Install GLPI 11 on Ubuntu 24.04 / 26.04 LTS [Complete Guide]

If you’re looking for a free, self-hosted IT asset management and help desk solution, GLPI 11 is worth checking out. It helps you manage computers, software licenses, IT equipment, support tickets, and service requests from one place.

GLPI is an open-source application that runs on a web server. You don’t need to install a separate desktop application on every computer. Once it’s set up, you can access the management interface through a web browser.

In this guide, we’ll walk through installing GLPI 11 on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS or Ubuntu 26.04 LTS using Apache, PHP, and MariaDB.

Install GLPI 11 on Ubuntu 24.04 / 26.04 LTS

To install GLPI 11 on Ubuntu 24.04 or 26.04 LTS, install Apache, PHP 8.2 or later, and MariaDB 10.6 or later. Create a database for GLPI, download the latest stable GLPI 11 release, configure Apache to use the GLPI public directory, and complete the installation through your web browser.

Before starting, make sure you have an Ubuntu server with sudo access, at least 2 GB of RAM, and a stable network connection. 

A domain name is recommended if you plan to access GLPI over HTTPS.

Step 1: Update Ubuntu and prepare the server

The first step is to update Ubuntu. This makes sure your server has the latest available package information and security updates.

Open a terminal or connect to your Ubuntu server through SSH.

Run the following command:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

The apt update command refreshes the package list, while apt upgrade installs available updates.

Next, check your Ubuntu version:

lsb_release -a

You should see Ubuntu 24.04 LTS or Ubuntu 26.04 LTS in the output.

It’s also a good idea to confirm that your server has enough available disk space:

df -h

GLPI stores its database, uploaded documents, and other application files on your server. Make sure you have enough space for your expected number of users and IT assets.

Step 2: Install Apache, PHP, and MariaDB

GLPI needs three main components to work.

Apache serves the application to your web browser. PHP runs the application code, while MariaDB stores information such as users, tickets, and asset records.

Install the required packages:

sudo apt install apache2 mariadb-server \

php php-cli libapache2-mod-php \

php-curl php-gd php-intl php-mysql \

php-mbstring php-bcmath php-xml \

php-zip php-bz2 php-ldap php-opcache \

unzip wget curl -y

These packages include the PHP extensions required by GLPI 11, along with additional extensions for features such as LDAP authentication and compressed files.

GLPI 11 requires PHP 8.2 or later, MariaDB 10.6 or later, or MySQL 8.0 or later.

Ubuntu 24.04 provides PHP 8.3 in its standard repositories. Ubuntu 26.04 uses a newer PHP version, so check GLPI’s compatibility requirements before using it in production.

Verify the installed versions:

php -v

mariadb –version

apache2 -v

Enable Apache and MariaDB so they start automatically when your server boots:

sudo systemctl enable –now apache2 mariadb

Step 3: Create a database for GLPI

GLPI needs a database to store its information. Creating a separate database and user is a good security practice because GLPI won’t need unrestricted access to the entire database server.

First, open the MariaDB command-line interface:

sudo mariadb

Enter the following SQL commands:

CREATE DATABASE glpi

CHARACTER SET utf8mb4

COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;

CREATE USER ‘glpi’@’localhost’

IDENTIFIED BY ‘ReplaceWithAStrongPassword’;

GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON glpi.*

TO ‘glpi’@’localhost’;

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

EXIT;

Replace ReplaceWithAStrongPassword with a strong, unique password.

Important: Save this password somewhere secure. You’ll need it when connecting GLPI to the database.

The database is now ready for the installation.

Step 4: Download and extract GLPI 11

Now we’ll download the GLPI application files.

Visit the official GLPI downloads page and identify the latest stable GLPI 11 release.

Use the official release archive rather than the GitHub source-code archive.

For this example, we’ll use the GLPI 11.0.11 archive. If a newer stable GLPI 11 release is available, replace the version number accordingly.

cd /tmp

wget https://github.com/glpi-project/glpi/releases/download/11.0.11/glpi-11.0.11.tgz

Extract the downloaded archive:

tar -xzf glpi-11.0.11.tgz

Move the extracted GLPI directory into the web server’s directory:

sudo mv glpi /var/www/glpi

The application files are now located at /var/www/glpi.

Step 5: Configure Apache for GLPI

Apache needs to know where GLPI is installed and which directory should be accessible through a web browser.

GLPI recommends using its public directory as the Apache document root. This helps prevent sensitive application files from being directly accessible over the web.

