set up local host : HELP needed for MAC!!!!

[debora crosby]

Using Zencart v3.1.8a
followed Dr. bytes instructions for installing MAMP #'s 1-12 successfully.
Step 13 says "Fill in all the fields as appropriate, and complete installation.
I'm confused.
Can I or Do I complete the Zencart installation instructions first?
The book e-start your web store with Zen cart says that once MAMP/XAMP is installed then, set up a local domain before installing Zen cart ~ does the order matter.
I jumped to the next set of instructions, Dr. Byte told me to find my Terminal.app in the utilities folder ~ (Thanks, should that have been obvious?) and I started to follow the instructions with the following problems:
I followed the instructions and then when I typed exit and hit return, nothing happened. When I pressed the red button to close the Terminal-sudo window the warning window popped up to say that closing the window will terminate the login, bash, sudo.
I hit terminate button with the intention of starting over.
Now, when I click on Terminal.app the Terminal-bash 80x24 window comes up. When I type sudo vi /etc/hosts it prompts me to enter my password. I know my password, however, the window freezes and won't let me enter my password. This is all so very frustrating!!! Grrrrrrrrrr.
Can you PLEASE help?

[debora crosby]

When I continue to try to repeat the setting up a local host instructions on Terminal.app the following message is posted:
E325: ATTENTION
Found a swap file by the name "/etc/.hosts.swp"
owned by: root dated: Tue Mar 2 13:28:40 2010
file name: /private/etc/hosts
modified: YES
user name: root host name: deborah
process ID: 2802
While opening file "/etc/hosts"
dated: Sun Feb 21 18:29:17 2010

(1) Another program may be editing the same file.
If this is the case, be careful not to end up with two
different instances of the same file when making changes.
Quit, or continue with caution.

(2) An edit session for this file crashed.
If this is the case, use ":recover" or "vim -r /etc/hosts"
to recover the changes (see ":help recovery").
If you did this already, delete the swap file "/etc/.hosts.swp"
to avoid this message.

Swap file "/etc/.hosts.swp" already exists!
[O]pen Read-Only, (E)dit anyway, (R)ecover, (Q)uit, (D)elete it:
I have no idea what any of this means or where to find these files. When I try to access www.example.com I'm directed tot eh errorr page. I need Help again.....Please.

[Vger]

I'm sorry but you are fighting a losing battle setting up a local web server on a Mac. I know, we have a Mac Mini with XAMPP installed on Mac OSX, and every time we download an upgrade from Apple it resets all of the permissions so that we cannot access any of the files. When we've done all that we have to locate a system file (sorry, can't remember which) and drag it to the Trash Can and reboot.

Life's too short!

People are giving away perfectly serviceable PCs (on places like FreeCycle), just a few years old, but which are now so outdated by today's standards that they cannot be sold. But they'll do to run XAMPP on.

Vger

[debora crosby]

I'm trying to install MAMP specifically for MACS.
It seems others have done it successfully, and I need very specific instructions (the For Dummies version) since nothing is intuitive with this process, for me at least.
I really need to know how to fix the problem with the Terminal.app information.

I have MAMP successfully installed and Zencart is in the htdocs folder. I need help with setting up a local domain, configuring apache, configuring Mercury, and creating my store's database. Pages 36-53. in the eStart Your Web Store with Zen Cart book.
I hope someone can help.
Otherwise I will have to work through my webhosting service ~ tech support. I was really wanting to test the site locally though.
Thanks for the reply,
Debora

[canopy]

If you have setup Zen Cart on the Mac with MAMP, you can skip the sections from pg 32 - pg 39 of the book. In short, you do not need to set up a local domain, configure Apache, or configure Mercury.

When running your Zen Cart store with MAMP, there is no need to configure a local domain or Apache, just type http://localhost/store or http://localhost/shop depending on which folder you've installed Zen Cart into. This is in contrast to the book which uses http://www.example.com/store or http://www.example.com/shop.

Mercury is a mail server that works only on the Windows platform. You can skip that installation and just disable the sending of email (pg 72) in your Zen Cart store after its set up. Setting up a mail server on a Mac is not a trivial task so it is recommended you do not do that.

Note that it is not compulsory that you need to install Zen Cart on a local computer in order to work with Zen Cart. Instead, it would be ideal to run a test store on a remote hosting account which supports PHP, MySQL, and Apache if you already have one. For a remote web host, just set up a store in a sub-directory like http://www.yourdomain.com/teststore or something.

The book only illustrates the use of a local Zen Cart store for readers who want to do some quick local testing or for readers who do not yet have a hosting account. There are limitations to what a local testing environment can do. For example, connecting to remote services like PayPal, FedEx, etc.

[debora crosby]

Thanks, that is really helpful. I'll give it another go.
I will test the account on a remote if I can do it safely as a test account.:yes!
Thanks again,