OpenCart is a popular and widely used open-source eCommerce content management system (CMS) based on PHP. It has everything you need to create and manage an online store. When deciding on which open-source eCommerce platform to use to run your online business, make sure to check out OpenCart as well. If you’re looking for a functional, high-performance eCommerce CMS platform to manage your online store and products, you’ll find OpenCart to be useful. This post covers installing the latest version of OpenCart, which at the time of writing is version 3.0.2. To get started with installing OpenCart, follow the steps below:

How to install and use OpenCart on Ubuntu Linux with Apache

As described above, OpenCart is a popular and widely used open-source eCommerce content management system (CMS) based on PHP. It has everything you need to create and manage an online store. Below is how to install it on Ubuntu Linux with Apache.

Install Apache

OpenCart requires a webserver and the most popular webserver in use today is Apache2. So, go and install Apache on Ubuntu by running the commands below: Next, run the commands below to stop, start and enable the Apache2 service to always start up with the server boots.

Install MariaDB

OpenCart also requires a database server, and MariaDB is a great place to start when looking for an open-source database server. 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 password Re-enter new password: Repeat password Remove anonymous users? [Y/n]: Y Disallow root login remotely? [Y/n]: Y Remove test database and access to it? [Y/n]:  Y Reload privilege tables now? [Y/n]:  Y

PHP 7.1 isn’t available on Ubuntu’s default repositories. To install it, you will have to get it from third-party repositories. Run the commands below to add the below third party repository to upgrade to PHP 7.1 Then update and upgrade to PHP 7.1

Create OpenCart Database

Now that you’ve installed all the packages that are required, continue below to start configuring the servers. First, run the commands below to create an OpenCart database. Run the commands below to log on to the database server. When prompted for a password, type the root password you created above. Then create a database called opencart Create a database user called opencartuser with a new password Then grant the user full access to the database. Finally, save your changes and exit.

Download OpenCart Latest Release

Next, visit the OpenCart site and register for a free account. You must register before you’re allowed to download a copy. The community edition is what you’ll want to download. After downloading, run the commands below to extract the download file into the Apache2 root directory. Run the commands below to configure OpenCart Then run the commands below to set the correct permissions for OpenCart to function.

Configure Apache2

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

Enable the OpenCart and Rewrite Module

After configuring the virtual host above, enable it by running the commands below To load all the settings above, restart Apache2 by running the commands below. Next, open your browser and browse to the server domain name followed by install. You should see OpenCart setup wizard to complete. Please follow the wizard carefully. Then enter the database information as well as the site administrator login credentials. Wait and OpenCart should install successfully. Login and begin using your program. Enjoy! Run the commands below after the installation. sudo rm -rf /var/www/html/opencart/install/