Ci4 problem on newly instal vps

A side solution...

If you're adventurous, consider replacing Apache with Nginx + PHP-FPM. Configuration is vastly simpler, and you'll get better performance and lower memory footprint overall. Great for VPS's. I run all of my CodeIgniter projects on cheap VPS setups with minimal configuration. Best thing is that you don't need any of this .htaccess or AllowOverrides stuff. It's worth checking out Nginx if you haven't yet, and it's a great way to get comfortable with the command line, as you don't need to run heavy and clunky control panels on the server like cPanel. Lean and mean. Fewer security concerns.