How To Install phpMyAdmin on Fedora 43

Managing databases through command-line interfaces can be intimidating, even for experienced developers. phpMyAdmin offers a powerful web-based alternative that simplifies MySQL and MariaDB database administration. This comprehensive guide walks you through installing and configuring phpMyAdmin on Fedora 43, from initial setup to security hardening.

Whether you’re a system administrator managing multiple databases or a developer who prefers visual interfaces over terminal commands, phpMyAdmin streamlines tasks like creating databases, managing users, executing queries, and importing data. The installation process requires some Linux knowledge, but following these steps carefully ensures a smooth setup.

Prerequisites and System Requirements

Before diving into the installation, verify your system meets the necessary requirements. You’ll need a working Fedora 43 installation with root or sudo privileges. An active internet connection is essential for downloading packages. The system should have at least 2GB of RAM and 1GB of available disk space, though these are conservative estimates.

Basic familiarity with the Linux command line helps tremendously. You’ll be executing terminal commands, editing configuration files, and managing system services. Don’t worry if you’re not an expert—each step includes clear explanations.

Ensure your firewall is active and note its status. You’ll need to configure firewall rules later. Check that your system can connect to the internet by pinging a common website or running a quick package update test.

Update Your Fedora 43 System

Starting with a fully updated system prevents compatibility issues and ensures you have the latest security patches. Open your terminal and run the update command:

sudo dnf update -y

The -y flag automatically confirms all prompts, streamlining the process. This command checks for available updates across all installed packages and applies them. Depending on your last update and internet speed, this might take several minutes.

Watch for kernel updates in the output. If the kernel gets updated, reboot your system before proceeding:

sudo reboot

After rebooting, log back in and continue with the installation.

Install Apache Web Server

Apache serves as the foundation for phpMyAdmin, handling HTTP requests and delivering the web interface to your browser. Install it using Fedora’s package manager:

sudo dnf install httpd -y

The installation completes within seconds on most systems. Once finished, start the Apache service immediately:

sudo systemctl start httpd

Enable Apache to start automatically when your system boots:

sudo systemctl enable httpd

Verify the service is running correctly:

sudo systemctl status httpd

You should see green text indicating “active (running)” status. Press q to exit the status view.

Configure Firewall for Web Access

Fedora’s firewall blocks HTTP and HTTPS traffic by default. Open these ports permanently:

sudo firewall-cmd --add-service=http --permanent
sudo firewall-cmd --add-service=https --permanent

Reload the firewall to apply changes:

sudo firewall-cmd --reload

Test your Apache installation by opening a web browser and navigating to http://localhost or http://your-server-ip-address. The default Fedora Apache test page confirms successful installation.

Install MariaDB Database Server

phpMyAdmin needs a database server to manage. MariaDB, a community-developed fork of MySQL, provides excellent performance and compatibility. Install both the server and client packages:

sudo dnf install mariadb mariadb-server -y

Start the MariaDB service:

sudo systemctl start mariadb

Enable it to launch on system startup:

sudo systemctl enable mariadb

Secure Your MariaDB Installation

Fresh MariaDB installations lack proper security configurations. Run the security script to lock down your database:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

This interactive script presents several security options. Here’s how to respond:

First, it asks about switching to Unix socket authentication. Press Enter to skip this for now. When prompted to set a root password, press Y and enter a strong password. Save this password securely—you’ll need it to access phpMyAdmin.

Remove anonymous users by typing Y. These accounts pose security risks. Disallow root login remotely by selecting Y again. Root access should only occur from localhost.

Remove the test database by confirming with Y. This database exists purely for testing and has no production value. Finally, reload privilege tables by typing Y one last time.

Verify your MariaDB installation works:

sudo mysql -u root -p

Enter the root password you just created. The MariaDB prompt appears, confirming successful connection. Type exit to leave the database shell.

