Update: Standalone OpenEMR v7.0.4 for macOS & FreeBSD: PHP 8.5, Apache CGI Support, and Portable Distributions

OpenEMR Development
1

Hi everyone,

I am sharing a major technical update to the OpenEMR Static Binary Forge project. This project provides a zero-dependency approach to running OpenEMR, and it has recently expanded from a testing tool into a robust, high-fidelity environment supporting both macOS and FreeBSD.

The Major Leap: Apache HTTP Server Integration

The most significant update is the shift from relying solely on the built-in PHP development server to a full Apache HTTP Server integration.

  • CGI SAPI Support: The build engines now compile the PHP CGI SAPI alongside CLI and MicroSFX.

  • Automated Apache Suite: The project now includes a one-command setup (sudo ./setup-apache-config.sh) for both macOS and FreeBSD. This automatically configures a dedicated VirtualHost, enables required modules (mod_rewrite, mod_cgi, headers, etc.), and deploys a secure PHP wrapper that auto-detects the static binary.

  • Realistic Environment: By running through Apache, you get realistic handling of security headers, Gzip compression (mod_deflate), and connection tuning without needing to install PHP or system dependencies on your host.

Key New Features in v7.0.4

  • Updated to OpenEMR v7.0.4: The system now tracks the latest stable release tag.

  • PHP 8.5 Baseline: All binaries are built with the latest PHP 8.5 source

  • Portable FreeBSD Distribution: FreeBSD builds bundle their own lib directory with all necessary shared objects (libxml2, libiconv, openssl). This results in a truly portable extract and run package.

  • Automated QEMU Runner: For macOS users, run-freebsd-apache.sh boots a FreeBSD VM, configures Apache, and serves OpenEMR to your host browser in one step. This makes testing on FreeBSD simple even without native hardware.

Performance Benchmarks (MacBook Pro M5)

Using the project’s benchmark tool (10,000 requests, concurrency 10):

  • Throughput: 132.58 requests per second

  • Mean Latency: 7.543 ms

  • Reliability: 0 failed requests over 10,000 hits.

Get Started

If you are on macOS, you can test the Apache setup by following these steps:

git clone https://github.com/Jmevorach/openemr-static-binary-forge

# download release materials from here 
# https://github.com/Jmevorach/openemr-static-binary-forge/releases/tag/mac_os-php85-openemr-v7_0_4-arm64-12262025 
# to the "mac_os" folder

cd mac_os/apache_cgi

sudo ./setup-apache-config.sh

brew services restart httpd

I would love to see benchmark results from different hardware or hear feedback from anyone testing the FreeBSD distribution on native hardware.

Best,

Jake