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osCommerce

The e-commerce.

Quick Install Guide


Vger

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I walked through all the steps
Once the install finishes, and I go to my url to view the shop, it goes back to the installation menu

 

One of the steps is to delete the install folder once the install is complete.

 

If i try going to mysite.com/admin, I get an error "Cannot connect to the database"

 

Sounds like the install wrote to the includes/configure.php file, but not to the admin/includes/configure.php file.

 

Vger

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One of the steps is to delete the install folder once the install is complete.

Sounds like the install wrote to the includes/configure.php file, but not to the admin/includes/configure.php file.

 

Vger

 

Is the admin configure.php file fairly easy to modify by hand or should i delete everything and reinstall?

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Most, if not all, of the information you need to be able to add the info to the admin/includes/configure.php file you'll find in the includes/configure.php file.

 

Vger

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Thanks for your time in helping me with this big problem, i have now cancelled my hosting with hosting365 and have gone with a cheaper hosting company, who install os commerce onto my hosting space fro free within the price of the hosting, and as you cany see at http://cyclone.me.uk it works great.

 

But i am very greatful to all who helped me, and i am sorry if i was rude to any1 but it was very hard for some1 to install straight from scrach.

 

 

But i would like some help, how do i put my own shop logo at the top of the screen, where the os commerce logo is?

 

Thanks All

 

Shaun (Cyclone)

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Vger

 

sup man, thank you for your wonderful comments to users, and hopefully you can answer mine as well. I'm looking for a simple solution on designing a custom template for oscommerce!! YEA BABY! OS... is there any type of download, or anything, and has examples, or a documentation for creating your own oscommerce site.. thanks for all your hard work, and look forward to a reply if you can.

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Most commercially available templates for osCommerce use the Simple Template System (STS), which is available as a download from Contributions (Community link above). You design a page in html and then slot into it the boxes and features you wish to show on the page.

 

There is an active thread in the Tips & Tricks forum on what to do once you have built your default osCommerce website (sorry, don't remember what it's called).

 

Vger

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Hey Vger....wow, this has been a wonderful trip reading all of this. But I have to say it's very intimidating to a newbie like me. Even with all of your help..and my God you're a patient person. Do you think this is really easy enough for someone with limited code experience to tackel? I get so confused when you say some of your suggestions. I read and try to figure it all out, but I realize that I actually know so little of this.

You are wonderful to have taken the time and tried to help!!! And I'm saying this...so in case I get frustrated later maybe you won't call me the dope I feel like. :)

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Do you think this is really easy enough for someone with limited code experience to tackel?

 

I joined this forum just over two years ago, with absolutely no experience of PHP, just some knowledge of running html based websites. I'm not some under-20 script kiddy, I'm closer to 60 than 50 - so if I can do it anyone can!

 

Vger

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Can I ask you one thing...maybe a truely stupid question...but...

Are these instructions for installation from something you download from the osCommerce site directly or are you talking about downloading and installing this osCommerce software from some of the companies that are selling osCommerce software??

 

And also, is there a way to save or flag some of these conversations because it took me quite awhile to remember this topic name and then find this discussion...a few days old already.

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Okay, I'm a retard...I guess I'm the person you hate to deal with. I ask first and look it up second. SORRY! I just looked under options and saw how I can track this topic. Sorry to have bothered you.

 

But my other question...I guess after re-reading your first message I get that you're talking about people downloading osCommerce from this site. So I will rephrase my question to be...would I be better off to just buy & download from a re-seller? I mean, if I do that can I learn enough so that next time, for my next site I'd be able to start from scratch???

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Companies which offer automated installs of osCommerce are almost certainly supplying the version of osCommerce before November of last year - when it was updated with essential security patches and bug fixes. If you download and install the osCommerce version available here then you'll have the up to date version.

 

If you install any other version of osCommerce (one of the 'loaded' types) then no support is offered for them on this forum.

 

Vger

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So if I want to start a new site, a new store shall we say, you are suggesting that I download from this site first...so I have the most up to date patches and then maybe download from on of those services? I have been looking at one of the corporate sponsors...The Template Store. My problem is 2 fold...or many more fold I'm sure. But I don't feel creative enough to make it nice looking on my own and more importantly I just don't understand much of this.

 

Take your first opening message. You said something about catalog. I don't know if you're telling us if we have a catalog of items we need to add that to the path and if not, I don't know what you mean by that.

 

I'm sure that shows you how dumb I am at this. SORRY!

 

Right now I'm one the PHP site, trying to understand that. I read it and I still don't understand what it does and why you need it. And then I'm reading also about MySQL...which I get, thats a database program right?

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Hi again, just re-read your first post again. And realize I have again mis-spoke. So here's my corrected question:

I understand that you refer to catalog a folder that has things which are needed to be downloaded, unzipped etc. I guess what I don't get is why would someone want to put the word catalog in their path name. What are these things in the catalog folder? Am I asking a better question?

I hope not to frustrate you, I know you want people to ask intelligent questions so you can answer them....but asking the question is very tricky when the asker doesn't know quite how to state the question. I never seem to be able to get help from any search type help because I never know how to ask the question so that I can get an answer I need.~sigh~

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MySQL is a database programme

PHPMyAdmin is another programme that helps you manage MySQL

PHP is a dynamic script language.

 

You need MySQL and PHP on your hosting account (preferabley also phpMyAdmin) to be able to run and install osCommerce.

 

If you go to page 1 of this topic it tells you what you need to do to install osCommerce.

 

Vger

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Okay, so call me...difficult...but I don't get what is so good about osCommerce if you need all these other programs to make it work.

