How to Install and configure phpMyAdmin in CentOS 8 / RHEL 8 Linux

What is phpMyAdmin?

phpMyAdmin is a powerful, web-based application designed for managing MySQL databases through a graphical user interface (GUI). It simplifies the process of database administration, allowing users to perform a variety of tasks without needing to write complex SQL commands. If you want to configure phpMyAdmin, you will find that it offers a user-friendly experience that enhances productivity.

With phpMyAdmin, users can easily create and manage databases and tables, execute SQL queries, and perform various administrative functions such as importing and exporting data. Its intuitive interface makes it accessible for both beginners and experienced database administrators. When you configure phpMyAdmin, you can customize settings to suit your specific needs, making database management even more efficient.

Overall, phpMyAdmin is an essential tool for anyone looking to streamline their MySQL database management tasks. Whether you are just starting out or are a seasoned professional, knowing how to configure phpMyAdmin can significantly improve your workflow.

How to Install phpMyAdmin on RHEL, CentOS, and Rocky Linux (8.x and 9.x)

Managing MySQL databases through the command line can be cumbersome, especially for users who prefer a graphical interface. Unfortunately, official repositories for RHEL 8.x, CentOS 8.x, and Rocky Linux 8.x do not include binary packages for phpMyAdmin. However, you can enable the Remi repository to install phpMyAdmin with ease. Follow the steps below based on your Linux distribution and version.

Step 1: Enable Remi Repository

For CentOS 7 and RHEL 7

To enable the required repositories on CentOS 7 and RHEL 7, execute the following commands:

# wget https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-release-latest-7.noarch.rpm
# wget https://rpms.remirepo.net/enterprise/remi-release-7.rpm
# rpm -Uvh remi-release-7.rpm epel-release-latest-7.noarch.rpm

### for RHEL only ###
# subscription-manager repos --enable=rhel-7-server-optional-rpms

For RHEL 7 only: Enable the optional repository with this command:

# subscription-manager repos --enable=rhel-7-server-optional-rpms

For CentOS 8, RHEL 8, Rocky Linux 8, and AlmaLinux 8

Run the following command to install the Remi repository:

# yum install https://rpms.remirepo.net/enterprise/remi-release-8.rpm

For RHEL 9, AlmaLinux 9, and Rocky Linux 9

Use the command below to enable the Remi repository for version 9.x distributions:

# yum install https://rpms.remirepo.net/enterprise/remi-release-9.rpm

Step 2: Install phpMyAdmin

Once the Remi repository is enabled, install the phpMyAdmin package using the following command:

# yum install phpmyadmin

See an example below –

[root@web ~]# yum install phpmyadmin
Last metadata expiration check: 0:04:36 ago on Mon 03 Apr 2023 11:19:36 AM EDT.
Dependencies resolved.
=============================================================================================================
 Package              Architecture   Version                                         Repository         Size
=============================================================================================================
Installing:
 phpMyAdmin           noarch         5.2.1-1.el8.remi                                remi              8.9 M
Installing dependencies:
 libzip               x86_64         1.5.1-2.module+el8.4.0+413+c9202dda             appstream          61 k
 php-gd               x86_64         7.2.24-1.module+el8.4.0+413+c9202dda            appstream          83 k
 php-intl             x86_64         7.2.24-1.module+el8.4.0+413+c9202dda            appstream         191 k
 php-json             x86_64         7.2.24-1.module+el8.4.0+413+c9202dda            appstream          72 k
 php-mbstring         x86_64         7.2.24-1.module+el8.4.0+413+c9202dda            appstream         579 k
 php-pecl-zip         x86_64         1.15.3-1.module+el8.4.0+413+c9202dda            appstream          49 k
 php-process          x86_64         7.2.24-1.module+el8.4.0+413+c9202dda            appstream          83 k
 php-xml              x86_64         7.2.24-1.module+el8.4.0+413+c9202dda            appstream         187 k

Transaction Summary
=============================================================================================================
Install  9 Packages

Step 3: Configure phpMyAdmin

Once you have completed the installation of phpMyAdmin, configure phpMyAdmin to allow connections from remote hosts by editing the phpMyAdmin.conf file, located in the Apache conf.d directory at /etc/httpd/conf.d/phpMyAdmin.conf. To do this, comment out the following lines:

# vi /etc/httpd/conf.d/phpmyadmin.conf

Most significantly, after making the changes listed below, you must add “Require all granted,” which will enable network access to phpMyAdmin.