Install PHP and Required Extensions

PHP processes dynamic content and connects phpMyAdmin to your database server. Fedora 43 includes PHP in its repositories along with necessary extensions. Install the complete PHP stack:

sudo dnf install php php-cli php-mysqlnd php-mbstring php-gd php-xml php-curl php-zip php-bcmath php-pear php-php-gettext -y

Each extension serves a specific purpose. The php-mysqlnd extension enables MySQL/MariaDB connectivity. php-mbstring handles multibyte character encoding, essential for international character sets. php-gd generates images and captchas. php-xml processes XML data structures. php-curl manages URL operations, while php-zip handles file compression.

After installation, restart Apache to load the PHP module:

sudo systemctl restart httpd

Check your PHP version:

php -v

The output displays the installed PHP version and build information. Fedora 43 typically includes PHP 8.2 or newer.

Install phpMyAdmin

Fedora’s official repositories include phpMyAdmin, simplifying installation significantly. Run the installation command:

sudo dnf install phpMyAdmin -y

The package manager downloads phpMyAdmin and its dependencies automatically. Installation takes just moments. The default installation directory is /usr/share/phpMyAdmin, and configuration files reside in /etc/phpMyAdmin/.

Verify the installation by checking the version:

rpm -qi phpMyAdmin

This displays package information including version number and installation date.

Configure phpMyAdmin

Fresh phpMyAdmin installations restrict access to localhost only. For local-only usage, this works perfectly. For remote access, configuration changes are necessary.

Edit Apache Configuration

Open the phpMyAdmin Apache configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/httpd/conf.d/phpMyAdmin.conf

Look for lines containing Require local. This directive restricts access to the local machine. For remote access from any IP address, replace these lines with:

Require all granted

However, opening access to all IP addresses creates security vulnerabilities. A better approach limits access to specific IP addresses:

Require ip 192.168.1.100

Replace 192.168.1.100 with your actual IP address. For multiple IPs, list them space-separated:

Require ip 192.168.1.100 192.168.1.101

Save the file by pressing Ctrl+O, then Enter. Exit nano with Ctrl+X.

Handle SELinux Considerations

Fedora’s Security-Enhanced Linux (SELinux) sometimes blocks phpMyAdmin connections. If you encounter access issues, check SELinux status:

sestatus

If SELinux is enforcing, you may need to adjust permissions:

sudo setsebool -P httpd_can_network_connect_db 1

This boolean setting allows Apache to connect to database servers over the network.

Restart Apache to apply all configuration changes:

sudo systemctl restart httpd

Access phpMyAdmin Interface

Open your web browser and navigate to the phpMyAdmin URL. For local access:

http://localhost/phpMyAdmin

For remote access, use your server’s IP address:

http://your-server-ip/phpMyAdmin

The phpMyAdmin login screen appears, displaying a clean interface with username and password fields. Enter your MariaDB credentials—username root and the password you set during the security configuration.

After successful login, the phpMyAdmin dashboard loads. The left sidebar lists databases, while the main panel displays server statistics, MySQL variables, and quick access tools. The interface provides tabs for databases, SQL queries, user accounts, export, import, and settings.

Explore the interface briefly. Click “Databases” to view existing databases. The “SQL” tab opens a query editor for direct SQL execution. The “User accounts” section manages database users and privileges.

Securing Your phpMyAdmin Installation

Default phpMyAdmin installations require additional security hardening. Several straightforward measures dramatically improve security.

Change the Default Access URL

Automated bots constantly scan for /phpMyAdmin URLs. Changing this path adds an immediate security layer. Edit the Apache configuration again:

sudo nano /etc/httpd/conf.d/phpMyAdmin.conf

Find the Alias directive near the top:

Alias /phpMyAdmin /usr/share/phpMyAdmin

Change /phpMyAdmin to something unique and less obvious:

Alias /secret-database-panel /usr/share/phpMyAdmin

Save and restart Apache. Access phpMyAdmin using your new URL: http://localhost/secret-database-panel

Implement HTTP Authentication

Add an authentication layer before the phpMyAdmin login. This creates a two-factor approach—users must pass HTTP authentication before even seeing the phpMyAdmin login screen.

