How to install and configure Zen Cart in a local computer for customization?
Zen Cart is an open source shopping cart web application which is available at free of cost online. This application software is user friendly e-commerce solution which can be easily integrated into an existing web application. I have downloaded this software from zen-cart.com to develop a computer hardware parts online selling web site. I am writing this article, a step-by-step installation procedure to install zen cart in my local computer to help my blog readers. I will complete the customization as per my customer’s requirement in my local computer and upload this to online web server later. I am explaining this topic by assuming that you have already installed and configured Apache web server, MySql and PHP as I explained in my earlier article titled “What is XAMPP and how do we install it? Explained with screen shots.”
Zen Cart Installation steps
- Download Zen Cart e-commerce application from zen-cart.com
- Extract the file into a folder and store it in the web server’s htdocs folder
- I have stored this application in a folder C:\xampp\htdocs\it-lunar\ in my computer
- Rename C:\xampp\htdocs\it-lunar\includes\dist-configure.php to C:\xampp\htdocs\it-lunar\includes\configure.php and C:\xampp\htdocs\it-lunar\admin\includes\dist-configure.php to C:\xampp\htdocs\it-lunar\admin\includes\configure.php
- Right click – Properties – Security – Edit – Select Users – Select Allow Modify permission – Click OK for both of the above renamed configure.php files. This step is required to be able to modify by Zen Cart Installer automatically
- Right click folders c:\xampp\it-lunar\cache, images, media, pub, c:\xampp\it-lunar\includes\languages\english\html_includes and do same as above step
- Right click folders c:\xampp\it-lunar\admin\backups, c:\xampp\it-lunar\admin\images\graphs folders and do same as above step
- Create a MySql database using url http://localhost/phpmyadmin to use this database while installing Zen Cart. This is the database will be used to select while installation of cart application to create all the tables which are required to hold the store information
- Start the installation from http://localhost/it-lunar
- You will get a Zen Cart’s Thank you web page
- Click on “Click here” link to begin the installation
- In the “Zen Cart Setup Welcome” Screen click Continue
- Click Continue in the “Zen Cart Setup – License Confirmation” screen
- Click Install in the ” Zen Cart Setup – System Inspection” screen
- Enter the database details in the “ Zen Cart Setup – Database Setup” and click Save Database Settings
- Click Save Settings in the ” Zen Cart Setup – System Setup” screen
- Enter store details and click Save Store Settings
- Click Save Admin Settings in the ” Zen Cart Setup – Administrator Account Setup” screen
- If everything is followed and done correctly, you should get the screen with the message ” You have successfully installed Zen Cart on your system!”
- Now you can access your store from “http://localhost/it-lunar/” url and can administer your store using ”http://localhost/orientinfo/admin/” url
- You have to remove the installation directory which is used to install Zen Cart, If you have not deleted the folder you should get the warning message at top of the store. The message is ” Warning: Installation directory exists at: C:\xampp\htdocs\it-lunar\zc_install. Please remove this directory for security reasons.” So you have to delete the folder “zc_install”
- You also should rename the admin directory to something else which should not be easy to guess by hackers
- You also have to change the path names to same as changed directory in the file c:/xampp/htdocs/it-lunar/admin/includes/configure.php
- You have to uncheck the Read-only permission of c:/xampp/htdocs/it-lunar/admin/includes/configure.php file. You can do this by right-clicking on the file and uncheck read-only check box and click OK
You have to edit directory names at the following lines of the c:/xampp/htdocs/it-lunar/admin/includes/configure.php file
42 define(‘DIR_WS_ADMIN’, ‘/it-lunar /admin/’);
44 define(‘DIR_WS_HTTPS_ADMIN’, ‘/it-lunar/admin/’);
to
42 define(‘DIR_WS_ADMIN’, ‘/it-lunar /xxxx/’);
44 define(‘DIR_WS_HTTPS_ADMIN’, ‘/it-lunar/xxxx/’);
xxxx means the directory name you have given to the admin directory.
I can do this installation on your computer remotely. I will do this using remote desktop software which can capture your screen with your permission. Please do not hesitate to ask me to configure on your computer at free of cost. I am also doing customization of Zen Cart as per your taste and product line in my web designing services. Please ask any questions regarding customization of shopping cart application. I will do this service at affordable cost. I will do this service to any body through out world.
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