How to Install BoxBilling on Rocky Linux 9

BoxBilling on Rocky Linux 9 (Apache + MariaDB + PHP + SSL)

BoxBilling is a free, open-source billing and client management software made for web hosting providers, freelancers, and digital businesses. It brings together invoicing, subscriptions, product automation, domain registration, and support ticketing into a single platform. With its plugin and theme system, BoxBilling is flexible enough to adapt to different business models while remaining lightweight and easy to manage.

Running BoxBilling on Rocky Linux 9 — a community-driven, RHEL-compatible enterprise distribution — ensures a stable, secure, and long-supported operating system. With SELinux enforced by default, hardened libraries, systemd 252, and OpenSSL 3, Rocky Linux is trusted for production deployments, making it a strong choice for financial and customer-facing applications.

Architecture Overview

Layer	Component	Role
OS	Rocky Linux 9	RHEL-compatible enterprise base with SELinux enforcement
Web Server	Apache HTTPD	Serves the PHP-based BoxBilling frontend and backend
Database	MariaDB/MySQL	Stores client records, invoices, orders, and transactions
Runtime	PHP 8.x + Extensions	Executes BoxBilling application logic
Reverse Proxy	Nginx (optional)	TLS termination, caching, load balancing
TLS	Let’s Encrypt / PKI	Provides HTTPS for secure client and admin access

Why Use BoxBilling?

Billing automation – invoices, recurring payments, multi-currency support.
Client management – centralized customer, order, and support handling.
Hosting-ready – integrates with domain registrars and control panels.
Free & open-source – unlike WHMCS or Blesta, no license fees required.
Global support – multilingual and multi-currency features built in.

BoxBilling vs Other Billing Platforms

Feature/Capability	BoxBilling (Free)	WHMCS (Paid)	Blesta (Paid)	ClientExec (Paid)
License cost	Free, open-source	Commercial license	Commercial license	Commercial license
Core features	Billing, hosting, support	Full suite + large ecosystem	Billing + support	Billing + support
Extensibility	Plugins + themes	Wide marketplace	Limited	Limited
Best for	Freelancers, SMBs	Hosting providers	SMBs	SMBs

BoxBilling is especially attractive for freelancers, startups, and smaller hosting providers who want automation and client management without the recurring costs of WHMCS or Blesta.

Security & Best Practices

Run BoxBilling over HTTPS only, using Let’s Encrypt or enterprise PKI.
Secure MariaDB with strong passwords, role-based permissions, and regular backups.
Harden PHP configuration (php.ini adjustments, disable dangerous functions).
Protect the admin panel with firewall restrictions and SELinux policies.
Keep Rocky Linux, Apache, PHP, and BoxBilling updated regularly.
Add Fail2Ban or Nginx rate limiting to prevent brute-force login attempts.

Typical Use Cases

Web hosting companies – manage domains, hosting plans, and billing automation.
Freelancers/agencies – handle client invoicing, projects, and support tickets.
SaaS startups – subscription management with recurring payments.
Testing/educational setups – explore billing automation without licensing fees.

Step 1: Set Up a Server Instance on Shape.Host

First, you need a Rocky Linux 9 server. Shape.Host provides fast and flexible VPS hosting. Here’s how to deploy your instance:

Click Create → Instance.

Select the server type and choose the data center location nearest to your customers.

Pick a hosting plan — we recommend at least 2 CPUs, 4 GB RAM, and 20 GB SSD.

Under the Operating System option, select Rocky Linux 9 (64-bit).

Finalize the setup by clicking Create Instance.

Copy the IP address of your new instance from the Resources tab for later use.

Step 2: Connect to Your Instance

Linux/macOS: ssh root@your_server_ip (Connects securely to your server as root.)
Windows (using PuTTY):
1. Download PuTTY.
2. Enter your server’s IP in the Host Name field.
3. Choose SSH connection type and click Open.
4. Log in with your Shape.Host root credentials.

Step 3: Install and Configure BoxBilling on Rocky Linux 9

Now follow the commands in exact order. Each command is explained so beginners understand what it does.

Update System Packages

dnf update

Updates all installed packages to the latest versions.

Install Apache Web Server

dnf install httpd

Installs Apache, which will serve BoxBilling’s web interface.

systemctl enable --now httpd

Starts Apache immediately and enables it on boot.

Install MariaDB Database Server

dnf install mariadb-server mariadb

Installs MariaDB (a MySQL-compatible database) and its client tools.

systemctl enable --now mariadb

Starts MariaDB and ensures it runs on reboot.

