How to Install LiteCart with Nginx on Ubuntu 24.04

Install Nginx HTTP server on Ubuntu

Nginx installation on Ubuntu 24.04 requires updating your package list and running the standard apt installation command in your terminal. You can install Nginx by running sudo apt update followed by sudo apt install nginx to set up the web server needed for your online store.

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

MariaDB installation on Ubuntu provides the database server required to store your LiteCart product catalogs, customer data, and order history. You can install the database server by opening your terminal and running the standard package installation commands for MariaDB.

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

Database creation for LiteCart involves setting up a dedicated MySQL or MariaDB database and a user account with full permissions for that database. You create the litecartdb database and assign a user like litecartdbuser through the MariaDB command line interface so the shopping platform can save data.

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

PHP installation for LiteCart on Ubuntu requires setting up PHP-FPM along with essential extensions like php-intl, php-mysql, and php-curl. You install these packages using the apt package manager so your server can process the platform's PHP code 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

Downloading LiteCart files onto your Ubuntu server requires creating a root directory at /var/www/litecart/ and fetching the official software package into it. You set up this web directory so Nginx can properly serve your online store files to visitors.

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

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.

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

Let's Encrypt SSL certificate setup on Nginx secures your LiteCart checkout process and customer data with free HTTPS encryption. You configure this security layer using Certbot to generate and install the necessary SSL certificates on your Ubuntu web server.

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.