Memcached is a high-performance distributed memory caching system that reduces database load by storing frequently accessed data in RAM. This guide installs Memcached on Ubuntu 26.04, configures SASL authentication to secure access, and verifies the setup with a PHP script that stores and retrieves a cached value. By the end, you'll have a secured Memcached instance ready for application use. Install Memcached Memcached is available in Ubuntu 26.04's default APT repository. 1. Update the APT package index: $ sudo apt update Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode 2. Install Memcached and the management tools: $ sudo apt install memcached libmemcached-tools -y Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode What you just installed: memcached : the caching server daemon libmemcached-tools : CLI utilities for inspecting and managing Memcached 3.…