How to Install InvoicePlane on macOS

InvoicePlane is an open-source application that allows for easy invoicing and client management. This tutorial will guide you through the process of installing InvoicePlane on your macOS operating system.

Prerequisites

Before installing InvoicePlane, you will need to have the following:

  • macOS operating system
  • Apache web server
  • PHP version 5.6.4 or higher
  • MySQL database (or compatible)

Step 1: Download InvoicePlane

First, navigate to the InvoicePlane GitHub repository and download the latest stable version of InvoicePlane (v1.5.11 at the time of writing). Extract the downloaded file to a directory of your choice.

Step 2: Configure Apache

Next, you will need to configure Apache to recognize the directory where you extracted InvoicePlane.

  1. Open the Apache configuration file httpd.conf. This file is located in the directory /etc/apache2/httpd.conf.

  2. Uncomment the line LoadModule rewrite_module libexec/apache2/mod_rewrite.so by removing the # symbol at the beginning of the line. This will enable the mod_rewrite Apache module, which is required for InvoicePlane.

  3. Edit the <Directory> section in httpd.conf. This is typically found near the bottom of the file. Change the AllowOverride option from None to All. This will allow the .htaccess file in the InvoicePlane directory to override Apache's default settings.

  4. Restart Apache to apply the changes.

Step 3: Create a MySQL database

You will need to create a MySQL database to store the data for InvoicePlane. You can use a tool such as phpMyAdmin or the MySQL command line interface to create the database.

  1. Create a new database called invoiceplane.

  2. Create a new user who has full privileges on the invoiceplane database.

Note: Make sure to save the database name, MySQL username, and password for later use.

Step 4: Configure InvoicePlane

Next, you will need to configure InvoicePlane to connect to the MySQL database you just created.

  1. Rename the ipconfig.php.example file in the InvoicePlane directory to ipconfig.php.

  2. Open ipconfig.php in a text editor.

  3. Edit the following lines to reflect your MySQL database information:

    define('IP_DB_USER', 'root');
define('IP_DB_PASS', '');
define('IP_DB_NAME', 'invoiceplane');

    Replace root with the MySQL username you created in Step 3. Replace invoiceplane with the name of the database you created. If you set a password for the MySQL user, replace '' with the password.

  4. Save ipconfig.php.

Step 5: Install InvoicePlane

Finally, you will run the InvoicePlane installation script to create the necessary tables and data in the MySQL database.

  1. Navigate to http://localhost/invoiceplane in your web browser. You should see the InvoicePlane installation screen.

  2. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process.

  3. Once the installation is complete, you will be redirected to the InvoicePlane login screen.

Note: Make sure to delete the install directory in the InvoicePlane directory after completing the installation.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed InvoicePlane on your macOS operating system. You can now start using the application to manage your clients and invoices.