osCommerce
osCommerce provides online shopping cart functionality. The software is available for free under GPL and utilizes the
PHP Web scripting language, Apache HTTP server, and the MySQL database server. There are no special requirements to
operate on any PHP 4.1.x enabled Web server running on the RHEL operating system, as well as other operating systems.
Install osCommerce on any server where a Web server with PHP is installed on and has access to a MySQL database server.
The software runs on most server-specific configurations ranging from dedicated servers to shared servers that utilize
different PHP configurations such as register_globals and safe_mode restrictions.
Before You Install the Application
You do not start osCommerce by clicking on an executable file as you might with other applications. It is a Web-based
application for which you must copy relevant files to your Web server. Extract the osCommerce download package locally
and copying the files and directories to the server by means of SCP, or by copying the download package to the server
and extracting the package there. osCommerce provides one set of files, regardless of which operating system your
private server is using. Perform one of the following types of installations:
FTP/SCP
Direct Server Access
Whether you acquire the application by SCP or by direct server access, a directory named catalog exists inside the
oscommerce-x directory created by extracting the application download package (where x is the application version
number).
Follow these to steps to acquire the application by means of SCP:
- Download the osCommerce release package.
- Extract the package to a temporary directory.
- Connect to the Web server with an SCP client.
- Copy the catalog directory to the Web server document path.
- Follow these steps to acquire the application by means of direct server access:
- Save the osCommerce release package on the server.
- Extract the package to a temporary directory.
- Copy the catalog directory to the Web server document path.
Web Server Document Path
The Web server document path is the directory where the Web server is configured to look for the HTML/PHP files to
serve to the public. Example Web server document paths are:
/home/hpdl/public_html/
/srv/www/htdocs/
/usr/local/htdocs/
If the catalog directory is kept and copied to, for example, /home/hpdl/public_html/catalog/, the Web server public address would be http://www.my-server.com/catalog/.
If the osCommerce installation is to reside on the root path, for example http://www.my-server.com/, then the files within the catalog directory is copied over and not the actual catalog directory itself.
Username/Password and Database
Using phpMyAdmin or another tool, create your database and user, and assign that user to the database. Avoid writing
down the name of the database, login, and password for this database for later. Also note the hostname of the server
(such as myserver.com) for later use.
Change File Permissions
The permission on the catalog/includes/configure.php file needs specify the value 777 by logging into your root server
and running chmod 777 configure.php.
If you do not have access to the root of your private server, use an FTP program such as www.smartftp.com. When using
an FTP program to change the permissions navigate to that specific file, right-click on the file, and a chmod (or
change attributes) listing which is where the permissions would be changed to 777 for the catalog/includes/configure.php
files ... 777 = read/write/execute.
If these permissions are not specified correctly you receive an error indicating the permission setting on
catalog/includes/configure.php is incorrect.
Install the Application
The Web-based configuration procedure enables you to configure osCommerce by providing default configuration parameter
values for beginning users, and enables each configuration parameter to be modified by the advanced users.
The configuration parameter values that are provided by default are gathered from environment variables specified on
the server, and differs for each server osCommerce is installed on.
Start the Web-based Configuration Procedure
The Web-based configuration procedure is started in a Web browser, by going to:
http://www.my-server.com/osCommerce/
osCommerce automatically detects if the installation is finished, and redirects to the installation procedure if the installation has not yet been finished.
The osCommerce installation can be customized for new installations and to configure (or to reconfigure) osCommerce installations.
New osCommerce installations need to import the catalog database and also need to be configured to the server. osCommerce installations which need to be reconfigured only (for example, when moving to another server) do not need to have the database import selected="selected", otherwise a new database is used instead of an existing database.
Verify you have the information needed for this step, specified during the Pre-Installation Procedure.
Database server address
Database server username
Database server password
Database name
The database is automatically created on the server if the database does not exist and if the user account provided has the access privileges to do so. As such super access privileges are not required for the normal operation of osCommerce; the user account can be safely changed later in the Web-based configuration procedure during the database server configuration step.
Use a database table prefix if the osCommerce database is to be shared with other Web-based applications. This avoids any possible conflicts with the use of table names that previously exist on the server.
Persistent connections improve the performance of dedicated servers that experience high loads. Do not enable persistent connections for installations on shared hosting accounts as it degrades the performance instead of improving it.
