The term “LAMP” on the Internet stands for free software programs that are usually grouped together and are used to run dynamic websites or website servers.

The components of this acronym are the following:

(L) Linux – is the operating system. It has become very popular as an open license operating system. It is UNIX-like in structure, but does not contain any UNIX code since the UNIX operating system is not free software.

(A) Apache - is the Web server. It is an open license server and is credited with being the Web server that spawned the growth of the World Wide Web (WWW). It is the most popular Web host server used on the Internet.

(M) MySQL – is the database server. It is an open source database management system that uses SQL (structured query language) to create, modify, retrieve, and manipulate data in a database.

(P) PHP – is the programming language (sometimes PERL or Python is substituted for PHP). It is open source software. PHP stands for hypertext preprocessor. It was originally developed to create dynamic web pages.

All these software programs are open source which means they can be used free of charge.

When used in combination to create applications, these packages create a Web server infrastructure that has become very common on the Internet.

These programs were developed independently. Because they are free and they work so well together, they have become a popular combination for application development.

Now, when you see a web site host advertise “LAMP hosting” you will know what is being offered.

John V. W. Howe