Topic: osCommerce on SME How-to

[Craig Jensen]

Just completed for those interested:

http://www.acenet-tech.org/cdj/osCommerce_on-SME_howto/osCommerce-on-SME_5.5-how-to.htm

Craig Jensen

[Steve Lewis]

Hello,

Just got finished with your How-To.

Worked great , thank you. I followed it word for word and is very easy. Thanks again for the How-To.

Just a word though. During the web based install the configure.php file was reported as "not able to write to" and osCommerce suggested several commands which I followed.

Need some help here though, please?

The admin page worked great except the images directory is not writeable. Do you have any suggestions or should I use similar commands that made the configure.php file writeable, i.e. touch images ; chmod 706 images?

 The catalog default.php page is displaying this error "Warning: I am able to write to the configuration file: /home/e-smith/files/ibays/store/html/catalog/includes/configure.php. This is a potential security risk - please set the right user permissions on this file."

That particular config file was made writeable with the suggested command from the osCommerce install process, i.e. 'cd /home/e-smith/files/ibays/store/html/catalog/includes/configure.php' ; then 'touch configure.php' ; then 'chmod 706 configure.php'

Not sure what permission will provide the needed security on the site pages, but allow for admin functions to write to configure.php.

Any help, pointers, suggestions are greatly appreciated and am currently RTFineM.

Once again thank you for the How-To and your hard work.

Steve

[Steve Lewis]

Hello again,

Jumped the gun here.

I solved the above error I was getting by changing , within the Server-Manager , this setting.

From:

User access-Write = group, Read = everyone

to:

User access-Write = admin, Read = group

This appears to also allow the Admin functions to work within osCommerce.

Thank you for your How-To Craig.

Steve

[Craig Jensen]

Cool, thx for your input.

Are you still able to access the store from outside your local network?  If not, youmay need to change the Read option.

Unless someone else has input here, I will leave the How-to as is, otherwise, this may be an option I will edit after more reflection/input.

Let me know Steve how this works when accessed from outside.

Craig Jensen

[Steve Lewis]

Craig,

Sure will. However I will not be able to do it until 1.2.03 at work.

Thank you for all your hard work,
Steve

[Tony P.]

Craig,
Thanks for the How-To I was just thinking about how cool a e-commerce site would be on SME.

I did this on 5.1.2 so if it’s not the same I apologize in advance for my next few comments and questions.

I had the same issue with the Warning in the configuration file that Steve had so I would suggest that that be in the How-To.

Another suggestion for inclusion in the How-To would be on how to modify the apache template to look for default.php as well as index.php. Or create a link to default.php from index.php. When I goto http://mydomain.com/store/catalog I get a directory listing. Creating the link "ln default.php index.php" seemed to have fixed it for me but I didn't like the fact I was able to browse the directory before I did that.

I am also concerned about the admin pages not being password protected. Do you know a way around this? Should I look into the .htaccess customizations?

Thanks again,
Tony P.

[Craig Jensen]

The warning in the initial startup is normal as the site is opened.  This is true for any install, SME or otherwise.  Changing the config.php to chmod 755 and removing the install directory fix that.  

My goal in the how-to was to allow an SME user to get to the same point as a third party server installation of osCommerce.  The rest is up to the user.

The default.php vs index.php question is addressed in the FAQ.  You have several options.  Either you can rename default.php to index.php, or follow other instructions in the setup/config FAQ.

The question of admin is answered as well in the initial docs and FAQ for osCommerce.  osCommerce is a very complex and ever-changing application much like SME itself.  As you check out the docs, and begin exploring the osCommerce structure, you will find a great deal of options to persue for creating the store you always dreamed of

Craig Jensen

[Tony P.]

Sorry I was not clear enough about the error I had.
Just after the database configuration I had to change to the directory the contained configure.php for admin and catalog. Touch the file and change permissions. This was before getting to the catalog page and seeing the errors. Not a big deal it was easy to get through.

