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Important: PHP 7.2 is for legacy Invoice Ninja 4.x deployments, not a new production installation. Invoice Ninja 4.5.50 documentation targets PHP 7.1/7.2, while current Invoice Ninja 5 requires PHP 8.1 or newer (the detailed current guide specifies PHP 8.2). See the current requirements before proceeding. Version 5 is a separate installation and migration from v4, not an in-place PHP upgrade.
Choose the correct installation path first
This procedure is appropriate when you must maintain or reproduce an existing Invoice Ninja 4 environment on an older Ubuntu server. Historical tutorials generally use Ubuntu 16.04 or 18.04. Ubuntu 18.04 can be suitable for an isolated legacy system, but neither it nor PHP 7.2 should be used for a new Internet-facing server in 2026.
| Requirement | Legacy v4 procedure | Current v5 guidance |
|---|---|---|
| PHP | PHP 7.1 or 7.2 for the archived v4.5.50 documentation | PHP 8.1 minimum; the detailed guide specifies PHP 8.2 |
| Ubuntu | Typically Ubuntu 16.04/18.04 | Supported Ubuntu release; current examples use Ubuntu 22.04 |
| Upgrade model | Pin the v4 release and its dependencies | Install separately and migrate; v5 is not an in-place v4 upgrade |
Use the archived v4 documentation for release-specific behavior and the current self-host guide for a new deployment.
Before you begin
- A server with sudo access and a DNS name such as
invoices.example.com. - SSH access and firewall rules allowing SSH, HTTP (80), and HTTPS (443).
- At least 1 GB RAM, 1 vCPU, and 20 GB storage as practical baseline guidance; 2 GB RAM or more is safer for PDFs, attachments, queues, and multiple users. These figures come from the current Invoice Ninja requirements, not a guaranteed v4 minimum.
- A tested backup if this is an existing installation.
Create a dedicated DNS A/AAAA record before testing the virtual host. Do not expose an obsolete Ubuntu/PHP 7.2 system without compensating isolation, firewalling, and HTTPS controls.
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Install Apache2, MariaDB, and versioned PHP packages
Do not use the unversioned php package in a legacy guide: on some releases it installs a newer PHP version that is incompatible with v4. Package availability depends on the Ubuntu release and configured repositories; older systems may require a third-party repository, which must be evaluated for maintenance and trust.
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y apache2 mariadb-server unzip curl git
php7.2 php7.2-cli libapache2-mod-php7.2
php7.2-common php7.2-mysql php7.2-mbstring
php7.2-xml php7.2-gd php7.2-curl php7.2-zip
php7.2-bcmath php7.2-intl php7.2-soapThese extensions cover the modules commonly required by the archived v4 installation material. Confirm that your selected v4 release does not require an additional module.
php -v
php -m
apache2ctl -M | grep phpphp -vshould report PHP 7.2.x.php -mshould list the database, XML, GD, cURL, ZIP, BCMath, Intl, SOAP, and multibyte extensions.- The Apache module check should show the PHP 7.2 module.
CLI PHP and Apache PHP can differ when several versions are installed. Resolve that mismatch before running the installer.
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sudo systemctl enable --now mariadb
sudo systemctl status mariadb
sudo mysql_secure_installationThe hardening prompts vary by MariaDB version. Review each one and remove anonymous users, disallow remote root login, remove the test database, and reload privilege tables rather than blindly assuming a fixed prompt sequence.
sudo mariadbCREATE DATABASE ninja CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
CREATE USER 'ninja'@'localhost'
IDENTIFIED BY 'REPLACE_WITH_A_LONG_RANDOM_PASSWORD';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON ninja.* TO 'ninja'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;Use a generated password stored in a password manager; never use the example word ninja as a production password. Keep the account at localhost unless remote database access is intentional, and never grant global privileges such as GRANT ALL ON *.*.
Test the credentials before continuing:
mariadb -u ninja -p -h 127.0.0.1 ninjaObtain a pinned Invoice Ninja 4 release
Do not download a moving “latest” artifact: current downloads and repository instructions target v5. Pin the exact v4 release you operate, such as v4.5.50, and verify its asset on the official release list. The archived documentation also references download.invoiceninja.com, but a moving endpoint must not be assumed to remain a v4 archive.
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Preferred archive method
Download the v4.5.50 archive asset shown for that release, verify the downloaded file, and extract it into /var/www. Rename the extracted directory to /var/www/invoiceninja. A prebuilt archive is usually simpler because it includes third-party libraries.
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Git and Composer method
Use this only when you have confirmed that the tag and Composer version are compatible with PHP 7.2:
cd /var/www
sudo git clone --branch 'v4.5.50'
https://github.com/invoiceninja/invoiceninja.git invoiceninja
cd /var/www/invoiceninja
sudo -u www-data composer install --no-dev --optimize-autoloaderCurrent repository examples refer to v5 and modern dependencies, so do not copy them unmodified into a PHP 7.2 deployment. A Composer failure commonly means the tag, lockfile, Composer version, or PHP runtime does not match.
Set ownership and writable directories
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/invoiceninja
sudo find /var/www/invoiceninja -type d -exec chmod 755 {} ;
sudo find /var/www/invoiceninja -type f -exec chmod 644 {} ;
sudo chmod -R u+rwX /var/www/invoiceninja/storage
sudo chmod -R u+rwX /var/www/invoiceninja/bootstrap/cacheThe archived v4 guidance also identifies bootstrap, public/logo, and related application directories as needing appropriate write access. Do not use chmod -R 777 as a production fix; world-writable code and storage expose the application unnecessarily.
