PLEASE.. quick advise about SSL, installation

14 Jun 2006, 11:51

#1

Zen Follower

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PLEASE.. quick advise about SSL, installation

After testing my cart on another domain on my server (through aplus.net), I am ready to move it to its intended domain to finish loading products, etc. The SSL certificate has been installed, not without a struggle!

Questions... my site, currently has a functioning web up that uses an Americart shopping cart. ALL html based, no php. Is there any reason why I can't also install Zencart into the root directory, where the americart pages are and have them BOTH be there for the near term? That way, folks could still place orders, they won't really even be aware of the zencart yet. I would REMOVE the index.html page of the americart web. Most of my paid advertising and search engine links go to specific pages within the web anyhow.

Question 2.... I'm really confused about what happens when a secure page is called for. Do I have to also install a whole zencart in my https directory? And if I do, what happens every time I make a change to the site, add products, etc?

I would really appreciate a quick word or two today, as i have to get this moving.
Thank you!
Suzanne

14 Jun 2006, 15:36

#2

vger

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Re: PLEASE.. quick advise about SSL, installation

styledata:
After testing my cart on another domain on my server (through aplus.net), I am ready to move it to its intended domain to finish loading products, etc. The SSL certificate has been installed, not without a struggle!

Questions... my site, currently has a functioning web up that uses an Americart shopping cart. ALL html based, no php. Is there any reason why I can't also install Zencart into the root directory, where the americart pages are and have them BOTH be there for the near term? That way, folks could still place orders, they won't really even be aware of the zencart yet. I would REMOVE the index.html page of the americart web. Most of my paid advertising and search engine links go to specific pages within the web anyhow.

You'd need to keep your index.html page, so that people (temporarily) land on the old html site and not the Zen Cart site. When you are ready just delete the index.html and people will land on the Zen Cart site.

Question 2.... I'm really confused about what happens when a secure page is called for. Do I have to also install a whole zencart in my https directory? And if I do, what happens every time I make a change to the site, add products, etc?

I would really appreciate a quick word or two today, as i have to get this moving.
Thank you!
Suzanne

This depends upon whether your hosting company uses one of the old-fashioned two-folder systems (one for httpdocs and one for httpsdocs), or just uses one folder for all files, whether they are called as http or https. You need to ask your hosts about their setup.

Vger

14 Jun 2006, 15:41

#3

styledata

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Re: PLEASE.. quick advise about SSL, installation

Hi,
Thanks for the reply! I have a dedicated server with many domains, not just a domain hosted through a company. I DO have two folders, httpdocs and httpsdocs. So, do I have to keep a whole catalog in the https folder as well, and if so, does that meen every time I do something in http (mods, catalog updates, whatever) I have to do it in https as well??
thanks!

14 Jun 2006, 15:44

#4

merlinpa1969

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Re: PLEASE.. quick advise about SSL, installation

Yes this is the case.

once you move a copy the the httpsdocs folder you will also have to modify the 2 configure files so tht the server paths reflect the correct https

14 Jun 2006, 15:47

#5

styledata

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Re: PLEASE.. quick advise about SSL, installation

Okay. just to be sure.... then EVERY time I make a change in http I have to do this in https as well? If I add products, contributions, and so on?

14 Jun 2006, 15:49

#6

merlinpa1969

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Re: PLEASE.. quick advise about SSL, installation

yes,
that is correct....

any changes you make to FILES will need to be changed in http and https but they will share a single database

14 Jun 2006, 15:51

#7

styledata

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Re: PLEASE.. quick advise about SSL, installation

Okay, thanks for clearing that up. Sounds pretty much like a pain! This is a Linux server.... Do you know of any sync options I might explore?
Thanks

14 Jun 2006, 16:11

#8

vger

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Re: PLEASE.. quick advise about SSL, installation

It's not really the server that's the issue, it's your control panel that you use to administer it. It's usually that tired (cheap) old nag Plesk that uses the two folder system, but it can be set up to alias httpsdocs to httpdocs and thus remove the need to use two folders. I picked this code up from someone who runs a server using Plesk. They've been using Plesk for years and seem to know what they are talking about so I'll quite it below.

Plesk - httpdocs and httpsdocs
------------------------------
You need to create a vhost_ssl.conf file in

/home/httpd/vhosts/domainname.com/conf/

with directives pointing to httpdocs rather than httpsdocs

If your host is using Plesk (I know i run a Plesk based server), in the case of plesk you need to add a vhost_ssl.conf file to the conf directory of the site and point any reference to httpsdocs to httpdocs

e.g.

