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Localhost Manager

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Complete system to manage local domains, SSL certificates, and Apache configuration on macOS natively (without MAMP Pro).

Prerequisites

  • macOS (Ventura or later)
  • Homebrew installed
  • PHP 8.4 (installed)
  • MySQL 8.4 (installed)
  • Apache 2.4 (native macOS)

Quick Installation

Step 1: Configure Services

# Add PHP 8.4 and MySQL to PATH
echo 'export PATH="/opt/homebrew/opt/php@8.4/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc
echo 'export PATH="/opt/homebrew/opt/php@8.4/sbin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc
echo 'export PATH="/opt/homebrew/opt/mysql@8.4/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

Step 2: Start Services

# Start PHP-FPM
brew services start php@8.4

# Start MySQL
brew services start mysql@8.4

# Configure MySQL (optional - set root password)
mysql_secure_installation

Step 3: Configure Apache and Generate Certificates

# Grant execution permissions to scripts
chmod +x ~/localhost-manager/scripts/*.sh

# Generate all SSL certificates
bash ~/localhost-manager/scripts/generate-certificates.sh

Step 4: Access Web Interface

  1. Open your browser
  2. Go to: http://localhost/manager
  3. Use the interface to:
    • Generate SSL certificates
    • Create Apache configuration
    • Generate /etc/hosts file
    • Manage domains and aliases

Using the Web Interface

Main Dashboard

The interface shows:

  • System Information: PHP, Apache, and MySQL versions
  • Quick Actions: Buttons to generate certificates, configuration, etc.
  • Domain List: Table with all configured domains

Generate SSL Certificates

  1. Click "Generate All Certificates"
  2. Or generate individual certificates with the "Cert" button on each row

Generate Apache Configuration

  1. Click "Generate Apache Configuration"
  2. This creates the file ~/localhost-manager/conf/vhosts.conf

Update /etc/hosts

  1. Click "Generate /etc/hosts"
  2. Run the command that appears:
sudo bash ~/localhost-manager/scripts/update-hosts.sh

Apply Configuration to Apache

After generating the configuration, run:

sudo bash ~/localhost-manager/scripts/install.sh

This script:

  • Configures PHP 8.4 in Apache
  • Enables necessary modules (SSL, rewrite, etc.)
  • Copies certificates to /etc/apache2/ssl
  • Applies virtual hosts configuration
  • Restarts Apache

Adding a New Domain

  1. In the web interface, go to "Add New Domain" section
  2. Fill in the fields:
    • Domain: mydomain.local
    • Alias (optional): www.mydomain.local
    • Document Root: /Users/youruser/Sites/localhost/mydomain.local
  3. Click "Add Domain"
  4. Generate SSL certificate for the domain
  5. Regenerate Apache configuration
  6. Update /etc/hosts
  7. Run the installation script

File Structure

~/localhost-manager/
├── certs/                    # Generated SSL certificates
├── conf/                     # Configuration files
│   ├── hosts.json           # Domain database
│   ├── hosts.txt            # Entries for /etc/hosts
│   └── vhosts.conf          # Apache configuration
├── scripts/                  # Management scripts
│   ├── generate-certificates.sh
│   ├── generate-vhosts-config.sh
│   ├── install.sh
│   └── update-hosts.sh
└── README.md

/Users/youruser/Sites/localhost/
└── manager/                  # Web interface
    └── index.php

Auto-Start Services Configuration

To make services start automatically on system boot:

# PHP-FPM
brew services start php@8.4

# MySQL
brew services start mysql@8.4

# Apache (macOS)
sudo launchctl load -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/org.apache.httpd.plist

To stop services:

brew services stop php@8.4
brew services stop mysql@8.4
sudo apachectl stop

Useful Commands

Apache

# Start Apache
sudo apachectl start

# Stop Apache
sudo apachectl stop

# Restart Apache
sudo apachectl restart

# Verify configuration
sudo apachectl configtest

# View loaded modules
sudo apachectl -M

PHP

# View version
php --version

# View configuration
php --ini

# Edit php.ini
nano /opt/homebrew/etc/php/8.4/php.ini

MySQL

# Connect to MySQL
mysql -u root -p

# View databases
mysql -u root -p -e "SHOW DATABASES;"

# Service status
brew services list | grep mysql

SSL Certificates

Self-signed certificates are valid for 10 years (3650 days).

To trust a certificate on macOS:

  1. Open Keychain Access
  2. Drag the .crt file from ~/localhost-manager/certs/
  3. Double-click the certificate
  4. Expand "Trust"
  5. Select "Always Trust"

Troubleshooting

Apache won't start

# View error log
tail -f /var/log/apache2/error_log

# Verify configuration
sudo apachectl configtest

PHP not working

# Verify module is loaded
sudo apachectl -M | grep php

# Verify php.ini
php --ini

SSL certificate not trusted

Add the certificate to Keychain Access (see SSL Certificates section).

Port 80 or 443 in use

# See what process is using the port
sudo lsof -i :80
sudo lsof -i :443

# Stop MAMP if running

Benefits vs MAMP Pro

  • Free and open source
  • Native macOS configuration
  • Better performance
  • Easy component updates
  • Full configuration control
  • Modern web administration interface
  • Automatic SSL certificate generation
  • Domain alias support

Support

For issues or suggestions, check the logs:

  • Apache: /var/log/apache2/error_log
  • PHP: /opt/homebrew/var/log/php-fpm.log
  • MySQL: /opt/homebrew/var/mysql/*.err

Author: Localhost Manager Version: 1.0.0 Date: November 2025