This brief tutorial is going to show students and new users an easy way to get osCommerce working on Ubuntu 17.04 | 17.10 osCommerce is PHP based application that also requires web and database servers. The LAMP stack is a requirement for osCommerce. LAMP is an acronym for Linux, Apache2, MySQL, and PHP. Many reputable online stores and brick-and-mortar establishments are using this software to run their businesses. This post covers installing the latest version of osCommerce, which at the time of writing was version 2.3.4.1 To get started with installing osCommerce, follow the steps below:

Install Apache2

osCommerce requires a webserver to function and the most popular web server in use today is Apache2. So, go and install Apache2 on Ubuntu by running the commands below: After installing Apache2, run the commands below to disable the directory listing. Next, run the commands below to stop, start and enable the Apache2 service to always start up with the server boots.

Install MariaDB

osCommerce also requires a database server to function. and MariaDB database server is a great place to start. To install it run the commands below. After installing, the commands below can be used to stop, start and enable the MariaDB service to always start up when the server boots. After that, run the commands below to secure the MariaDB server. When prompted, answer the questions below by following the guide.

Enter current password for root (enter for none): Just press the Enter Set root password? [Y/n]: Y New password: Enter the password Re-enter new password: Repeat password Remove anonymous users? [Y/n]: Y Disallow root login remotely? [Y/n]: Y Remove the test database and access to it? [Y/n]:  Y Reload privilege tables now? [Y/n]:  Y

Restart MariaDB server

osCommerce also requires PHP to function. To install PHP and related modules run the commands below

Create osCommerce Database

Now that you’ve installed all required packages, continue below to create the osCommerce database. Run the commands below to log on to the MariaDB server. When prompted for a password, type the root password you created above. Then create a database called oscdb Create a database user called oscuser with a new password Then grant the user full access to the database. Finally, save your changes and exit.

Download osCommerce Latest Release

Next, visit the osCommerce site to download the latest version After downloading, run the commands below to extract the download file into the Apache2 root directory. Change or modify the directory permission to fit the Apache2 configuration.

Configure Apache2

Finally, configure the Apahce2 site configuration file for osCommerce. This file will control how users access osCommerce content. Run the commands below to create a new configuration file called oscommerce.conf Then copy and paste the content below into the file and save it. Replace the highlighted line with your domain name and directory root location. Save the file and exit.

Enable the osCommerce and Rewrite Module

After configuring the VirtualHost above, enable it by running the commands below To load all the settings above, restart Apache2 by running the commands below. Then open your browser and browse to the server domain name. You should see the osCommerce setup wizard to complete. Please follow the wizard carefully. ex. http://example.com/catalog Begin the installation. You will be prompted for the database server info. type it as shown below. Next, enter the store name and admin username, and password, and continue Complete the installation. Enjoy!

Post-Installation steps:

It is recommended to follow the following post-installation steps to secure your osCommerce Online Merchant online store: Delete the /var/www/html/oscommerce/catalog/install directory. Rename the Administration Tool directory located at /var/www/html/oscommerce/catalog/admin. Set the permissions on /var/www/html/oscommerce/catalog/includes/configure.php to 644 (or 444 if this file is still writable). Set the permissions on /var/www/html/oscommerce/catalog/admin/includes/configure.php to 644 (or 444 if this file is still writable). Review the directory permissions on the Administration Tool -> Tools -> Security Directory Permissions page. The Administration Tool should be further protected using htaccess/htpasswd and can be set up within the Configuration -> Administrators page. Run the commands below. That’s it!