored on the server in a ready-made form but are created on the server after a user request. This means that PHP is a server-side language, meaning scripts written in PHP run on the server, not the user's computer. There are many different versions of PHP. The language becomes more powerful and flexible with each new version, offering developers more opportunities to create modern web applications. However, not all websites upgrade or are ready to upgrade to the latest PHP version and remain on older versions. Therefore, switching between versions is an essential task for many web developers. Some developers want to take advantage of new features introduced in newer versions, while others need to fix bugs and improve the security of existing applications. In this article, we will go over how to install PHP on Ubuntu and how to manage different PHP versions. How to Install PHP on the Server To install PHP on Ubuntu Server, follow these steps: Connect to the server via SSH. Update the package list: sudo apt update Install the required dependencies: sudo apt install build-essential libssl-dev Download the installation script from the official website, replacing <version> with the desired version: curl -L -O https://www.php.net/distributions/php-<version>.tar.gz Extract the downloaded file, replacing <version> with the downloaded version: tar xzf php-<version>.tar.gz Navigate to the directory with the installed PHP: cd php-<version> Configure the installation script: ./configure Build PHP: make Install PHP: sudo make install After completing these steps, PHP will be installed on your server. The next step is to install a web server to work with PHP. The configuration may involve specifying the PHP module in the web server configuration file and setting up how .php files are handled. Finally, restart the web server. For example, to restart Apache, you can run the following command: sudo service apache2 restart How to Check PHP Version There are several ways to find out which version of PHP a website is running: Use the terminal. Create a script with phpinfo() in the website's root directory. Check PHP Version via Terminal Run the command in the terminal: php -v You will get output similar to: PHP 8.3.13 (cli) (built: Oct 30 2024 11:27:41) (NTS)Copyright (c) The PHP GroupZend Engine v4.3.13, Copyright (c) Zend Technologies    with Zend OPcache v8.3.13, Copyright (c), by Zend Technologies Check PHP Version with phpinfo() Create a file named phpinfo.php with the following content: <?phpphpinfo( );?> Save the file in the root directory of your website (where the index.html or index.php file is located). Open this file in your browser by using the following URL: http://your_website_address/phpinfo.php You will see a page with detailed information about the PHP configuration. After finding out the PHP version, be sure to delete the phpinfo.php file as it contains important server configuration information that attackers could exploit. How to Manage PHP Versions To switch between installed PHP versions on Ubuntu, follow these steps. Check if multiple PHP versions are installed. To see the list of installed PHP packages, run the command: dpkg --list | grep php Install the php-switch package, which allows change PHP versions easily: sudo apt-get install -y php-switch Switch to the desired PHP version using the php-switch command. For example, to switch to PHP 7.4, run: php-switch 8.2 Verify which PHP version is currently active by running: php -v Some scripts and extensions may only work with certain PHP versions. Before switching, make sure that all the scripts and extensions you are using support the new version. Otherwise, the website may become inaccessible or malfunction. Troubleshooting If PHP scripts are not being processed on your server, the first thing to check is the web server's functionality. Open a browser and go to the website where PHP scripts are not working. If the page opens but the PHP script output is not displayed, the problem may lie with PHP. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot the issue. Check PHP Service Status Run the following command, using your PHP version (e.g., PHP 8.3): sudo service php8.3-fpm status If the service is running, the output should indicate active (running). If the service is not running, start it with this command: sudo service php8.3-fpm start Check PHP Log Files To view PHP log files, use the following command: tail /var/log/php7\8.3-fpm.log This command will display the last few lines of the PHP log file, which may help identify the issue. Check PHP Configuration Open the php.ini file in a text editor and ensure the display_errors option is set to On. This will allow PHP errors to be displayed on your website pages. Check for Script Errors Open the PHP scripts in a text editor and look for syntax errors or other issues that could prevent the scripts from working properly. Check for Web Server Restrictions Check the web server configuration for any restrictions that might affect the execution of PHP scripts. For example, there may be restrictions in the .htaccess file that prevent certain directories from running scripts. Test the Script on Another Server If the script works on another server, the issue may be related to the configuration of the current server.