# vi /etc/httpd/conf.d/phpmyadmin.conf

	Alias /phpMyAdmin /usr/share/phpMyAdmin
    Alias /phpmyadmin /usr/share/phpMyAdmin
    <Directory /usr/share/phpMyAdmin/>
       AddDefaultCharset UTF-8
       Require all granted
       Require local
    </Directory>

    <Directory /usr/share/phpMyAdmin/setup/>
       Require local
    </Directory>

Save the file using :wq!

Then restart the apache service and verifiy the access on browser by URL address http://server_IP/phpmyadmin

# systemctl restart httpd

Above image show the phpmyadmin default homepage

Step 4: Configure phpMyAdmin Authentication Type

After installing phpMyAdmin, the next important step is to configure phpMyAdmin authentication method. By default, phpMyAdmin uses cookie-based authentication, which is secure and user-friendly. However, depending on your requirements, you can modify the authentication type in the phpMyAdmin configuration file.

Available Authentication Types

1. cookie: The default method. Users log in with their MySQL credentials through a login form. Recommended for most setups.
2. http: Uses HTTP Basic Authentication. Prompts users with a browser-based login dialog.
3. signon: A single sign-on method where the user is automatically logged in with preconfigured credentials.
4. config: MySQL credentials are hardcoded in the configuration file. Not recommended due to security risks.

Step 1: Locate the Configuration File

The main configuration file for phpMyAdmin is typically located in:

/etc/phpMyAdmin/config.inc.php

If it is not present, you might need to copy the sample file:

# cp /usr/share/phpMyAdmin/config.sample.inc.php /etc/phpMyAdmin/config.inc.php

Step 2: Edit the Authentication Type

Open the configuration file in a text editor:

vi /etc/phpMyAdmin/config.inc.php

If it is not present, you might need to copy the sample file:

# cp /usr/share/phpMyAdmin/config.sample.inc.php /etc/phpMyAdmin/config.inc.php

Find the following line in the file:

$cfg['Servers'][$i]['auth_type'] = 'cookie';

Step 3: Change the Authentication Type

Modify the auth_type value to your preferred method:

• For cookie-based authentication (default): $cfg['Servers'][$i]['auth_type'] = 'cookie';
• For HTTP Basic Authentication: $cfg['Servers'][$i]['auth_type'] = 'http';
• For Sign-On Authentication: $cfg['Servers'][$i]['auth_type'] = 'signon'; $cfg['Servers'][$i]['SignonSession'] = 'my_session'; $cfg['Servers'][$i]['SignonURL'] = 'https://your-signon-url';
• For Config Authentication (use with caution): $cfg['Servers'][$i]['auth_type'] = 'config'; $cfg['Servers'][$i]['user'] = 'your_mysql_user'; $cfg['Servers'][$i]['password'] = 'your_mysql_password';

Please refer to the image below that shows the authentication type config changed to http.

Step 4: Save and Restart the Web Server

Save the changes to the configuration file and restart your web server to apply the new settings:

# systemctl restart httpd   # For Apache
# systemctl restart nginx   # For Nginx

Once configured, you can access phpMyAdmin and log in with your MySQL credentials.

You will be required to enter the login credentials for the user account you made earlier in order to access your phpMyAdmin. Since I have only created the MySQL root account and password here; however, in real-time, you will need to create various accounts based on requirements. It is advised to use separate user accounts for various projects.

Verifiy the access on browser by URL address http://server_IP/phpmyadmin

You will be directed to the PHPMyAdmin login page after completing the basic authentication, where you must input your administrative user login information for MySQL or MariaDB.

The phpMyAdmin interface, which you’ll see after logging in, will look something like this:

Congratulations! Your phpMyAdmin is now complete, and you can access the MySQL or MariaDB database on your browser.

Best Practices for Security

1. Avoid using config authentication on public servers as it stores plaintext credentials.
2. Always use cookie authentication for secure access.
3. Protect the phpMyAdmin interface with additional security measures such as IP-based restrictions or a firewall.
4. Use HTTPS to encrypt data during login and usage.

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