How to install LiteCart with Nginx on Ubuntu 24.04

Install Nginx HTTP server on Ubuntu

To run LiteCart on Ubuntu 24.04, you need a web server like Nginx. This guide shows you how to install Nginx, a popular web server that handles website traffic well, which is a key step for your LiteCart setup on Ubuntu.

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 important details like products and customer orders. This section explains how to install MariaDB, a common database server, on your Ubuntu system, which is essential for LiteCart to work correctly.

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 installing MariaDB, you must create a specific database for LiteCart to store all its information. This guide walks you through creating a LiteCart database named ‘litecartdb’, setting up a user called ‘litecartdbuser’, and giving that user the necessary permissions.

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

The `litecartdbuser` account receives full access to the `litecartdb` database for managing all database contents. This permission ensures the `litecartdbuser` account can create tables and insert data, which are necessary operations for LiteCart's functioning.

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 with PHP, so you need to install it on your Ubuntu system along with necessary extensions. This section covers installing the latest PHP version and all the extra pieces LiteCart needs to run properly, which is crucial for its functionality.

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

This step involves getting the LiteCart software and putting it on your server. We will create a specific folder at /var/www/litecart/ and download the LiteCart software into it, making it ready for your web server.

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 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.

The virtual host configuration file for LiteCart at `/etc/nginx/sites-available/litecart` must be activated to make LiteCart accessible. Run the command `sudo a2ensite litecart` to enable this virtual host. After enabling the virtual host, restart the Nginx web server using `sudo systemctl restart nginx` to apply the changes and make your LiteCart installation live.

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 safe and trustworthy, you need to install a free SSL certificate. This guide explains how to set up a Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate with your Nginx web server to protect your online store, which is highly recommended for security.

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.

This guide's steps help you successfully set up and launch your LiteCart store, making the LiteCart store ready to provide a smooth shopping experience for your customers.