How to install LiteCart with Nginx on Ubuntu 24.04

Install Nginx HTTP server on Ubuntu

To get LiteCart running on Ubuntu 24.04, you first need a web server, and we’ll use Nginx for this guide. Installing Nginx is straightforward using a simple command in your Ubuntu terminal.

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

LiteCart needs a database to store its information, and we’ll install MariaDB for this. You can easily install the MariaDB database server on your Ubuntu system by running a couple of commands in the terminal.

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 for LiteCart to use. This guide shows you how to create a database named ‘litecartdb’ and a user ‘litecartdbuser’ with all the necessary permissions.

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

Ensure to replace ‘type_your_password_here ‘with your password.

Install PHP on Ubuntu Linux

LiteCart is built using PHP, so you’ll need to install it on your Ubuntu system. This section covers installing the latest version of PHP along with all the necessary extensions LiteCart requires to function correctly.

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 LiteCart files

Now it’s time to get the LiteCart software onto your server. We’ll create a special folder for LiteCart and download the latest version of its files there, then make sure the web server can access them.

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

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 Nginx web server below to serve the LiteCart content.

Run the commands below to create a Nginx virtual host file for LiteCart.

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

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

server {
    listen 80;
    listen [::]:80;
    root /var/www/litecart;
    index  index.php;
    server_name  litecart.example.com;

    access_log /var/log/nginx/example.com.access.log;
    error_log /var/log/nginx/example.com.error.log;

    location / {
         try_files  $uri $uri/ /index.php$is_args$args;
    }

    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;
    }

   location ~ .(htaccess|htpasswd|inc.php)$ {
         deny  all; 
   }

   location ~ ^/(data|logs|vendor|vmods|vqmod)/ {
         deny  all;
   }

}

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/litecart.conf /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo systemctl restart nginx

Setup Let’s Encrypt SSL/TLS for LiteCart

To keep your LiteCart store secure and show visitors it’s safe, you should set up an SSL certificate using Let’s Encrypt. This guide explains how to get a free SSL certificate for your Nginx web server on Ubuntu.

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://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 Nginx on Ubuntu 24.04 is a straightforward process that provides a robust eCommerce platform. Here are the key takeaways:

• Lightweight and Fast: LiteCart is designed to be efficient and quick, making it ideal for eCommerce businesses.
• Secure Environment: Utilizing Nginx and SSL/TLS certificates enhances the security of your online store.
• Easy Installation: The installation process is simple and can be completed with command line instructions.
• Full Database Integration: MariaDB provides a reliable database solution for managing your eCommerce data.
• User-Friendly Interface: LiteCart offers an intuitive interface for managing products and transactions once installed.

By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can successfully set up and launch your LiteCart store, ready to provide a seamless shopping experience for your customers.