Create a password file:

sudo htpasswd -c /etc/phpMyAdmin/.htpasswd admin

Enter a secure password when prompted. This creates user admin with the specified password.

Edit the phpMyAdmin Apache configuration to require this authentication:

sudo nano /etc/httpd/conf.d/phpMyAdmin.conf

Add these lines within a <Directory> block:

AuthType Basic
AuthName "Restricted Access"
AuthUserFile /etc/phpMyAdmin/.htpasswd
Require valid-user

Restart Apache. Now accessing phpMyAdmin prompts for HTTP authentication credentials before displaying the login screen.

Restrict Access by IP Address

We touched on this earlier, but it deserves emphasis. Limiting phpMyAdmin access to known IP addresses prevents unauthorized access attempts. Always configure IP restrictions in production environments.

Disable Root Login

Using the root account for routine database operations is risky. Create a separate administrative user with appropriate privileges.

Log into phpMyAdmin as root, navigate to “User accounts,” and click “Add user account.” Create a new user with a strong password. In the “Global privileges” section, select “Check all” to grant full privileges. Click “Go” to create the user.

Test the new account by logging out and logging back in with the new credentials. Once verified, consider disabling root login entirely by modifying the user’s host settings.

Configure Blowfish Secret

phpMyAdmin uses a blowfish secret for cookie-based authentication. Set a strong, unique secret:

sudo nano /etc/phpMyAdmin/config.inc.php

Find this line:

$cfg['blowfish_secret'] = '';

Generate a random 32-character string and insert it between the quotes. You can generate one with:

openssl rand -base64 32

Copy the output and paste it into the configuration file.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Even with careful installation, issues occasionally arise. Here are solutions to the most common problems.

“Cannot log in to MySQL server” Error

This error typically indicates authentication problems. MariaDB 10.4 and newer use unix_socket authentication for root by default, which conflicts with phpMyAdmin’s login mechanism.

Fix this by logging into MariaDB:

sudo mysql -u root -p

Run these commands:

ALTER USER 'root'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED WITH mysql_native_password BY 'your_password';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Replace your_password with your actual root password. This switches root authentication to the traditional password method.

403 Forbidden or Access Denied Errors

These errors stem from Apache configuration or SELinux restrictions. First, verify your phpMyAdmin Apache configuration allows access from your IP address. Check the Require directives discussed earlier.

If configuration looks correct, SELinux might be blocking access. Temporarily set SELinux to permissive mode for testing:

sudo setenforce 0

If phpMyAdmin works in permissive mode, SELinux is the culprit. Set the correct boolean:

sudo setsebool -P httpd_unified 1

Re-enable SELinux:

sudo setenforce 1

Blank Page or PHP Errors

Missing PHP extensions cause blank pages or errors. Verify all required extensions are installed:

php -m | grep -E 'mysqli|mbstring|gd|xml'

Each extension should appear in the output. If any are missing, reinstall the PHP packages mentioned earlier.

Check Apache error logs for specific issues:

sudo tail -f /var/log/httpd/error_log

Error messages here pinpoint exact problems.

TempDir Warning Messages

phpMyAdmin displays warnings about inaccessible temporary directories. Create a dedicated temp directory:

sudo mkdir -p /var/lib/phpMyAdmin/tmp
sudo chown -R apache:apache /var/lib/phpMyAdmin
sudo chmod 700 /var/lib/phpMyAdmin/tmp

Edit the phpMyAdmin configuration:

sudo nano /etc/phpMyAdmin/config.inc.php

Add this line:

$cfg['TempDir'] = '/var/lib/phpMyAdmin/tmp';

Restart Apache to apply changes.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed phpMyAdmin. Thanks for using this tutorial for installing the latest version of phpMyAdmin on the Fedora 43 Linux system. For additional help or useful information, we recommend you check the official phpMyAdmin website.