How to Install Apache 2.4 Web Server on EC2 Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

This guide walks you through how to install Apache 2.4 on an EC2 Ubuntu 22.04 instance, configure a virtual host, and manage the service. Apache is the most common web server for hosting websites, running PHP apps, and serving as a reverse proxy on Linux.

Prerequisites

• An EC2 instance running Ubuntu 22.04 LTS — follow How to deploy EC2 Ubuntu 22.04 LTS on AWS if you need one
• SSH access to the instance
• Your EC2 Security Group must allow inbound traffic on port 80 (HTTP) and 443 (HTTPS) — this is the most common reason Apache appears unreachable after installation

Connect to Your EC2 Instance

ssh -i /path/to/your-key.pem ubuntu@203.0.113.10

Replace the key path and IP with your own. If you have passwordless SSH configured, you can connect without specifying the key file.

Install Apache 2.4

Ubuntu 22.04 includes Apache 2.4 in its default repositories. Update the package list and install it:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y apache2

Optional: Use the ondrej/apache2 PPA for a newer version

The default Ubuntu 22.04 repos ship Apache 2.4.52. If you need a newer point release (for specific module support or bug fixes), add the ondrej PPA before installing:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ondrej/apache2 -y
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y apache2

For most setups, the default version is fine.

Verify the Installation

Check that Apache is running and see which version was installed:

sudo systemctl status apache2

apache2ctl -v

You should see active (running) in the status output. Now open your browser and go to http://your-ec2-public-ip. You should see the default Apache2 Ubuntu welcome page.

If the page doesn’t load, check your EC2 Security Group — port 80 must be open for inbound traffic.

Configure the Firewall (UFW)

On EC2, Security Groups act as the primary firewall at the network level. UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall) is an optional additional layer running on the instance itself. If you decide to enable UFW, make sure to allow SSH first — otherwise you’ll lock yourself out:

sudo ufw allow 22/tcp
sudo ufw allow 80/tcp
sudo ufw allow 443/tcp
sudo ufw enable

Verify the rules:

sudo ufw status

The order matters — always allow SSH (port 22) before running ufw enable.

Manage the Apache Service

Action	Command
Start Apache	sudo systemctl start apache2
Stop Apache	sudo systemctl stop apache2
Restart Apache	sudo systemctl restart apache2
Reload config (no downtime)	sudo systemctl reload apache2
Enable on boot	sudo systemctl enable apache2
Check status	sudo systemctl status apache2

Use reload instead of restart when you change configuration files — it applies the new config without dropping active connections.

Set Up a Virtual Host

Virtual hosts let you serve multiple websites from a single Apache instance. Here’s how to create one for example.com.

1. Create the document root

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/example.com/public_html
sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /var/www/example.com/public_html

2. Create the virtual host config

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/example.com.conf

Add the following:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerAdmin webmaster@example.com
    ServerName example.com
    ServerAlias www.example.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/example.com/public_html

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/example.com-error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/example.com-access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

• ServerName — your primary domain
• ServerAlias — additional domain (e.g., the www version)
• DocumentRoot — where Apache looks for your site files
• Separate log files per site make troubleshooting easier

3. Enable the site and disable the default

sudo a2ensite example.com.conf
sudo a2dissite 000-default.conf

4. Test and reload

sudo apache2ctl configtest
sudo systemctl reload apache2

Always run configtest before reloading — it catches syntax errors in your config files before they take down the server.

Conclusion

You now have Apache 2.4 running on your EC2 Ubuntu 22.04 instance with a virtual host configured and ready to serve traffic.

Next steps: install PHP 8.3 to run dynamic applications, or secure Apache with Let’s Encrypt to enable HTTPS. If you’re building a full WordPress stack, check out the complete WordPress installation guide.