This article explains installing CubeCart with Nginx on Ubuntu 24.04.
CubeCart is a free, open-source eCommerce platform based on the LAMP / LEMP stack. It has many features that are ideal for small, medium, and large businesses to create and manage their online stores.
Nginx is a popular web server known for its high performance and low resource usage. This makes it an excellent choice for hosting eCommerce sites, which can often be resource-intensive.
Ubuntu Linux is a popular and widely used operating system well-suited for hosting web applications. By setting up CubeCart with Nginx on Ubuntu Linux, users can create a secure and reliable eCommerce site that is fast and responsive.
Install Nginx HTTP server on Ubuntu
CubeCart requires a web server. This post will install and use the Nginx web server to run CubeCart.
To do that, open the Ubuntu terminal and run the commands below to install the Nginx web server.
sudo apt update
sudo apt install nginx
Once Nginx is installed, the commands below can start, stop, and enable the Nginx web server to start automatically when your server boots up.
sudo systemctl stop nginx
sudo systemctl start nginx
sudo systemctl enable nginx
You can test the Nginx web server by opening your web browser and browsing to the server’s localhost or IP address.
http://localhost
When you see the Welcome to nginx!, it means the Nginx HTTP server is successfully installed.
Additional help on installing Nginx on Ubuntu is in the link below.
How to install Nginx on Ubuntu
Install the MariaDB database server on Ubuntu
The next component required to run CubeCart is a database server. This post will install and use the MariaDB database server.
To install and use the MariaDB database server, use the instructions below.
Open the Ubuntu terminal and run the commands below to install the MariaDB database server.
sudo apt update sudo apt install mariadb-server
Once the MariaDB database server is installed, use the commands below to stop, start, and enable the MariaDB server to start automatically when the server boots.
sudo systemctl stop mariadb sudo systemctl start mariadb sudo systemctl enable mariadb
Run the following commands to validate and test if the MariaDB database server is installed successfully.
sudo mariadb
Once you run the commands above, it will log you onto the MariaDB console and display a message similar to the one below.
Welcome to the MariaDB monitor. Commands end with ; or g. Your MariaDB connection id is 32 Server version: 10.11.2-MariaDB-1 Ubuntu 23.04 Copyright (c) 2000, 2018, Oracle, MariaDB Corporation Ab and others. Type 'help;' or 'h' for help. Type 'c' to clear the current input statement. MariaDB [(none)]>
The message tells you that the server is installed successfully.
Additional help on installing MariaDB.
Create a CubeCart database
Upon successfully installing the MariaDB database server, create a blank database on the server specifically for the CubeCart application.
As part of the setup, we will create an abcartdb database and a user account called abcartdbuser.
Finally, we’ll grant the abcartdbuser full access to the abcartdb database.
All the database steps above can be done using the commands below:
But first, log on to the MariaDB database server:
sudo mariadb
Then run the commands below to complete the steps:
CREATE DATABASE cubecartdb CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_general_ci;
CREATE USER cubecartdbuser@localhost IDENTIFIED BY 'type_your_password_here';
GRANT ALL ON cubecartdb.* TO cubecartdbuser@localhost WITH GRANT OPTION;
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
exit
Ensure to replace ‘type_your_password_here ‘with your password.
Install PHP on Ubuntu Linux
The last component you will need to run CubeCart is PHP. The CubeCart application is PHP-based and supports the latest versions of PHP.
Then, run the commands below to install the latest PHP version.
sudo apt install php-fpm php-intl php-mysql php-curl php-cli php-zip php-xml php-gd php-common php-mbstring php-xmlrpc php-bcmath php-json php-sqlite3 php-soap php-zip
Additional help on installing PHP
How to install PHP on Ubuntu Linux
Download CubeCart files
Let’s begin downloading and configuring the CubeCart files on Ubuntu Linux.
To always install the latest version, check the download page for CubeCart. Get the download link and download the archived package to your computer. Then, extract it.
First, navigate to the /tmp/ directory and download the CubeCart files. Next, move the content into the CubeCart folder in the Nginx root directory.
The final step is to change the permissions. This will allow the Nginx web server to interact safely with the files, ensuring a secure environment for your CubeCart installation.
cd /tmp/
wget https://www.cubecart.com/download/CubeCart-6.5.6.zip
sudo unzip CubeCart-*.zip -d /var/www/cubecart
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/cubecart
Once you have completed all the above steps, continue configuring the Nginx web server below to serve the CubeCart content.
Run the commands below to create a Nginx virtual host file for CubeCart.
sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/cubecart.conf
Then, copy and paste the content block below into the Nginx server block.
server {
listen 80;
listen [::]:80;
root /var/www/cubecart;
index index.php;
server_name cubecart.example.com;
access_log /var/log/nginx/example.com.access.log;
error_log /var/log/nginx/example.com.error.log;
location / {
try_files $uri @cubecart;
}
location @cubecart {
rewrite ^(.*)$ /index.php?q=$1 last;
}
location ~ \.php$ {
include snippets/fastcgi-php.conf;
fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/php/php8.3-fpm.sock;
fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
include fastcgi_params;
}
}Save the file.
Then, run the commands below to enable the virtual host and restart the Nginx server.
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/cubecart.conf /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo systemctl restart nginx
Setup Let’s Encrypt SSL/TLS for CubeCart
You may want to install an SSL/TLS certificate to secure your CubeCart site. Secure your CubeCart installation with HTTPS from Let’s Encrypt.
Please read the post below for additional resources on installing and creating Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates for Nginx.
How to set up Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate for Nginx on Ubuntu Linux
Once you have restarted the Nginx web server, open your browser and browse to the server hostname or IP address defined in the Nginx server block.
http://cubecart.example.com
A CubeCart installation wizard page should appear. Select the installation language and continue.
Type in the database details created above and create an admin account.
Your CubeCart site should be ready.
That should do it!
Conclusion:
In conclusion, installing CubeCart with Nginx on Ubuntu 24.04 offers a robust solution for managing your eCommerce needs. Here are the key points to remember:
- CubeCart provides a flexible and feature-rich platform for online stores.
- Nginx is an efficient web server that enhances the performance of your eCommerce site.
- Ubuntu offers a reliable operating system for hosting applications like CubeCart.
- The installation involves setting up essential components: Nginx, MariaDB, and PHP.
- Proper configuration of your Nginx server will ensure a smooth user experience.
- Securing your site with SSL/TLS from Let’s Encrypt adds a layer of trust and security for your customers.
- Constantly update your software to benefit from the latest features and security patches.
Following these guidelines, you can successfully set up and manage your CubeCart site for optimal performance and security.
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