If you’re looking for a lightweight, single-file database admin tool for PostgreSQL that’s easier to host than phpPgAdmin, Adminer is your best bet. Here’s how to set it up behind Apache on Ubuntu.

Step 1: Update Your System and Install Required Packages

Make sure your system is up to date, and install Apache, PHP, PostgreSQL client tools, and Adminer:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y apache2 php libapache2-mod-php postgresql-client adminer

Check your PHP version:

php -v

Note the version (e.g., 8.1) — you’ll need it in the next step.

Step 2: Enable the Apache PHP Module

Enable the PHP module in Apache. Replace php8 with the actual version you found:

sudo a2enmod php8.1

Step 3: Serve Adminer from Apache

Rather than spinning up a new virtual host, just add Adminer to your default Apache site.

  1. Create a symbolic link so Adminer is accessible from your web directory:

sudo ln -s /usr/share/adminer/adminer /var/www/html/adminer

  1. Edit the default site config:

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

Add this inside the <VirtualHost *:80> block:

Alias /adminer /usr/share/adminer

<Directory "/usr/share/adminer">
    Require all granted
    DirectoryIndex adminer.php
</Directory>

<Location /adminer>
    ProxyPass !
</Location>

Make sure permissions are set correctly:

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /usr/share/adminer
sudo chmod -R 755 /usr/share/adminer

Step 4: Restart Apache and Enable the Config

Restart the web server to apply changes:

sudo a2ensite 000-default
sudo systemctl restart apache2

To debug errors:

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

Quick Recap

  • Adminer is now available at http://your-server-ip/adminer

  • It’s a great lightweight alternative to phpMyAdmin

  • You can manage PostgreSQL (and MySQL, SQLite, etc.) easily

  • It plays nicely with Apache + PHP with minimal config

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