Ubuntu 24.04 PHP Development: MySQL, Virtual Hosts & Xdebug

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/000-default.conf

DocumentRoot /home/YOUR_USERNAME/Sites

<Directory /home/YOUR_USERNAME/Sites>
    Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
    AllowOverride All
    Require all granted
</Directory>

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/myproject.test.conf

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName myproject.test
    ServerAlias www.myproject.test
    DocumentRoot /home/YOUR_USERNAME/Sites/myproject

    <Directory /home/YOUR_USERNAME/Sites/myproject>
        Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>

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

sudo a2ensite myproject.test.conf
sudo systemctl reload apache2

sudo addhost myproject

sudo nano /usr/local/bin/vhost

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# vhost - Create Apache virtual hosts quickly
# Auto-detects Laravel/Symfony projects and sets correct DocumentRoot
# Usage: sudo vhost myproject [docroot]
#   sudo vhost myproject           - Auto-detect (public/ for Laravel/Symfony)
#   sudo vhost myproject public    - Force public/ subdirectory
#   sudo vhost myproject web       - Use web/ subdirectory
#   sudo vhost myproject .         - Use project root

if [ -z "$1" ]; then
    echo "Usage: sudo vhost projectname [docroot]"
    echo ""
    echo "Examples:"
    echo "  sudo vhost myproject         # Auto-detect Laravel/Symfony"
    echo "  sudo vhost myproject public  # Force public/ directory"
    echo "  sudo vhost myproject .       # Use project root"
    exit 1
fi

PROJECT="$1"
DOMAIN="${PROJECT}.test"
USERNAME=$(logname)
VHOST_FILE="/etc/apache2/sites-available/${DOMAIN}.conf"
PROJECT_DIR="/home/${USERNAME}/Sites/${PROJECT}"
DOCROOT_SUBDIR="${2:-auto}"

# Create project directory if it doesn't exist
if [ ! -d "$PROJECT_DIR" ]; then
    mkdir -p "$PROJECT_DIR"
    chown ${USERNAME}:${USERNAME} "$PROJECT_DIR"
    echo "✓ Created directory: $PROJECT_DIR"
fi

# Auto-detect DocumentRoot
if [ "$DOCROOT_SUBDIR" == "auto" ]; then
    # Check if it's a Laravel/Symfony project
    if [ -f "$PROJECT_DIR/artisan" ] || [ -f "$PROJECT_DIR/composer.json" ]; then
        if [ -d "$PROJECT_DIR/public" ]; then
            DOCROOT_SUBDIR="public"
            echo "ℹ️  Detected Laravel/Symfony project - using public/ directory"
        fi
    elif [ -d "$PROJECT_DIR/web" ]; then
        DOCROOT_SUBDIR="web"
        echo "ℹ️  Detected web/ directory"
    else
        DOCROOT_SUBDIR="."
    fi
fi

# Set DocumentRoot
if [ "$DOCROOT_SUBDIR" == "." ]; then
    DOCUMENT_ROOT="$PROJECT_DIR"
else
    DOCUMENT_ROOT="${PROJECT_DIR}/${DOCROOT_SUBDIR}"
    # Create subdirectory if it doesn't exist
    if [ ! -d "$DOCUMENT_ROOT" ]; then
        mkdir -p "$DOCUMENT_ROOT"
        chown ${USERNAME}:${USERNAME} "$DOCUMENT_ROOT"
        echo "✓ Created DocumentRoot: $DOCUMENT_ROOT"
    fi
fi

# Create virtual host file
cat > "$VHOST_FILE" <
    ServerName ${DOMAIN}
    ServerAlias www.${DOMAIN}
    DocumentRoot ${DOCUMENT_ROOT}

    
        Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    

    # Additional security for Laravel/Symfony
    
        Options FollowSymLinks
        AllowOverride None
        Require all denied
    

    
        Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    

    ErrorLog \${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/${PROJECT}-error.log
    CustomLog \${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/${PROJECT}-access.log combined

EOF

echo "✓ Created virtual host: $VHOST_FILE"
echo "  DocumentRoot: $DOCUMENT_ROOT"

# Enable site
a2ensite "${DOMAIN}.conf" > /dev/null 2>&1
echo "✓ Enabled virtual host: ${DOMAIN}"

# Add to hosts file using addhost
if command -v addhost > /dev/null; then
    addhost "$PROJECT"
else
    echo "127.0.0.1 ${DOMAIN}" >> /etc/hosts
    echo "✓ Added ${DOMAIN} to /etc/hosts"
fi

# Reload Apache
systemctl reload apache2
echo "✓ Apache reloaded"
echo ""
echo "🎉 All done! Visit http://${DOMAIN}"

sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/vhost

# Auto-detect Laravel/Symfony projects
sudo vhost mylaravel    # Automatically uses public/ if Laravel detected

# Create a simple PHP project
sudo vhost myproject    # Uses project root

# Force specific document root
sudo vhost myapp public # Always use public/ directory
sudo vhost legacyapp .  # Use project root directory

# Real-world Laravel example
cd ~/Sites
composer create-project laravel/laravel myblog
sudo vhost myblog       # Auto-detects and uses myblog/public/

sudo nano /usr/local/bin/addhost

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# addhost - Manage .test domains in /etc/hosts

if [ "$1" == "list" ]; then
    echo "Current .test domains:"
    grep "\.test" /etc/hosts | grep -v "^#"
    exit 0
fi

if [ -z "$1" ]; then
    echo "Usage:"
    echo "  sudo addhost myproject        # Adds myproject.test"
    echo "  sudo addhost list             # List all .test domains"
    echo "  sudo addhost remove myproject # Remove myproject.test"
    exit 1
fi

if [ "$1" == "remove" ]; then
    DOMAIN="${2}.test"
    sudo sed -i "/$DOMAIN/d" /etc/hosts
    echo "✓ Removed $DOMAIN"
    exit 0
fi

DOMAIN="${1}.test"

# Check if already exists
if grep -q "127.0.0.1.*$DOMAIN" /etc/hosts; then
    echo "⚠️  $DOMAIN already exists"
    exit 0
fi

# Add to hosts
echo "127.0.0.1 $DOMAIN" | sudo tee -a /etc/hosts > /dev/null
echo "✓ Added $DOMAIN → http://$DOMAIN"

sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/addhost

sudo addhost myproject        # Creates myproject.test
sudo addhost blog             # Creates blog.test
sudo addhost list             # Shows all .test domains
sudo addhost remove myproject # Removes myproject.test