Setting up SSL

[jameshontishar]

Hi

I am a newbie to zen cart and can't find anything on how to setup ssl on my shop, i am just about to start the install and want to make sure ssl works before I go any further can anybody point me in the right direction,


Cheers

[fairestcape]

SSL can only be set up if you have a VALID SSL Certificate, issued by a vendor of such certificates.

You can purchase these from a variety of vendors: Thawte, Comodo, Verisign, GoDaddy, etc.

Your host may even offer these for sale too.

Some hosts have "Shared SSL", which is (in my opinion) not a good option for e-commerce websites.

The procedure for purchasing is explained at the vendors' sites.

In order to have the certificate issued, you will need to ask your host to generate a CSR (Certificate Signing Request).

For a dedicated SSL Certificate, you will need a dedicated IP address (may cost a few extra dollars at your host).

When you have submitted the CSR to an issuer of Certificates, they will verify the integrity of the data in the CSR, and if they are happy, will generate a Certificate.

They will probably e-mail this to you as a zipped file.

While some hosts permit users to install Certs via C-panel, it may be better to have the host do this for you, as if you foul things up, it can cause problems.

When your SSL certificate is installed, your site is SSL enabled.

You can then configure your ZC installation to work with SSL. This is a simple process of making two small edits to the configure.php files .

You can install ZC in the meantime, without SSL.

As stated, configuring for SSL later is very simple (once your cert is installed).

If you want to use SHARED SSL then just ask your host for the PATH to the SSL, and you will then use this info in your configure.php files .

[jameshontishar]

Thanks for this, I am going down the SHared SSL route for the minuite, once I have installed I take it I then need to upload all the files to the SSL SIte as well?

SSL can only be set up if you have a VALID SSL Certificate, issued by a vendor of such certificates.

You can purchase these from a variety of vendors: Thawte, Comodo, Verisign, GoDaddy, etc.

Your host may even offer these for sale too.

Some hosts have "Shared SSL", which is (in my opinion) not a good option for e-commerce websites.

The procedure for purchasing is explained at the vendors' sites.

In order to have the certificate issued, you will need to ask your host to generate a CSR (Certificate Signing Request).

For a dedicated SSL Certificate, you will need a dedicated IP address (may cost a few extra dollars at your host).

When you have submitted the CSR to an issuer of Certificates, they will verify the integrity of the data in the CSR, and if they are happy, will generate a Certificate.

They will probably e-mail this to you as a zipped file.

While some hosts permit users to install Certs via C-panel, it may be better to have the host do this for you, as if you foul things up, it can cause problems.

When your SSL certificate is installed, your site is SSL enabled.

You can then configure your ZC installation to work with SSL. This is a simple process of making two small edits to the configure.php files .

You can install ZC in the meantime, without SSL.

As stated, configuring for SSL later is very simple (once your cert is installed).

If you want to use SHARED SSL then just ask your host for the PATH to the SSL, and you will then use this info in your configure.php files .

[fairestcape]

Thanks for this, I am going down the SHared SSL route for the minuite, once I have installed I take it I then need to upload all the files to the SSL SIte as well?

If your host cannot/will not create a SYMLINK between the SSL site and NON-SSL site, you will have to have ZC in both places. This becomes a big hassle to manage - especially when you start adding modules and other features.

Shared SSL is, as I said, NOT the route to go for serious e-commerce. You should first get a ZC installed and play around with it for a couple of weeks.

Then decide on which route to do for SSL. If you use a payment gateway, (eg: PayPal), then at least your payments will happen behind SSL.

[jameshontishar]

If your host cannot/will not create a SYMLINK between the SSL site and NON-SSL site, you will have to have ZC in both places. This becomes a big hassle to manage - especially when you start adding modules and other features.

Shared SSL is, as I said, NOT the route to go for serious e-commerce. You should first get a ZC installed and play around with it for a couple of weeks.

Then decide on which route to do for SSL. If you use a payment gateway, (eg: PayPal), then at least your payments will happen behind SSL.

I have uploaded all the siles and when i go to the secure site it prompts with the install screen is this correct, if so do i just instll as before?

[fairestcape]

I think you need to COPY the files from the NON-SSL server to the SSL server.

In other words, once you've done the original install on the non-SSL server, you need to COPY these files to the SSL server.

As I don't use shared SSL, I may be wrong here... await comment from someone with more knowledge...

[Kim]

https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=14

[jameshontishar]

Hi

I have done that, then uploaded the files to my SSL site, and I get this

c:\noname.jpg

[Kim]

Who is your host?