Create a new Apache configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/glpi.conf

Paste the following configuration:

<VirtualHost *:80>

    ServerName glpi.example.com

    DocumentRoot /var/www/glpi/public

    <Directory /var/www/glpi/public>

        Require all granted

        RewriteEngine On

        RewriteCond %{HTTP:Authorization} ^(.+)$

        RewriteRule .* – [E=HTTP_AUTHORIZATION:%1]

        RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f

        RewriteRule ^(.*)$ index.php [QSA,L]

    </Directory>

</VirtualHost>

Replace glpi.example.com with your actual domain name. If you’re testing on a local network, you can use your server’s IP address instead.

Save the file by pressing Ctrl + O, then press Enter. Exit Nano using Ctrl + X.

Enable the Apache rewrite module and the new site:

sudo a2enmod rewrite

sudo a2ensite glpi.conf

sudo a2dissite 000-default.conf

Check the configuration for errors:

sudo apache2ctl configtest

If you see Syntax OK, restart Apache:

sudo systemctl reload apache2

Step 6: Set the correct file permissions

GLPI needs permission to read its application files and write data such as uploaded documents and generated files.

Set the ownership of the GLPI directory:

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/glpi

Here, www-data is the user account used by Apache on Ubuntu.

Set the directory and file permissions:

sudo find /var/www/glpi -type d -exec chmod 755 {} \;

sudo find /var/www/glpi -type f -exec chmod 644 {} \;

Avoid setting the entire GLPI directory to 777. That would give unnecessary write access to other users and processes on the server.

Step 7: Complete the GLPI installation in your browser

Now that Apache, PHP, MariaDB, and GLPI are ready, you can open the installer.

Open your web browser and enter your server’s address:

http://glpi.example.com

If you’re using an IP address, enter something like:

http://192.168.1.100

Replace the example address with your server’s actual IP address.

The GLPI installation wizard should appear.

Select your preferred language and accept the license agreement. Choose Install to begin a fresh installation.

GLPI will check whether your server meets its requirements. If any required PHP extensions are missing, install them before continuing.

When prompted for the database connection, enter the following information:

Database server: localhost

Database user: glpi

Database password: The password you created in Step 3.

Choose the glpi database and continue with the installation.

Once the database initialization is complete, GLPI will display a confirmation message and provide the default user accounts.

Step 8: Secure the installation and log in

The installation is almost complete, but there are a few important security steps to take before using GLPI.

First, open GLPI and log in using the default administrator account:

Username: glpi

Password: glpi

Immediately change the default administrator password.

Create a new administrator account with a strong password and confirm that you can log in using it.

GLPI also creates additional default accounts, including tech, normal, and post-only. Change or remove these accounts if you don’t need them.

Next, remove the installation script:

sudo rm /var/www/glpi/install/install.php

You should also configure HTTPS before allowing users to access GLPI over the internet. A free TLS certificate can be obtained using Let’s Encrypt.

For production environments, schedule regular database and application-file backups.

Step 9: Verify that GLPI is working

Before you start adding assets and users, verify that the installation is working correctly.

Open GLPI in your browser and log in with your administrator account.

Check that the dashboard loads without errors.

Open the asset management section and confirm that you can access the available asset categories.

Create a test ticket to make sure the help desk functionality is working.

You can also check Apache’s status:

sudo systemctl status apache2

If GLPI doesn’t load, check the Apache error log:

sudo tail -f /var/log/apache2/error.log

This can help you identify PHP errors, permission problems, or Apache configuration issues.

FAQs

Can I install GLPI 11 on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS?

Yes. Ubuntu 24.04 LTS provides PHP 8.3, which meets GLPI 11’s minimum PHP requirement. You can install GLPI using Apache, PHP, and MariaDB.

Is GLPI 11 free to use?

Yes. GLPI is open-source software distributed under the GNU General Public License. You can install and use the self-hosted version without paying a software license fee.

Can I install GLPI 11 on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS?

Yes, provided the installed PHP and database versions meet GLPI’s requirements. Since Ubuntu 26.04 includes a newer PHP version, check the official compatibility information before deploying GLPI in a production environment.

Do I need a domain name to install GLPI?

No. You can access GLPI using your server’s IP address. However, a domain name is recommended if you plan to configure HTTPS using Let’s Encrypt.

Where does GLPI store its data?

GLPI stores structured information in its MariaDB or MySQL database. Uploaded documents, configuration files, and other application data are stored in the GLPI directory.

Summary

Installing GLPI 11 on Ubuntu 24.04 or 26.04 LTS involves preparing the server, installing Apache, PHP, and MariaDB, creating a database, downloading GLPI, configuring Apache, and completing the installation through your browser.

Once the installation is complete, secure the default accounts, configure HTTPS, and set up regular backups.

With GLPI running, you can start managing IT assets, organizing support tickets, and keeping track of your organization’s IT resources from one central location.