How to Install FossBilling with Nginx on Ubuntu Linux

Install Nginx on Ubuntu Linux

FOSSBilling needs a web server to display its pages. We’ll use Nginx, which is known for being fast and reliable.

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

You can manage the Nginx service with these commands:

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

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

Install MariaDB on Ubuntu Linux

Next, you’ll need a database to store your billing information. We’ll use the official MariaDB repository for the latest version on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.

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

First, secure your database installation by removing test data and anonymous users:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Follow the on-screen prompts. Now, create your database:

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 runs using PHP, a popular scripting language for web development. Install the latest version available in your repositories, along with the necessary modules for PHP-FPM (FastCGI Process Manager), which helps your server communicate efficiently with PHP scripts:

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

Enable it to start automatically: sudo systemctl enable --now php8.3-fpm (Note: replace the asterisk with your installed PHP version, e.g., `php8.1-fpm`, by running `php -v`).

General: Configure Nginx

First, create the web directory and set the correct permissions so your server can manage the files:

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

Now, create the configuration file:

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

Paste your server settings into this file, save it, and then enable this new configuration:

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

Download and Setup

Download the FOSSBilling files to your folder:

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

Visit your 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