Enable EPEL Repository

dnf install epel-release

Adds the Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux (EPEL) repository to get additional software.

Install Remi Repository for PHP 8.2

dnf install https://rpms.remirepo.net/enterprise/remi-release-9.rpm

Installs the Remi repository which provides the latest PHP builds.

dnf module reset php

Resets any existing PHP module configuration.

dnf module enable php:remi-8.2

Enables PHP 8.2 (needed by BoxBilling).

Install PHP and Extensions

dnf install php php-cli php-mysqlnd php-curl php-mbstring php-xml php-gd php-zip php-imagick unzip wget

Installs PHP with all required extensions plus unzip and wget tools.

systemctl restart httpd

Restarts Apache to load PHP.

Secure MariaDB

mysql_secure_installation

Runs a security script to set the root password and remove unsafe defaults.

Create Database and User

mysql -u root -p

Logs into MariaDB with the root account.

Inside the MySQL shell:

CREATE DATABASE boxbilling_db;
CREATE USER 'boxbilling_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'StrongPassword123!';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON boxbilling_db.* TO 'boxbilling_user'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Creates a new database and user for BoxBilling with full access rights.

Download and Extract BoxBilling

cd /var/www/html

Switches to Apache’s web directory.

wget https://github.com/boxbilling/boxbilling/releases/latest/download/boxbilling.zip -O boxbilling.zip

Downloads the latest BoxBilling release from GitHub.

unzip boxbilling.zip -d boxbilling

Extracts the BoxBilling files into a new directory.

chown -R apache:apache /var/www/html/boxbilling

Gives ownership of the files to Apache.

chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/boxbilling

Sets correct file permissions.

Configure Apache Virtual Host

nano /etc/httpd/conf.d/boxbilling.conf

Creates and opens a new Apache virtual host file.

Paste this config:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName yourdomain.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/html/boxbilling

    <Directory /var/www/html/boxbilling>
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>

    ErrorLog /var/log/httpd/boxbilling_error.log
    CustomLog /var/log/httpd/boxbilling_access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Defines how Apache will serve BoxBilling.

systemctl restart httpd

Applies the new configuration.

Adjust PHP Configuration

nano /etc/php.ini

Opens the PHP settings file.

Set the following values:

memory_limit = 256M
upload_max_filesize = 64M
post_max_size = 64M
max_execution_time = 300

Optimizes PHP for BoxBilling performance.

systemctl restart httpd

Restarts Apache to apply changes.

Create Required Directories

mkdir -p /var/www/html/boxbilling/bb-data/cache
mkdir -p /var/www/html/boxbilling/bb-data/uploads

Creates cache and upload directories required by BoxBilling.

chown -R apache:apache /var/www/html/boxbilling/bb-data
chmod -R 775 /var/www/html/boxbilling/bb-data

Sets correct ownership and permissions so Apache can write to these folders.

Enable SSL with Certbot

dnf install certbot python3-certbot-apache

Installs Certbot for generating free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates.

certbot --apache -d rockylinux-tutorials.shape.host

Issues and configures an SSL certificate for your domain. Replace with your actual domain name.

Step 4: Verify Installation

Open:

http://yourdomain.com

https://yourdomain.com

You should now see the BoxBilling web-based installer. Follow the wizard to finalize setup.

Once BoxBilling files are placed on your Rocky Linux 9 server, go to http://your-domain/install/install.php in a browser. The online installer will guide you through the setup:

Environment Check – The wizard scans your Rocky Linux 9 server to confirm PHP and required extensions. Agree to the terms and click Next.

Connect Database – Enter the database connection details (host, database name, username, password) you created earlier, then press Next to import the tables automatically.

Admin Profile – Choose a username, admin email and strong password to control BoxBilling. Click Next to save the account.

Finalize Installation – After the success message appears, delete the install folder, change bb-config.php permissions to read-only (chmod 644), and add the cron job line shown on screen.

You can now log in to your admin area at http://your-domain/bb-admin using the new credentials.

You have successfully installed BoxBilling on Rocky Linux 9. This setup includes Apache, MariaDB, PHP 8.2, and SSL — everything needed for a secure billing and client management platform.

For performance, scalability, and reliability, we recommend hosting on Shape.Host Linux SSD VPS. With flexible plans and enterprise-grade infrastructure, it’s the perfect environment to run BoxBilling smoothly.

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