The session data osCommerce uses on a per customer basis can either be stored in the database or on the Web server as files. Shared hosting servers to use database session storage due to security related issues. File based session storage improves performance but is only recommended for dedicated servers. Most Web hosting sites are not dedicated servers.
Using file based session storage on shared hosting servers enables other users on the same server to access the session data stored in the files which opens the possibility for user sessions to be hijacked.
The Web-based configuration procedure verifies the information provided before proceeding to the next step to verify the osCommerce installation operates without any problems when the configuration procedure is complete.
If you encounter problems during the database import configuration step, the error message and instructions on how to fix the problem are displayed.
When a successful connection to the database server is made by means of the database configuration parameters provided, a success page is shown to inform that the next step can be performed safely.
When the required osCommerce data and optional sample data are imported into the database, a success page displays to inform that the next step can be performed safely.
Configure Web Server
osCommerce Web server configuration requires you to complete HTTP configuration, to be aware of possible error messages, and then to recognize your successful Web server configuration.
Completing HTTP Configuration
Configuration of HTTP is required to correctly configure the navigation links used within osCommerce and to correctly specify cookie related information specific to the server on which osCommerce is installed. Verify you have gathered the following information:
Web server address.
Location of the osCommerce installation.
Secure Web server address.
A secure Web server protects and secures the transmission of customer data. osCommerce operates with dedicated secure Web servers and with Web servers that share an SSL certificate. If the secure Web server is on a different server than the normal Web server, the session data needs to be stored in the database in order for both Web servers to successfully share the session data.
The WWW address is the full address to the osCommerce installation, such as http://www.my-server.com/osCommerce/. The Web server root directory is the physical directory where osCommerce is installed on the server, such as /usr/home/hpdl/public_html/osCommerce/. The HTTP cookie domain is used when storing cookie related information on the customer's browser. A valid cookie domain consists of a minimum of two dots in the address, such as .my-server.com. The HTTP cookie path is used to secure access to the cookie information stored on the user's browser. This is useful for shared servers to verify only one osCommerce installation has access to the cookies it has specified, such as /~hpdl/osCommerce/. Dedicated servers lessen the access control so that all Web-based applications on the server can share cookie related information. The work directory is required by osCommerce to store cached files and session data if file based session storage is used.
The work directory does not exist by default on new osCommerce installations as the directory is not intended for public accessibility by means of a WWW address. It is important that this directory exists outside the Web server path and is used only for one osCommerce installation.
Possible Error Messages
The Web-based configuration procedure verifies the information provided before proceeding to the next step to verify the osCommerce installation operates without any problems when the configuration procedure is complete. If you encounter problems during the Web server configuration step to configure a directory, the error message and instructions on how to fix the problem are displayed. If you encounter problems during the Web server configuration step to change the permissions (chmod) on a file, the error message and instructions on how to fix the problem are displayed.
Successful Web Configuration
When you configure the Web server correctly, a success page is displayed. The secure Web server configuration step is only activated when secure SSL connections are enabled in your Web server configuration. The Web-based configuration procedure verifies the information provided before proceeding to the next step to verify the osCommerce installation operates without any problems when the configuration procedure is complete. If you encounter problems during the Web server configuration step, the error message and instructions on how to fix the problem. When the provided configurations parameters are successfully written to the configuration files, a success page displays. The message informs you that you have concluded the Web-based configuration and that you configured the Catalog and Administration Tool and prepared them for use.
After You Install the Application
After installing osCommerce perform some follow-up tasks to complete the installation and configuration as well as to secure your private server. To do this, use an FTP program that enables you to easily change permissions by means of chmod.
(See "FTP" on page 12 for information regarding the ProFTPD software.)
After installing the application, follow these steps:
1.Rename the catalog/install folder or delete it.
7.Reset the permissions on catalog/includes/configure.php to 644.
If you receive a warning message after setting permission to 644, configure.php files to 644 and then specify the catalog/includes/configure.php file to 444).
8.Specify the permissions on the catalog/images and admin/images/graphs directories to 777.
9.Create the directory admin/backups and specify permissions to 777 (this is the folder to store the database backup of your store in the Tools section of the store admin directory).
10.Password protect the store admin directory on your private server using htaccess.
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