Requirements
PHP and MySQL versions, the extensions, writable folders, cron, SSL, cPanel shared hosting or a VPS, and what to have ready before the installer.
AIOBilling is a client management, billing and support system that you run on your own hosting. It is laid out the way hosting companies already work, so you and your clients need to learn nothing new, and it asks for very little: a PHP and MySQL host is enough. This chapter lists what the host must have, what the installer checks, and what you need to have ready before you start.
Two ways to host it
| Way | For | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| cPanel shared hosting | A new web host, a reseller, a small agency | Works as it is. You need a domain or sub-domain, one MySQL database with a user, and a cron job. |
| A VPS or dedicated server | A bigger host, many clients, your own mail server | The same files. Run it behind Apache with mod_rewrite (the shipped .htaccess does the routing) or behind nginx with an equivalent rule that sends every request to index.php. |
The two run the same code. Nothing in AIOBilling needs root access, a daemon or a command line.
The server
| Needs | Why |
|---|---|
| PHP 7.4 or newer (8.x recommended) | The installer refuses anything older. |
| MySQL 5.7+ or MariaDB 10.3+ | All data lives in one database. Tables are created with the utf8mb4 character set. |
| A domain or sub-domain pointed at the folder | The licence is bound to the host name, and clients see this address. A sub-folder works too, see Installing. |
| Outgoing HTTPS | The script talks to the License Center at license.faruk.bd, to payment gateways, to registrars, and to the exchange-rate service if you switch it on. |
| A cron job every 5 minutes | Invoices, reminders, suspensions and everything else automatic run from it. A web cron works if the host does not offer a real one. See Automation. |
| An SSL certificate | Strongly recommended. Clients type passwords and pay invoices on these pages. Most hosts give a free one; switch on Force SSL in the admin area under Setup → General Settings afterwards. |
PHP extensions
The installer lists these on its first step with a green or red mark.
| Extension | Status |
|---|---|
pdo_mysql, curl, json, mbstring, openssl, zip | Required. The installer does not go on while one is missing. |
gd, fileinfo, intl | Recommended. The wizard marks them missing - optional if they are absent. |
On cPanel, switch extensions on under Select PHP Version (CloudLinux) or MultiPHP INI Editor. After the install, Utilities → System Health & PHP Info shows the same list again, plus the PHP limits that matter (memory_limit, max_execution_time, upload_max_filesize, post_max_size, max_input_vars) and disable_functions.
Folders that must be writable
| Folder | Used for |
|---|---|
| The main folder | The wizard writes config.php here. After the install it can be locked down. |
data/ | Logs (data/logs), cache and temporary files. Never served to the web. |
uploads/ | Ticket attachments, downloads, logos and knowledgebase pictures. |
plugins/ and themes/ | Needed only if you want to upload a plugin or theme as a ZIP from the admin area. |
The script creates the sub-folders it needs under data/ and uploads/ the first time it runs. The shipped .htaccess blocks web access to includes, data, cron, bin, languages, the page folders, config.php, installed.lock and attachments.
Memory and time
The admin area and the client area run with the usual shared-hosting limits. The cron job is the heaviest part: on a very large installation give the CLI cron a generous max_execution_time (most hosts already run cron with no limit).
What you need ready
- A database: its name, user and password (on cPanel: MySQL Databases, create the database, create the user, add the user to the database with all privileges). The wizard also tries to create the database if the user may do that.
- An e-mail address for the company. It becomes the sender address of every message and the first administrator's e-mail.
- Your licence key from license.faruk.bd (My Licences). It looks like
AIOB-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX. You can skip it during the install and enter it later; without a key the admin area holds only 5 clients to try things. See The licence key. - Merchant accounts for the payment gateways you want to offer, and registrar API accounts if you want automatic domain registration. These can wait until the first day.
Browsers
The client area and the admin area work in current Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari, on computers and phones. Clients can use the site in English or Bengali.
Next
Installing AIOBilling takes about two minutes.
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Updated 2026-11-03