How to Install FossBilling with Nginx on Ubuntu Linux

Install Nginx on Ubuntu Linux

Install Nginx on Ubuntu Linux.

Nginx is a fast web server required for FOSSBilling. Update the local package index before pulling down the web server. Run `sudo apt update` followed by `sudo apt install nginx` to get the service running.

sudo apt update

sudo apt install nginx

1. Open your terminal and update your software list: sudo apt update
2. Install Nginx: sudo apt install nginx

Manage the Nginx service with commands like:

• Stop: sudo systemctl stop nginx
• Start: sudo systemctl start nginx
• Enable at startup: sudo systemctl enable nginx

Check if it works by visiting the server IP address in a web browser.

Install MariaDB on Ubuntu Linux

MariaDB is the database FOSSBilling uses to store billing details securely. Run `sudo apt install software-properties-common curl` to add the required repository helper. Next, pull in the MariaDB repository with the official curl command before running `sudo apt install mariadb-server` to install the database server itself.

1. Install the repository helper: sudo apt install software-properties-common curl
2. Add the MariaDB repo: curl -LsS https://downloads.mariadb.com/MariaDB/mariadb_repo_setup | sudo bash
3. Install the server: sudo apt install mariadb-server

Start and enable the service: sudo systemctl enable --now mariadb. For more help, visit How to install MariaDB on Ubuntu Linux.

Create FOSSBilling database

FOSS-Billing requires a dedicated database for storing billing information. First, secure the MariaDB installation by running `sudo mysql_secure_installation` and follow the prompts. Next, log into MariaDB using `sudo mariadb`. Create a database named `fossdb` and a user named `fossdbuser`, granting `fossdbuser` the necessary permissions for `fossdb`.

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Follow the on-screen prompts. Create the database with these steps:

1. Log in: sudo mariadb
2. Run these commands:
   CREATE DATABASE fossdb;
CREATE USER fossdbuser@localhost IDENTIFIED BY 'your_password';
GRANT ALL ON fossdb.* TO fossdbuser@localhost WITH GRANT OPTION;
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
exit

Install PHP-FPM on Ubuntu Linux

FOSSBilling relies on PHP to run code on the server. PHP-FPM (FastCGI Process Manager) handles incoming requests so those scripts execute smoothly. Install PHP-FPM and the necessary modules for FOSSBilling with this command:

sudo apt install php-fpm php-mysql php-intl php-curl php-cli php-zip php-common php-mbstring php-xml

This installs all components required for FOSSBilling to function with PHP.

Enable it to start automatically: sudo systemctl enable --now php8.3-fpm (Note: replace the version number with the specific PHP version installed, for example `php8.1-fpm`. Check the installed version by running `php -v`).

General: Configure Nginx

Setting up Nginx correctly matters for FOSSBilling to function properly. First, create a directory for FOSSBilling using `sudo mkdir -p /var/www/fossbilling`. Set the correct ownership for this directory, which is typically `www-data:www-data` for web servers, using `sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/fossbilling`. After that, create the Nginx configuration file for FOSSBilling at `/etc/nginx/sites-available/fossbilling.conf`.

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/fossbilling
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/fossbilling

Create the configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/fossbilling.conf

Paste the server settings into the Nginx configuration file, save it, and then enable the new Nginx configuration for FossBilling by reloading Nginx.

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/fossbilling.conf /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo systemctl restart nginx

Download and Setup

Download FOSSBilling and complete the setup. Navigate to the temporary directory by running `cd /tmp`. Pull down the latest stable version using `curl https://fossbilling.org/downloads/stable -L --output FOSSBilling.zip`. Unzip the downloaded archive into the web directory with `sudo unzip FOSSBilling.zip -d /var/www/fossbilling`. Finally, visit the domain in a web browser to follow the setup wizard.

cd /tmp
curl https://fossbilling.org/downloads/stable -L --output FOSSBilling.zip
sudo unzip FOSSBilling.zip -d /var/www/fossbilling

Visit the domain in a browser.

sudo rm -rf /var/www/fossbilling/install

Set up the background task (cron job):

sudo crontab -u www-data -e

Add this line: */5 * * * * php /var/www/fossbilling/cron.php