DocumentRoot /home/httpd/vhosts/site.com/httpdocs
<Directory /home/httpd/vhosts/site.com/httpdocs>
<IfModule mod_perl.c>
<Files ~ (\.pl)>
SetHandler perl-script
PerlHandler ModPerl::Registry
Options ExecCGI
allow from all
PerlSendHeader On
</Files>
</IfModule>
<IfModule sapi_apache2.c>
php_admin_flag engine on
php_admin_value open_basedir "/home/httpd/vhosts/site.com/httpdocs:/tmp"
</IfModule>
SSLRequireSSL
Options +includes +ExecCGI
</Directory>
<IfModule sapi_apache2.c>
php_admin_flag engine on
php_admin_value open_basedir "/home/httpd/vhosts/site.com/httpdocs:/tmp"
</IfModule>

Hope that helps.

Vger

14 Jun 2006, 16:27

#9

styledata

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Re: PLEASE.. quick advise about SSL, installation

Thank you! Is this considered a 'domain alias'? And, the transanctions WILL be secure, correct?

14 Jun 2006, 16:55

#10

vger

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Re: PLEASE.. quick advise about SSL, installation

This creates a Symbolic Link between the httpsdocs and the httpdocs folders. Any request which would normally go to httpsdocs will get passed to httpdocs - and yes, it will be secure.

Be aware that I know very little about Plesk - other than I wouldn't personally touch it with a bargepole. But this advice is from someone who does run a server with Plesk - and it has proved useful to others.

Vger

14 Jun 2006, 17:03

#11

merlinpa1969

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Re: PLEASE.. quick advise about SSL, installation

lol something we agree on vger....

PLESK SUX

14 Jun 2006, 17:24

#12

vger

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Re: PLEASE.. quick advise about SSL, installation

We also agree about FrontPage too. What is the world coming to :smile:

Vger

15 Jun 2006, 19:10

#13

styledata

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Re: PLEASE.. quick advise about SSL, installation

After pure MISERY for a couple of days, I think I am making some progress.
The vhosts_ssl.conf file fix did not work. I spent MUCH time with my dedicated server provider, aplus.net, who could not seem to help at all either. I DO have to use a plesk interface, and have the 2 folder problem. I finally found something on the oscommce forum that SEEMS to do the trick. I have included it below for anyone else who wants to try it.

NOW>>> I am getting a secure connection at http://www.photoimprints.com, when I go to LOGIN. Two small problems:

1. My DUH host provider, aplus.net, issued the certificate to photoimprints.com, not www.photoimprints.com. So an error is generated saying it is not from me, blah blah. Not a real problem, but offputting to customers. I have asked them to reissue the cert to www.photoimprints.com. Anyone else have this problem?? Did I ask for the correct fix?

2. I am getting the 'secure and insecure' notice. I do not know how to tell which content is insecure. Does anyone have an idea how I can eliminate that???

Thanks in advance for your help.

THE SSL FIX:

quoted from oscommerce forum:
I have found a way around this and it works great, for those who have similar problems here is how.

This was done on plesk 6.02 RPM install with redhat 9.

SSH into your server

su for root

cd /home/httpd/vhosts/domain.com

cp -R httpsdocs httpsdocs.bak (just incase)

rm -rf httpsdocs

ln -s httpdocs httpsdocs

chown ftpuser:psaserv httpsdocs

Thats all it should work great , now you just put your osCommerce files in your httpdocs directory and SSl should work on all pages requireing SSL.

I have found a way around this and it works great, for those who have similar problems here is how.

This was done on plesk 6.02 RPM install with redhat 9.

SSH into your server

su for root

cd /home/httpd/vhosts/domain.com

cp -R httpsdocs httpsdocs.bak (just incase)

rm -rf httpsdocs

ln -s httpdocs httpsdocs

chown ftpuser:psaserv httpsdocs

Thats all it should work great , now you just put your osCommerce files in your httpdocs directory and SSl should work on all pages requireing SSL.

15 Jun 2006, 19:14

#14

styledata

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Re: PLEASE.. quick advise about SSL, installation

I believe I figured out what the nonsecure content is. I have a Live Customer Support script link in the right column that actually goes to another domain of mine. And it needs to stay there. I'm not sure how to get around that...

15 Jun 2006, 22:14

#15

vger

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Re: PLEASE.. quick advise about SSL, installation

It's usually downloading the image link from a non-secure (http) location that causes the problem. If that's it then place the image in your site and just link it to the other site. If it's the http link that's the problem and you have ssl on the other site then make the link https.

Vger

styledata:
I believe I figured out what the nonsecure content is. I have a Live Customer Support script link in the right column that actually goes to another domain of mine. And it needs to stay there. I'm not sure how to get around that...