How to install LiteCart with Apache on Ubuntu 24.04

Install Apache HTTP server on Ubuntu

You need to install the Apache web server on Ubuntu 24.04 to get LiteCart working. Open your terminal and run `sudo apt update` followed by `sudo apt install apache2`. This command sets up the web server software that your LiteCart site will use to be visible online.

To do that, open the Ubuntu terminal and run the commands below to install the Apache web server.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install apache2

Once Apache is installed, the commands below can start, stop, and enable the Apache web server to start automatically when your server boots up.

sudo systemctl stop apache2
sudo systemctl start apache2
sudo systemctl enable apache2

You can test that the Apache web server is running by opening your web browser and browsing to the server’s localhost or IP address.

http://localhost

When you see the Apache2 Default Page, it means the Apache HTTP server is successfully installed.

Additional help on installing Apache on Ubuntu is in the link below.

How to install Apache on Ubuntu

Install the MariaDB database server on Ubuntu

LiteCart needs a database to keep all its information, and installing MariaDB on Ubuntu is a straightforward way to set this up. Open your terminal and run the commands to install this database system. This step is crucial for preparing how LiteCart will store its data.

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.

• How to install MariaDB on Ubuntu Linux
• MariaDB without password prompt

Create a LiteCart database

After setting up MariaDB, you need to create a specific database and a user account for LiteCart to manage its data. We will name the database ‘litecartdb’ and the user ‘litecartdbuser’. This gives LiteCart its own secure space for storing all its important information.

As part of the setup, we will create a litecartdb database and a user account called litecartdbuser.

Finally, we’ll grant the litecartdbuser full access to the litecartdb 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 litecartdb CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_general_ci;
CREATE USER litecartdbuser@localhost IDENTIFIED BY 'type_your_password_here';
GRANT ALL ON litecartdb.* TO litecartdbuser@localhost WITH GRANT OPTION;
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
exit

Install PHP on Ubuntu Linux

LiteCart is built using PHP, which means you must install PHP and its necessary add-ons on your Ubuntu system. Run the command `sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php php-intl php-mysql`. This command installs the latest PHP version and the modules LiteCart needs to run properly.

Then, run the commands below to install the latest PHP version.

sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php 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 LiteCart files

You need to download the LiteCart software onto your Ubuntu server and place the files in the correct folder. First, create a folder for LiteCart at `/var/www/litecart/`. Then, download the latest LiteCart installer files directly into this folder to set up the program.

First, create a root directory for LiteCart at /var/www/litecart/. Next, download the LiteCart installer into the root directory.

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/litecart
cd /var/www/litecart
sudo apt install curl
sudo curl --output index.php https://raw.githubusercontent.com/litecart/installer/master/web/index.php
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/litecart

Once you have completed all the above steps, continue configuring the Apache web server below to serve the LiteCart content.

Run the commands below to create an Apache virtual host file for LiteCart.

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/litecart.conf

Then, copy and paste the content block below into the Apache server block.

<VirtualHost *:80>
  ServerName litecart.example.com
  ServerAlias www.litecart.example.com
  ServerAdmin admin@example.com
  DocumentRoot /var/www/litecart
    
  <Directory /var/www/litecart/>
       Options FollowSymlinks
       AllowOverride All
       Require all granted
  </Directory>

       ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
       CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Save the file.

You can enable the virtual host and restart the Apache server by running specific commands. Enabling the virtual host for LiteCart allows Apache to recognize and serve your LiteCart store. After running the commands, Apache will reload its configuration, making your LiteCart site accessible through your web browser.

sudo a2ensite litecart.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo a2enmod headers
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Setup Let’s Encrypt SSL/TLS for LiteCart

Securing your LiteCart website with a free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate is important for trust and safety. This section explains how to set up an SSL certificate for your Apache server on Ubuntu. For detailed steps on installing and creating Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates, please refer to the linked guide.

Please read the post below for additional resources on installing and creating Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates for Apache.

How to set up Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate for Apache on Ubuntu Linux

Once you have restarted the Apache web server, open your browser and browse to the server hostname or IP address defined in the Apache server block.

http://litecart.example.com

A LiteCart installation wizard page should appear. Ensure all requirements are met and type in the database details above.

Create an admin account and click Install.

After installing, run the commands below to delete the installer folder.

sudo rm -rf /var/www/litecart/install/

Your LiteCart site should be ready to use.

That should do it!

Conclusion:

Installing LiteCart with Apache on Ubuntu 24.04 is a straightforward process that allows you to set up a robust eCommerce platform. Consider the following key points:

• Requirements met: Successfully installed Apache, MariaDB, and PHP, essential for running LiteCart.
• Database Setup: Created a dedicated database and user for LiteCart to ensure data integrity and security.
• File Installation: Downloaded and configured LiteCart files in the appropriate directory, allowing seamless web server interaction.
• Apache Configuration: Implemented a virtual host and configured necessary permissions for LiteCart.
• Security Enhancements: Recommended setting up Let’s Encrypt for securing the LiteCart installation with HTTPS.
• Final Steps: Deleting the installer folder post-installation to enhance site security.

With these steps completed, your LiteCart site is fully functional and ready for use!