How to install OpenCart with Apache on Ubuntu Linux

This article describes the steps to install and use OpenCart on Ubuntu Linux with Apache.

Installing OpenCart with Apache on Ubuntu Linux provides your online store’s stable and customizable eCommerce platform. Apache is the most widely used web server in the world, and it can easily handle high-traffic loads.

Ubuntu Linux is also a popular operating system for web servers, and it is known for its stability and security. OpenCart is a popular open-source eCommerce CMS platform that offers a wide range of features and tools to create and manage an online store.

Installing OpenCart on Ubuntu Linux with Apache allows you to create a fast and reliable eCommerce platform that can handle your online store’s needs.

This post covers installing the latest version of OpenCart, which at the time of writing is version 3.0.2.

To get started with installing OpenCart, follow the steps below:

How to install and use OpenCart on Ubuntu Linux with Apache

As described above, OpenCart is a popular open-source eCommerce content management system (CMS) based on PHP. It has everything you need to create and manage an online store.

Below is how to install it on Ubuntu Linux with Apache.

Install Apache

OpenCart requires a web server; the most popular web server today is Apache2. So, go and install Apache on Ubuntu by running the commands below:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install apache2

Next, run the commands below to stop, start, and enable the Apache2 service to always start up with the server boots.

sudo systemctl stop apache2.service
sudo systemctl start apache2.service
sudo systemctl enable apache2.service

Install MariaDB

OpenCart also requires a database server, and MariaDB is a great place to start when looking for an open-source database server.

To install it, run the commands below.

sudo apt-get install mariadb-server mariadb-client

After installation, the commands below can stop, start, and enable the MariaDB service to start up when the server boots.

sudo systemctl stop mysql.service
sudo systemctl start mysql.service
sudo systemctl enable mysql.service

After that, run the commands below to secure the MariaDB server.

sudo mysql_secure_installation

When prompted, answer the questions below by following the guide.

• Enter current password for root (enter for none): Just press the Enter
• Set root password? [Y/n]: Y
• New password: Enter password
• Re-enter new password: Repeat password
• Remove anonymous users? [Y/n]: Y
• Disallow root login remotely? [Y/n]: Y
• Remove test database and access to it? [Y/n]:  Y
• Reload privilege tables now? [Y/n]:  Y

Install PHP and Related Modules

PHP 7.1 isn’t available on Ubuntu’s default repositories. So, to install it, you must get it from third-party repositories.

Run the commands below to add the below-party repository to upgrade to PHP 7.1

sudo apt-get install software-properties-common
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ondrej/php

Then update and upgrade to PHP 7.1

sudo apt update

sudo apt install php7.1 libapache2-mod-php7.1 php7.1-common php7.1-mbstring php7.1-xmlrpc php7.1-soap php7.1-gd php7.1-xml php7.1-intl php7.1-mysql php7.1-cli php7.1-mcrypt php7.1-ldap php7.1-zip php7.1-curl

Create OpenCart Database

Now that you’ve installed all the required packages continue below to start configuring the servers.

First, run the commands below to create an OpenCart database.

Run the commands below to log on to the database server. When prompted for a password, type the root password you created above.

sudo mysql -u root -p

Then, create a database called opencart

CREATE DATABASE opencart;

Create a database user called opencartuser with a new password

CREATE USER 'opencartuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'new_password_here';

Then, grant the user full access to the database.

GRANT ALL ON opencart.* TO 'opencartuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'user_password_here' WITH GRANT OPTION;

Finally, save your changes and exit.

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Download OpenCart’s Latest Release

Next, visit the OpenCart site and register for a free account. You must register before you’re allowed to download a copy. The community edition is what you’ll want to download.

After downloading, run the commands below to extract the download file into the Apache2 root directory.

cd /tmp && wget https://github.com/opencart/opencart/releases/download/3.0.2.0/3.0.2.0-OpenCart.zip
unzip 3.0.2.0-OpenCart.zip
sudo mv upload/ /var/www/html/opencart

Run the commands below to configure OpenCart.

sudo cp /var/www/html/opencart/config-dist.php /var/www/html/opencart/config.php
sudo cp /var/www/html/opencart/admin/config-dist.php /var/www/html/opencart/admin/config.php

Then, run the commands below to set the correct permissions for OpenCart to function.

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/opencart/
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/opencart/

Configure Apache2

Finally, configure the Apahce2 virtual host configuration file for OpenCart. This file will control how users access OpenCart content.

Run the commands below to create a new configuration file called opencart.conf.

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

Then copy and paste the content below into the file and save it. Replace the highlighted line with your domain name and directory root location.

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

     <Directory /var/www/html/opencart/>
        Options FollowSymlinks
        AllowOverride All
        Order allow,deny
        allow from all
     </Directory>

     ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
     CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined

</VirtualHost>

Save the file and exit.

Enable the OpenCart and Rewrite Module

After configuring the virtual host above, please enable it by running the commands below.

sudo a2ensite opencart.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite

Restart Apache2 by running the commands below to load all the settings above.

sudo systemctl restart apache2.service

Next, open your browser and browse to the server domain name, followed by install. Finally, you should see the OpenCart setup wizard complete.

Please follow the wizard carefully.

http://example.com/opencart/install/

Then, enter the database information and the site administrator login credentials.

Wait, and OpenCart should install successfully. Then, log in and begin using your program.

Enjoy!

Run the commands below after the installation.

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