Install Abante Cart with Nginx on Ubuntu 24.04

Install Nginx HTTP server on Ubuntu

AbanteCart needs a web server, and we’ll use Nginx on Ubuntu 24.04. To install Nginx, open your Ubuntu terminal and run the commands to update your package list and then install the Nginx web server.

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

AbanteCart needs a database, and we’ll install MariaDB for this on Ubuntu. To get MariaDB running, open your terminal and use the commands to update your packages and install the MariaDB server.

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 AbanteCart database

With MariaDB installed, we need to create a database for AbanteCart. We’ll set up a database named ‘abcartdb’ and a user called ‘abcartdbuser’ who will have full permission to access it.

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

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

Ensure to replace ‘type_your_password_here ‘with your password.

Install PHP on Ubuntu Linux

AbanteCart is built with PHP, so we need to install it on your Ubuntu system. Run the following commands in your terminal to install the necessary PHP packages, including the PHP FastCGI Process Manager (php-fpm) and common extensions.

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 AbanteCart files

It’s time to get the AbanteCart software onto your server. You can find the latest version on the official AbanteCart download page; copy the link for the archive file, then use the terminal to download it into the /tmp/ directory and extract its contents.

To always install the latest version, check the download page for AbanteCart. Get the download link and download the archived package to your computer. Then, extract it.

First, navigate to the /tmp/ directory and download AbanteCart files. Next, move the content into the AbanteCart 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 AbanteCart installation.

cd /tmp/
wget https://github.com/abantecart/abantecart-src/archive/master.zip
unzip master.zip
sudo mv abantecart-* /var/www/abantecart
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/abantecart

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

Run the commands below to create an Nginx virtual host file for AbanteCart.

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

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

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

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

    location / {
        try_files $uri @abantecart;
    }

    location /admin {
        index index.php;
    }

    location @abantecart {
	 rewrite ^/(.+)$ /index.php?_route_=$1 last;
    }

    location ~* .(engine|inc|info|install|make|module|profile|test|po|sh|.*sql|theme|tpl(.php)?|xtmpl)$|^(..*|Entries.*|Repository|Root|Tag|Template)$|.php_ {
        deny all;
    }

    location ~* ^(.*).(jpg|jpeg|png|gif|webp|avif)$ {
        set $hidpi_uri $1@2x.$2;
        if ($http_cookie !~ 'HTTP_IS_RETINA=1') {
          break;
        }
        try_files $hidpi_uri $uri =404;
    }

    location ~ /(system/logs|resources/download) {
      deny all;
      return 403;
    }


    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.

Then, run the commands below to enable the virtual host and restart the Nginx server.

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

Setup Let’s Encrypt SSL/TLS for AbanteCart

To keep your AbanteCart site secure with HTTPS, set up an SSL/TLS certificate using Let’s Encrypt. You can follow a separate guide on setting up Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates specifically for Nginx 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://abantecart.example.com

An AbanteCart installation wizard page should appear. Accept the license and continue.

Check your server meets the requirements and continue with the installation wizard.

Type in the database connection details created above and create an admin account.

After that, your site should be ready.

After the installation, run the command below to delete the install folder.

sudo rm -rf /var/www/abantecart/public_html/install 

That should do it!

Conclusion:

In summary, setting up AbanteCart with Nginx on Ubuntu 24.04 provides a robust and efficient platform for eCommerce. Here are the key takeaways:

• Easy Installation: The installation process for Nginx, MariaDB, and PHP is straightforward and well-documented.
• Secure Environment: Utilizing Let’s Encrypt for SSL/TLS certificates enhances the security of your online store.
• High Performance: Nginx offers excellent performance and can handle high traffic loads effectively, ensuring a smooth shopping experience.
• Feature-Rich Platform: AbanteCart provides a comprehensive suite of features catering to small, medium, and large businesses, making it a versatile choice.
• Community and Support: AbanteCart has an active community and support resources, making troubleshooting and enhancements more accessible.

By following this guide, you’ll be well on your way to launching your eCommerce platform successfully.