How to install OpenCart with Apache on Ubuntu 24.04

Install Apache HTTP server on Ubuntu

Apache is the web server you need to run your online store during your OpenCart installation Ubuntu setup. Open your terminal and run sudo apt update followed by sudo apt install apache2 to set up the software on your server so it can load your store pages for visitors.

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

MariaDB (a database system that stores your store data) holds your products, customer orders, and settings. Open your terminal and run sudo apt update followed by sudo apt install mariadb-server to put this database on your server for your OpenCart installation Ubuntu project.

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 an OpenCart database

Your store needs its own private storage space inside MariaDB before you finish your OpenCart installation Ubuntu process. Log into your database as the root user and run the SQL commands to make a new database and a password-protected user account that has full access to it.

As part of the setup, we will create an opencartdb database and a corresponding user account called opencartdbuser.

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

Install PHP on Ubuntu Linux

PHP (the programming language that runs the software) is required to make your store pages load properly. Run 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 in your terminal to add PHP and all required modules for your OpenCart installation Ubuntu task.

Run the commands below to install PHP.

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-json php-sqlite3 php-soap php-zip

Additional help on installing PHP

How to install PHP on Ubuntu Linux

Download OpenCart files

Getting the store software files onto your server is the core part of your OpenCart installation Ubuntu setup. Switch to the /tmp/ directory in your terminal and use the wget command with your copied download link from the official site to fetch the zip archive.

To always install the latest version, check the OpenCart's download page. If a new version is available, replace the version number in the link below.

After unzipping the file, move the content into the OpenCart folder in the Apache root directory.

The final step is to change the permissions. This will allow the Apache web server to safely interact with the files, ensuring a secure environment for your OpenCart installation.

cd /tmp
wget https://github.com/opencart/opencart/releases/download/4.0.2.3/opencart-4.0.2.3.zip
unzip opencart-4.0.2.3.zip
sudo mv opencart-*/upload/ /var/www/opencart

Next, create the config files and allow Apache to use them.

sudo cp /var/www/opencart/config-dist.php /var/www/opencart/config.php
sudo cp /var/www/opencart/admin/config-dist.php /var/www/opencart/admin/config.php
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/opencart

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

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

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

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

<VirtualHost *:80>
  ServerName opencart.example.com
  ServerAlias www.opencart.example.com
  ServerAdmin admin@example.com
  DocumentRoot /var/www/opencart
    
  <Directory /var/www/opencart/>
       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.

Run these commands to enable the OpenCart virtual host configuration and restart the Apache web server, ensuring OpenCart is accessible through your web browser.

sudo a2ensite opencart.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Setup Let's Encrypt SSL/TLS for OpenCart

Let's Encrypt SSL (a free security certificate that encrypts customer data) keeps your checkout page safe from hackers. Install Certbot on your server to request and apply this security certificate for your Apache web server during your OpenCart installation Ubuntu setup.

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://opencart.example.com

An OpenCart installation wizard page should appear. Ensure all requirements are met and continue.

Next, enter the database name, create an account and password, and continue.

Your OpenCart site should be set up and ready to use.

Don't forget to delete your installation directory!

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

That should do it!

Conclusion:

• Combining the Apache web server and Ubuntu Linux distribution empowers users to use robust features, security options, and ease of use.
• The installation of OpenCart involves setting up Apache, MariaDB, and PHP on Ubuntu, creating an OpenCart database, and downloading the necessary files.
• Securing the OpenCart site with a Let's Encrypt SSL/TLS certificate ensures users a safe and encrypted browsing experience.
• Following the comprehensive guide outlined in this article allows users to successfully set up an OpenCart site on Ubuntu with Apache support, providing a solid foundation for e-commerce endeavors.