FlyEnv Quick Start Guide: Get Running in 5 Minutes

You have downloaded FlyEnv. Now what? This guide gets you from installation to a running local website in under five minutes—no terminal wizardry required.

Installation

macOS

Option 1: Homebrew (Recommended)

brew update && brew install flyenv

Option 2: Download DMG

Architecture	Download
Intel (x86_64)	GitHub Release
Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3)	GitHub Release

Note for macOS users: If you only need simple PHP hosting, check out FlyPHPServer on the Mac App Store—a lightweight companion app.

Windows

Download and extract the ZIP file:

Download Source	Link
GitHub Release	Download
Baidu Netdisk	Download

Run FlyEnv.exe after extraction.

Linux

Supports Debian/Ubuntu (.deb) and Red Hat/Fedora/SUSE/CentOS (.rpm):

Distribution	Architecture	Package
Debian/Ubuntu	x86_64	.deb
Debian/Ubuntu	arm64	.deb
Red Hat/Fedora	x86_64	.rpm
Red Hat/Fedora	arm64	.rpm

Download from GitHub Releases.

First Launch Setup

1. Install FlyEnv Helper

On first launch, FlyEnv installs a helper program for system integration:

• macOS/Linux: May prompt for password
• Windows: Run as Administrator if installation fails

This helper manages services and system paths. It is required only once.

2. Customize Your Interface

FlyEnv shows all modules by default. Simplify your view:

1. Click Settings (gear icon)
2. Toggle modules you do NOT need off
3. Reorder remaining modules by drag-and-drop

Recommended for PHP developers: Keep Apache/Nginx, PHP, MySQL, Redis visible.

Recommended for Node.js developers: Keep Node.js, Nginx, MongoDB visible.

3. Install Your First Version

Each module needs at least one version installed:

1. Click a module (e.g., PHP)
2. Switch to the Versions tab
3. Select a version (e.g., PHP 8.3)
4. Click Install

FlyEnv downloads and configures the version automatically.

Pro tip: Install multiple versions if you work on different projects. They coexist peacefully.

Create Your First Website

Step 1: Start Required Services

Before creating a site, start your web server and PHP:

1. Open Apache or Nginx module
2. Select your installed version
3. Click the Start button

Do the same for PHP and MySQL if needed.

Step 2: Create a Site

1. Open the Host module

2. Click "Add Site"

3. Fill in the details:

   • Domain: myproject.test (any domain works)
   • Root Path: /Users/you/projects/myproject
   • PHP Version: Select your installed version
   • Port: 80 (default)

4. Enable Auto SSL for HTTPS access

5. Click Save

Step 3: Access Your Site

After saving:

1. Start your web server (if not already running)
2. Click the site link in the Host list
3. Or open https://myproject.test in your browser

The SSL certificate is automatically trusted by your system.

Setting Up Environment Variables

FlyEnv can manage your system PATH for terminal access:

1. Open any module
2. Click "Set to System Path"
3. Choose versions to add

For PHP, you can also create aliases:

• php74 -> PHP 7.4
• php83 -> PHP 8.3

Restart your terminal after setting PATH for changes to take effect.

Quick Project Setup Examples

Laravel Project

# Create project
composer create-project laravel/laravel myproject

# In FlyEnv Host module
# - Domain: myproject.test
# - Root: /path/to/myproject/public
# - PHP: 8.2 or 8.3
# - Nginx rewrite: Select "Laravel" template

WordPress Site

# Download WordPress
curl -O https://wordpress.org/latest.tar.gz
tar -xzf latest.tar.gz

# In FlyEnv
# - Create database in MySQL module
# - Domain: wordpress.test
# - Root: /path/to/wordpress
# - Enable URL rewrite

Static HTML Site

# Create folder
mkdir mystaticsite
echo "<h1>Hello FlyEnv</h1>" > mystaticsite/index.html

# In FlyEnv
# - Domain: static.test
# - Root: /path/to/mystaticsite
# - Set as "Static Site" (no PHP)

Node.js/NestJS Project

# Create NestJS app
npm i -g @nestjs/cli
nest new myapi

# In FlyEnv
# - Start Node.js service
# - Use Nginx reverse proxy to port 3000
# - See reverse proxy guide for details

Managing Services

Start All at Once

Enable GroupStart for modules you want to launch together:

1. Open module service panel
2. Check GroupStart checkbox
3. Use the main "Start All" switch

Check Logs

If a service fails to start:

1. Click the Logs button in the module
2. Review error messages
3. Common issues: port conflicts, missing dependencies

Upgrading FlyEnv

FlyEnv includes auto-update functionality:

1. Check Settings -> About for updates
2. Or download the latest release manually

Your data is safe: Program files and data are stored separately. Upgrading never deletes your sites or databases.

Uninstallation

Should you need to remove FlyEnv:

macOS

# Remove app
rm -rf /Applications/FlyEnv.app

# Remove data (optional)
rm -rf ~/Library/FlyEnv
rm -rf ~/Library/PhpWebStudy

Windows

1. Delete the FlyEnv folder
2. Data folder is FlyEnv-Data in the same directory

Linux

# Remove package
sudo apt remove flyenv  # or rpm equivalent

# Remove data
rm -rf ~/.config/FlyEnv

Troubleshooting

"Port already in use" errors

Cause: Another application using port 80, 443, or 3306

Solution:

# Find process using port 80
sudo lsof -i :80

# Or change FlyEnv ports in settings

"Permission denied" on macOS

Solution: Grant Full Disk Access to FlyEnv in System Preferences -> Security & Privacy

Site shows "502 Bad Gateway"

Causes:

1. PHP-FPM not running
2. Wrong PHP version selected for site
3. Incorrect nginx/apache configuration

Solution: Check PHP-FPM is started and logs for errors.

Changes not reflecting

Solution:

1. Clear browser cache
2. Restart web server
3. Check file permissions

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Do I need to know command line to use FlyEnv?

A: No. While terminal access is available, everything can be done through the GUI.

Q: Can I use my existing Homebrew installations?

A: Yes. FlyEnv detects Homebrew and Macports installations automatically.

Q: How do I backup my sites?

A: Your project files are in your chosen directories. Database exports can be done through the MySQL module.

Q: Can I import an existing project?

A: Absolutely. Just point the Host root path to your existing project folder.

Q: What domains can I use?

A: Any domain ending in .test, .local, .dev, or custom TLDs. Avoid .local on some networks due to mDNS conflicts.

Next Steps

Now that you are running, explore these features:

• Project-Level Version Isolation — Automatic version switching
• Custom Domains & SSL — Professional local development
• Build Local AI Agent — Offline AI with Ollama

Download FlyEnv if you haven't already, and happy coding!

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💬 Community Perspective: See real developer stories and tutorials about FlyEnv on our Community page.