Introduction
	Beyond static pages, your VPS can run full web applications — content management systems, forums, custom code. Most are written in PHP and backed by a database, so this page covers installing PHP, connecting it to Apache, adding a database, and the security habits that keep an application safe. It applies to both FreeBSD 15 and Rocky Linux 10. For a worked example, the WordPress page follows this exact path.
	Installing PHP
	Install PHP, the FastCGI process manager (PHP-FPM), and the extensions your application needs — a database driver at minimum, plus common ones like gd, mbstring, xml, curl, and zip: On FreeBSD 15: # pkg install php84 php84-fpm php84-mysqli php84-pdo php84-gd php84-mbstring php84-curl php84-zip php84-opcache # sysrc php_fpm_enable=YES # service php-fpm start On Rocky Linux 10: # dnf install php php-fpm php-mysqlnd php-pdo php-gd php-mbstring php-xml php-curl php-zip php-opcache php-cli # systemctl enable --now php-fpm Apache then hands .php requests to PHP-FPM. The exact connector directive differs slightly between the systems; Apache's and PHP's documentation, and Webmin, can each set this up. Confirm PHP works by placing a small script that calls phpinfo() in your document root, loading it once, then deleting it.
	Adding a Database
	Most applications need a database. Three options are packaged: SQLite — a serverless, single-file database included with PHP's PDO extension; good for smaller sites, with nothing extra to install. MariaDB — the recommended default, and what most applications document first. MySQL — install this specifically when an application asks for Oracle's MySQL by name. PostgreSQL is also available for applications that prefer it. Create a dedicated database and user for each application, as shown on the MariaDB page — never use the database's root account in an application's configuration.
	Deploying an Application
	Most applications follow the same pattern: upload the files into your document root over SFTP (a secure client such as FileZilla works well) or fetch them with git clone; copy the sample configuration and fill in your database credentials; set ownership and permissions; then run the installer (often by visiting a URL). Files should be owned by you and readable by the web-server group; only the specific directories an application writes to (uploads, cache) need to be writable by the web server. NOTE (Rocky Linux / SELinux): Beyond ownership and permissions, SELinux governs what Apache may do. Give writable directories the read-write web label, and grant network access if the app needs it: # semanage fcontext -a -t httpd_sys_rw_content_t "/home/youruser/public_html/uploads(/.*)?" # restorecon -Rv /home/youruser/public_html/uploads # setsebool -P httpd_can_network_connect_db on # connect to a database over TCP # setsebool -P httpd_can_sendmail on # let the app send mail
	A Security Checklist
	An application exposed to the Internet is a target. The essentials: Serve it over HTTPS, always. Keep the application, its plugins/themes, and PHP itself updated; most compromises exploit known, already-patched bugs. Use strong, unique passwords for the admin account and the database user. Make as little as possible writable by the web server; keep configuration files out of the web-served tree where you can. Back up files and database together — see Server Maintenance.
	Documentation
	PHP Documentation