I did not find navigation of the osCommerce FAQ very easy. I know that sounds stupid cause it is laid out OK. I just like to search FAQ’s for what I am looking for and when I searched the FAQ I got back a bunch of results that I had to pick through. I thought that searching would have been faster but it was not.

I modified step 5 of your HowTo to add what I think might be nice. If you like my changes save the page and keep them, if you don’t like them you don’t have to do anything.
http://www.virtualsoftwaredemo.com/osCommerce-on-SME_5_5-how-to.htm


Tony P.

[Craig Jensen]

Tony, See my updated how-to:

http://www.acenet-tech.org/cdj/osCommerce_on-SME_howto/osCommerce-on-SME_5.5-how-to.htm

And not the "step six" credit

Craig D. Jensen

[Craig Jensen]

Tony....I am writing things much too quickly tonight.

Remove "not" and insert "note".

Wow.....I gotta chill for awhile.  Laters

Craig Jensen

[Tony P.]

Craig,
Looks good to me.

I like how you broke it out as a few To-Do's.
Thanks for the credit. I never look to get it but its always nice .


Thanks,
Tony P.

[Asgeir Asgeirsson]

I followed the how-to's but, the /admin/ does not work, says it cannot connect to database, what did I do wrong?

Regards
Asgeir

[Peter]

I do have the same problem.
The catalog works exept the admin page.

Peter

[Craig Jensen]

Two things to check first:

You didn't mention the actual error, etc...but

#1. for database errors
look at your /admin/includes/configure.php

these lines:
------------------------------------snip--------------------------------------------------
// define our database connection
  define('DB_SERVER', 'localhost'); // eg, localhost - should not be NULL for productive servers
  define('DB_SERVER_USERNAME', 'catalog');
  define('DB_SERVER_PASSWORD', 'password');
  define('DB_DATABASE', 'catalog');
  define('USE_PCONNECT', 'false'); // use persisstent connections?
  define('STORE_SESSIONS', ''); // leave empty '' for default handler or set to 'mysql'
?>
------------------------------------snip--------------------------------------------------
Make sure the database fields are exactly the same as what you used to setup your database...i.e.
grant all on store.* to catalog@localhost identified by 'password';

"catalog" and "password" being the key fields.

#2.
In this part of your configure.php
----------------------------------------snip------------------------------------
// Define the webserver and path parameters
// * DIR_FS_* = Filesystem directories (local/physical)
// * DIR_WS_* = Webserver directories (virtual/URL)
  define('HTTP_SERVER', 'http://www.your-domain.org'); // eg, http://localhost or - https://localhost should not be NULL for productive servers
  define('HTTP_CATALOG_SERVER', 'http://www.your-domain.org');
  define('HTTPS_CATALOG_SERVER', 'https://www.your-domain.org');
  define('ENABLE_SSL_CATALOG', 'true'); // secure webserver for catalog module
  define('DIR_FS_DOCUMENT_ROOT', '/home/e-smith/files/ibays/store/html'); // where the pages are located on the server
  define('DIR_WS_ADMIN', '/store/admin/'); // absolute path required
  define('DIR_FS_ADMIN', '/home/e-smith/files/ibays/store/html/admin/'); // absolute pate required
  define('DIR_WS_CATALOG', '/store/catalog/'); // absolute path required
  define('DIR_FS_CATALOG', '/home/e-smith/files/ibays/store/html/catalog/'); // absolute path required
-----------------------------------snip--------------------------------------------

Make sure your paths are correct.  If you followed the howto to the "T" then your paths to /store/admin and /store/catalog would be as above.  If not, adjust with this as a baseline to compare from.

These are the most common causes of inability to access the "admin" pages.

Craig Jensen

[Peter]

Thanx for the info, it worked for me
You had it complety correct wat my problem was.

Next Time i wil tell you the error

Peter