| Web Based Installation Procedure | Last Update: 8th June, 2005
Article ID: 225 |
- Introduction
- Starting The Web Based Configuration Procedure
- New Installation Options
- Importing The Database
- Database Import Configuration
- Possible Error Messages
- Successful Database Connection
- Successful Database Import
- Webserver Configuration
- HTTP Configuration
- Possible Error Messages
- Successful Webserver Configuration
- Secure Webserver Configuration
- Possible Error Messages
- Successful Configuration
Introduction
The web based configuration procedure allows osCommerce to be configured by providing default configuration parameter values for beginning users, and allows each configuration parameter to be modified by the advanced users.
The configuration parameter values that are provided by default are gathered from environment variables set on the server, and will differ for each server osCommerce is installed on.
Accepting the default values provided will usually work, however some servers may need some configuration parameters to be manually set and may require contacting the server administrator or hosting company.
Starting 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 has been finished, and redirects to the installation procedure if the installation has not yet been finished.
The welcoming page on
Figure 1 should be shown on the web browser, and the configuration procedure can be started by clicking on "Install a new online store".
Figure 1. Welcoming page
The osCommerce installation can be customized for new installations and to configure (or to reconfigure) osCommerce installations.
New osCommerce installations will need to import the catalog database and will also need to be configured to the server. Both of these options can be selected on the page as shown on
Figure 2.
osCommerce installations that need to be reconfigured only (for example, when moving to another server) do not need to have the database import selected, otherwise a new database will be used instead of an existing database.
Figure 2. Installation customization page
- Database Import Configuration
- Possible Error Messages
- Successful Database Connection
- Successful Database Import
Database Import Configuration
The database import step is required for new osCommerce installations to setup the required structured information in the database, in the form of tables and data relationships.
The information needed for this step should have been acquired during the
Pre-Installation Procedure.
- Database server address
- Database server username
- Database server password
- Database name
Figure 3. Database import page
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.
Database Table Prefix
It is recommended to 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 may already exist on the server.
Persistent Connections
Persistent connections may improve the performance of dedicated servers that experience high loads.
Persistent connections should not be enabled for installations on shared hosting servers as it will usually degrade the performance instead of improving it.
Session Storage
The session data osCommerce uses on a per customer basis can either be stored in the database or on the web server as files.
It is recommended for 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 may allow other users on the same server to access the session data stored in the files which opens the possibility for customer sessions to be hijacked.
Possible Error Messages
The web based configuration procedure verifies the information provided before proceeding to the next step to make sure the osCommerce installation operates without any problems when the configuration procedure has been complete.
If problems are encountered during the database import configuration step, the error message and instructions on how to fix the problem are shown as seen on
Figure 4.
Figure 4. Example of a problem encountered
When a successful connection to the database server is made via the database configuration parameters provided, a success page is shown as seen on
Figure 5 to inform that the next step can be performed safely.
Figure 5. Database configuration success page
When the required osCommerce data and optional sample data have been imported into the database, a success page is shown as seen on
Figure 6 to inform that the next step can be performed safely.
Figure 6. Database import success page
- HTTP Configuration
- Possible Error Messages
- Successful Webserver Configuration
HTTP Configuration
The HTTP configuration step is required to correctly configure the navigation links used within osCommerce, and to correctly set cookie relation information specific to the server osCommerce is installed on.
The information needed for this step should have been gathered during the Pre-Installation Procedure:
- Webserver address
- Location of the osCommerce installation
- Secure webserver address (optional)
Figure 7. Webserver configuration page
A secure webserver is not a requirement but is highly recommended to protect/secure the transmission of customer data. osCommerce will operate with dedicated secure webservers and with webservers that share an SSL certificate.
If the secure webserver is on a different server than the normal webserver, the session data needs to be stored in the database in order for both webservers to successfully share the session data.
WWW Address
The WWW address is the full address to the osCommerce installation, for example:
http://www.my-server.com/osCommerce/
Webserver Root Directory
The webserver root directory is the physical directory where osCommerce is installed on the server, for example:
/usr/home/hpdl/public_html/osCommerce/
HTTP Cookie Domain
The HTTP cookie domain is used when storing cookie related information on the customers browser. A valid cookie domain consists of a minium of 2 dots in the address, for example:
.my-server.com
HTTP Cookie Path
The HTTP cookie path is used to secure access to the cookie information stored on the customers browser. This is useful for shared servers to make sure only one osCommerce installation has access to the cookies it has set, for example:
/~hpdl/osCommerce/
Dedicated servers may lessen the access control so that all web based applications on the server can share cookie related information.
Work Directory
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 should not be publicly accessible via a WWW address. It is important that this directory exists outside the webserver 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 make sure the osCommerce installation operates without any problems when the configuration procedure has been complete.
If problems are encountered during the webserver configuration step to setup a directory, the error message and instructions on how to fix the problem are shown as seen on
Figure 8.
Figure 8. Example of a problem encountered to setup a folder
If problems are encountered during the webserver configuration step to change the permissions (chmod) on a file, the error message and instructions on how to fix the problem are shown as seen on
Figure 9.
Figure 9. Example of a problem encountered to change permissions (chmod) on a file
When the webserver has been configured, a success page is shown as seen on
Figure 10 to inform that the next step can be performed safely.
Figure 10. Webserver configuration success page
The secure webserver configuration step is only activated when secure SSL connections have been enabled in the (normal) webserver configuration step.
Figure 11. Secure webserver configuration page
The web based configuration procedure verifies the information provided before proceeding to the next step to make sure the osCommerce installation operates without any problems when the configuration procedure has been complete.
If problems are encountered during the webserver configuration step, the error message and instructions on how to fix the problem are shown as seen on
Figure 12.
Figure 13. Example of a problem encountered
When the provided configuration parameters have been successfully written to the configuration files, a success page is shown as seen on
Figure 13 to inform that the web based configuration procedure has been concluded, and that the Catalog and Administration Tool have been successfully setup and are ready to be used.
Figure 14. Successful configuration page
Make sure the instructions in the
Post-Installation Procedure article are followed. This article contains information concerning Post-Installation and securing your server.
