Troubleshooting phpMyAdmin: Extension mysqli Missing

When attempting to use phpMyAdmin in Ubuntu 12.04, users may encounter the error message "The mysqli extension is missing." This issue arises when the necessary extension for MySQL database connectivity is either not installed or incorrectly configured.

To resolve this issue, the mysqli extension must be installed and enabled. Latest versions of phpMyAdmin require the mysqli extension instead of the legacy mysql extension. For PHP 7.3, run the following command:

sudo apt-get install php7.3-mysqli

For PHP 8, use:

sudo apt-get install php8.0-mysqli

This command will install a package containing both the old mysql extension and the new mysqli extension. Next, add the following line to your php.ini file under the "Dynamic Extensions" section:

extension=mysqli.so

Finally, restart Apache with the following command:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Authenticate if necessary and press Enter. If the problem persists, clear your browser cache.