I get that MySQL is a database, but then you say you need another program to manage that database. And then you say you need PHP also. And truthfully, I don't know what "Dynamic Script Language" means either.

So in order for osCommerce to run you need all 3 of those other programs?? So what is so good about all of this?

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Most good programmes need other facilities in order to run - your computer wouldn't be a lot of use without electricity.

 

If you have specific questions I'll happily answer them - but I don't have time for philosophical debates - sorry.

 

Vger

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Okay...well, didn't realize I was being philosophical. Just trying to figure some of this out before I waste my time on it. And by all means, don't waste any more time on me.

 

But I will say this. I just had lunch with a friend who has been touting Open Source stuff for a long time now and I asked him the same questions and he was able to put it into words I can understand. So for those of you who might be new to this, like me, and don't quite understand all of this I'll share his answer. Because now I understand what nobody explains in simple terms. Not even the PHP site which I have read over a few times in the past few months.

 

PHP lets you have a database, like in MySQL, without having to have the database on your site directly. It lets you say have a list of items on your site and when someone does a search then PHP automatically goes and searches for that item and brings the information back to you.

 

He said it does alot more too and I'm sure I didn't say it correctly. But I think I finally understand the jist of it.

 

And I understand that you people do this for fun and comrodery(?) but you all speak a different language. Things are not stated in simple terms or even explained very well. You all assume that we all know alot more than at least I do.

 

Maybe people like me have no business here, of maybe just I have no business here. So sorry.

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Okay - the simple version.

 

HTML is a static language - you write a page in HTML and it just sits there and doesn't do anything.

 

PHP is called a dynamic scripting language - because it allows you to do things with your web page or website.

 

MySQL is just one of many types of databases. PHP can communicate with it, so instead of storing lots of information in files on your website the information is actually held in the database. PHP pulls information in from the database and plonks it on the webpage, and via the admin panel in osCommerce you can change settings on your website - which then updates the database with the new information.

 

It's actually possible to have a dynamic PHP site without a database - you store the information in files instead, but it's not practical for a programme as large as osCommerce.

 

All that phpMyAdmin does is to give you a graphical interface that allows you to carry out certain tasks with the database without having to become and expert in doing things from the 'command line'.

 

What I mean by this is that you can also connect to MySQL without PHPMyAdmin, from a screen similar to the MS DOS Prompt screen on your computer, and you can then write commands directly to the database. But this is not for beginners, and there's little call to do it if you have PHPMyAdmin (a lot easier to use).

 

Just over 2 years ago I knew zilch about PHP - so if I can learn anyone can.

 

Vger

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Thanks!!!

But since you knew zilch, how did you learn? Where did you start? I have 4 web sites up and running right now. One I did totally with HTML only and the other 3 with GoLive....and yet I feel totally lost with most of what is being said. I am just exploring the posibility of making a site that will directly sell something. So the shopping cart/database stuff is what I need to learn.

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I started off with "PHP and MySQL for Dummies" and my eyes glazed over after a few pages. I'm not joking!

 

I started reading up on posts here on the forum, and then I downloaded and installed a local offline web server on my computer (Intranet as opposed to Internet). I could set up (and destroy) as many osCommerce sites as I wanted and it didn't matter - it was just a learning experience.

 

If that sounds daunting (setting up your own offline web server) it's not. Just go to http://www.apachefriends.org/en and download XAMPP for Windows (assuming your computer has a Windows operating system). It's a 1-click install, but it is a big download (you need broadband).

 

XAMPP has all you need, PHP, MySQL, PHPMyAdmin etc.

 

Vger

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Thanks!!!

But since you knew zilch, how did you learn? Where did you start? I have 4 web sites up and running right now. One I did totally with HTML only and the other 3 with GoLive....and yet I feel totally lost with most of what is being said. I am just exploring the posibility of making a site that will directly sell something. So the shopping cart/database stuff is what I need to learn.

 

 

The best way to learn is to do and to read! Then ask questions. Install osC and then take a look at it and decide what you would like to change and do it. The key to this is to pick one thing at time and go slowly and always always always back up your files and database before making any changes so when you do screw something up ( and you will) it is not that bad as you can always just upload your backup and try again.

 

The forums have lots of good info and there are a lot of good contributions that will help you build the store you want to have.

The Knowledge Base is a wonderful thing.

Do you have a problem? Have you checked out Common Problems?

There are many very useful osC Contributions

Are you having trouble with a installed contribution? Have you checked out the support thread found Here

BACKUP BACKUP BACKUP!!! You did backup, right??

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Thanks both of you!! I'm going to try to download your suggestion over the weekend. Right now I'm in the Tips and Tricks section and wow is that ever good reading material. I'm gonna be here for years just weeding through it all. I'm sure tho....that...I'll Be Back :)

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Ok. I have a new installation problem. I got the permissions right. Ran through the install with no problems. When I go to myshop/admin or try to view the home page, the pages are completely blank. no errors are displayed. Any ideas?

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I'm doing a new installation over server and got this error:

 

The following error has occurred:

The configuration files do not exist, or permission levels are not set.

 

Please perform the following actions:

cd /hsphere/local/home/orenji/domain.com/catalog/includes/

touch configure.php

chmod 706 configure.php

cd /hsphere/local/home/orenji/domain.com/catalog/admin/includes/

touch configure.php

chmod 706 configure.php

 

both files are set to 777 but installation still can't go thru, and anyone kindly explain what is 706? thanks.

 

 

 

I am having the exact same problem also and am totally stuck.

 

So if there is someone out there who could help the the advise would be much appreciated.

 

Rich

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