Configure Apache2 and point it at public
Serving /var/www/invoiceninja/public prevents direct web access to the project’s environment and source files. Subdirectory URLs such as https://example.com/ninja are not supported by default in current guidance; use a dedicated domain or subdomain.
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sudo tee /etc/apache2/sites-available/invoiceninja.conf > /dev/null <<'EOF'
<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerName invoices.example.com
DocumentRoot /var/www/invoiceninja/public
<Directory /var/www/invoiceninja/public>
Options FollowSymLinks
AllowOverride All
Require all granted
</Directory>
ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/invoiceninja-error.log
CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/invoiceninja-access.log combined
</VirtualHost>
EOF
sudo a2ensite invoiceninja.conf
sudo a2dissite 000-default.conf
sudo apache2ctl configtest
sudo systemctl reload apache2Replace the example hostname with your real DNS name. The expected configuration-test result is Syntax OK. AllowOverride All lets Invoice Ninja’s .htaccess rules work. If Apache serves the wrong site, inspect enabled sites and the default virtual host.
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Configure the environment and run the web installer
For releases that include the example file:
cd /var/www/invoiceninja
sudo -u www-data cp .env.example .envSet the values appropriate to your release:
APP_URL=https://invoices.example.com
DB_DATABASE=ninja
DB_USERNAME=ninja
DB_PASSWORD=REPLACE_WITH_THE_DATABASE_PASSWORD
DB_HOST=127.0.0.1Some v4 archives collect database and mail settings in the browser instead. Never publish or commit .env. Preserve the application key after installation: the current repository documentation warns that it encrypts data, and losing it can make the application unusable.
Open:
https://invoices.example.com/setupEnter the database host, database name, user, and password; set the HTTPS application URL; create the administrator; and configure SMTP. If the setup page returns 404 or a server error, inspect the logs:
sudo tail -f /var/log/apache2/invoiceninja-error.log
sudo tail -f /var/log/apache2/error.log
sudo tail -f /var/www/invoiceninja/storage/logs/laravel-error.logEnable HTTPS with Certbot
HTTPS should be mandatory for an invoicing system. Before requesting a certificate, ensure DNS resolves to this server, port 80 is reachable, and the HTTP virtual host works.
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sudo certbot --apache -d invoices.example.comPackage names and Certbot behavior vary by Ubuntu release or proxy arrangement. Test renewal with the command appropriate to your Certbot installation, and confirm that HTTP redirects to HTTPS without a loop.
Configure SMTP and scheduled work
SMTP delivery
Invoice reminders, password resets, notifications, and invoice mail depend on reliable SMTP. Prefer a transactional provider, configure its credentials in Invoice Ninja, send a test message, and verify SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for the sending domain. A local Postfix installation is not automatically reliable; historical guidance warns that major providers may reject mail without additional reputation and authentication work.
Cron and queues
Recurring invoices, reminders, and maintenance require a scheduler. Current Laravel documentation uses:
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* * * * * cd /var/www/invoiceninja && php artisan schedule:run >> /dev/null 2>&1Legacy v4 releases may expose different artisan commands. Check the selected v4 documentation and install the version-specific command under the application user:
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Back up the database and application data
A complete backup includes both the MariaDB database and application data. Preserve .env, storage/, uploaded logos and documents, and any customizations. Copying only the code directory is insufficient.
sudo mkdir -p /var/backups
sudo mariadb-dump --single-transaction ninja
| gzip > /var/backups/invoiceninja-$(date +%F).sql.gzStore backups off the server and perform a restore test. Keep the application key with the protected configuration backup.
Troubleshooting common failures
index.php appears in URLs
Enable rewrite support, confirm AllowOverride All, verify that the document root is /public, then reload Apache:
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo apache2ctl configtest
sudo systemctl reload apache2Apache downloads PHP files
The PHP Apache module may be missing, disabled, or different from the CLI version:
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apache2ctl -M | grep php
php -v
sudo systemctl restart apache2Permission denied in storage
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/invoiceninja/storage
sudo chmod -R u+rwX /var/www/invoiceninja/storageDo not leave the directory at 777.
Database authentication fails
Check the database name, username, password, host (localhost versus 127.0.0.1), allowed host, and privileges. Test with the MariaDB client command shown earlier.
Composer or “Class not found” errors
Dependencies may be missing, partially copied, or incompatible with the Composer/PHP version. Ensure CLI and Apache use the same PHP major/minor version and regenerate dependencies only for the pinned v4 tag.
“Whoops, looks like something went wrong”
Read the Laravel and Apache logs. Never leave APP_DEBUG=true enabled on a public server; if enabled temporarily, disable it immediately after diagnosis.
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PDFs, logos, or email attachments fail
Verify GD and other required extensions, the HTTPS application URL, hostname resolution, and the legacy PDF dependency. Test invoice creation, PDF download, logo rendering, SMTP delivery, and attachments before declaring the deployment complete.
When to install Invoice Ninja 5 instead
For a new installation, use a supported Ubuntu release and the current Invoice Ninja 5 instructions, which require PHP 8.1 or newer and, in the detailed guide, PHP 8.2 plus additional extensions. Follow the official self-host installation guide or a supported deployment method. Existing v4 operators should back up first and follow the documented migration and troubleshooting guidance; replacing PHP or overwriting v4 files is not an upgrade path.
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