How to install osCommerce with Nginx on Ubuntu 24.04

Install Nginx HTTP server on Ubuntu

To get your osCommerce website running on Ubuntu 24.04, you first need to install the Nginx web server. Installing Nginx is straightforward using a couple of commands in your Ubuntu terminal, which quickly prepares your web server for use.

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

Your osCommerce store needs a database to manage product and customer information, and MariaDB is a solid choice for Ubuntu 24.04. You can easily install the MariaDB database server with simple terminal commands, getting it ready for your osCommerce setup.

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 osCommerce database

After setting up MariaDB, you need to create a dedicated database for osCommerce to store all your shop’s data. This involves making a database named ‘oscdb’ and a user called ‘oscdbuser’ that has full control over your store’s information.

As part of the setup, we will create an oscdb database and a user account called oscdbuser.

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

Ensure to replace ‘type_your_password_here ‘with your password.

Install PHP on Ubuntu Linux

Because osCommerce is built using PHP, you must install PHP and its required extensions on your Ubuntu 24.04 system for it to work properly. You can install the latest PHP version and common extensions with a single command to ensure everything runs smoothly together.

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 osCommerce files

Next, you need to get the osCommerce software onto your Ubuntu server by downloading the latest version straight from their official website. It’s always best to check the official osCommerce download page to ensure you are getting the most current files for your installation.

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

First, navigate to the /Downloads/ directory and download osCommerce files. After unzipping the file, move the content into the osCommerce folder in the Nginx 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 osCommerce installation.

cd ~/Downloads
sudo unzip osc_*.zip -d /var/www/oscommerce
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/oscommerce

sudo apt install git
sudo mkdir /var/www/oscommerce && cd /var/www/oscommerce
sudo git clone https://github.com/osCommerce/osCommerce-V4.git ./
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/oscommerce

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

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

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

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

server {
    listen 80;
    listen [::]:80;
    set $yii_bootstrap "index.php";
    root /var/www/oscommerce;
    index  $yii_bootstrap;
    server_name  osc.example.com;

location /furniture {
        index $yii_bootstrap;
        try_files $uri $uri/ /furniture/$yii_bootstrap?$args;
    }

    location /printshop {
        index $yii_bootstrap;
        try_files $uri $uri/ /printshop/$yii_bootstrap?$args;
    }

    location /admin {
        index $yii_bootstrap;
        try_files $uri $uri/ /admin/$yii_bootstrap?$args;
    }

    location /b2b-supermarket {
        index $yii_bootstrap;
        try_files $uri $uri/ /b2b-supermarket/$yii_bootstrap?$args;
    }

    location /watch {
        index $yii_bootstrap;
        try_files $uri $uri/ /watch/$yii_bootstrap?$args;
    }

    location / {
        index $yii_bootstrap;
    }


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;
    }
}

Save the file.

You enable the virtual host for osCommerce and restart the Nginx server by running the commands `sudo a2ensite oscommerce.conf` and `sudo systemctl restart nginx`. This step makes Nginx serve your osCommerce website.

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/oscommerce.conf /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo systemctl restart nginx

Setup Let’s Encrypt SSL/TLS for osCommerce

Securing your osCommerce website with HTTPS is essential for building trust and protecting your customer data when using Ubuntu with Nginx. Using a free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate is an excellent way to achieve this, and this guide will point you to the resources needed to set it up.

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://osc.example.com/install/

An osCommerce installation wizard page should appear. Accept and continue the installation.

Ensure all requirements are met and proceed.

Next, enter the database name, account, and password you created above, then click “INSTALL DATABASE.”

Next, complete the company details and click the Update database button.

Next, create an admin account.

Finally, click the complete installation button to complete the installation wizard.

Log on to the admin portal to start configuring the site.

That should do it!

Conclusion:

Installing osCommerce with Nginx on Ubuntu 24.04 is a straightforward process that enables you to create a robust e-commerce platform. After following the installation steps, you will have a reliable environment to manage your online store effectively.

• Successful Installation: Ensure that Nginx, MariaDB, and PHP are correctly installed and configured for optimal performance.
• Database Setup: Create a dedicated database for your osCommerce application and grant necessary permissions to the user account.
• Secure Environment: Implement SSL/TLS certificates using Let’s Encrypt to secure your online transactions and customer data.
• Easy Management: Access the osCommerce admin portal to customize your store and manage products efficiently.
• Ongoing Support: Refer to the additional resources and documentation for troubleshooting and advanced configurations.

Completing these steps allows you to launch your osCommerce e-commerce store and sell your products online confidently, ensuring your online business is ready for customers.