Confused student

I am new to Linux and even more new to trying to get a server let alone getting a shopping cart up and running.
The back story
I am on Linux 106 at my local Community College. For our final project for the term is to get CentOS running within a VM with a GUI then install a lamp and get Zencart up. With SSH access from another CentOS VM. Per the instructor we can use any resource we can find. He feels that is how we would actually do it in the real world.
I have the CentOS VMs running with Apache running. I can see the test page with Firefox at address 127.0.0.1 my question is what do I do from here. I think I am supposed transfer the zencart to my choice of directory so I did. It is under /www/zencart/ then the rest of the files were transferred by filezilla. I have all the files and folders at 777 from zencart down. I tried to change the files according to the instructions but I think I lost something in translation from the ones that understand to my limited understanding.
file: /catalog/includes/dist-configure.php (renamed)
Rename this file to configure.php and change the permissions to 777 (read-write-execute for all)
Next, on the server locate the file: /catalog/admin/includes/dist-configure.php (renamed)
Rename this file to configure.php and change the permissions to 777 (read-write-execute for all)
I put 127.0.0.1 in the location it asked for an address (I think it is the right thing to do) then I changed the name of the file like instructed and then input the address into firefox 127.0.0.1/www/zencart/zc_install/includes/configure.php
This is where I get the error please point me in the correct direction.
Thanks
Steve

Try
127.0.0.1/www/zencart/zc_install/

How do I get started with Zen Cart?

When you configured Apache, did you change the ServerRoot? Default in CentOS is to use "/var/www/" as the ServerRoot... So if you placed the Zen Cart files in "/var/www/"... Then you would access the files relative to "http://localhost/"... So the Zen Cart installer would be at "http://localhost/zc_install". If you placed the files at "/var/www/zencart", the installer would be at "http://localhost/zencart/zc_install".

If you are using a different ServerRoot in CentOS, you may need to also revisit any selinux or suPHP configuration.

No go on 127.0.0.1/www/zencart/zc_install/
Thankyou I will be rereading the getting started with zencart

Thanks for the help I unfortunately I am still stuck. I did move the zencart folder to /var/www/zencart This is what I see when I go to the files I renamed from dist-configure.php in both admin/includes and zencart/includes. What I think I need to change is in yellow I think I should change it to 127.0.0.1 in all the lines. I did read how to get started with zencart but it is muddled to me. Should I get rid of everything in those config files and just tell it where the local hose is?
Thanks
Steve

Did you read lhungil's post?> If you placed the files at "/var/www/zencart", the installer would be at "http://localhost/zencart/zc_install". The web address is what you will use (appropriate parts) for "DIR_WS_whatever" defines; the /var/etc. is for the "DIR_FS_whatever" (file system) defines. These will all be set automatically by entering the info requested in zc_install.

snccoulter:

Thanks for the help I unfortunately I am still stuck. I did move the zencart folder to /var/www/zencart This is what I see when I go to the files I renamed from dist-configure.php in both admin/includes and zencart/includes. What I think I need to change is in yellow I think I should change it to 127.0.0.1 in all the lines. I did read how to get started with zencart but it is muddled to me. Should I get rid of everything in those config files and just tell it where the local hose is?
Thanks
Steve

If everything is in your zencart subdirectory, you also need to address the ZC "catalog". The instructions inside of the configure.php are relatively descript about this.

Look a few lines below your highlighted area(s), there is a DIR_WS_CATALOG constant. That needs to include the path from the host(s) root to your store. There are additional constants below that that also should be updated in both configure.php files. Now all that said, I would create a generic file of any type and try to access it using localhost/filename (where filename is the name of your file to also include the extension desired). That should be proof that at least your directory with filename matches what the server is expecting.

Also, really will want to revisit the getting started with ZC after you have confirmed that at least your server is setup correctly.

Unless your server configuration prohibits it, the configure.php files will be created automatically even if you haven't renamed the dist-configure files. I think those are there so installation can proceed normally for any kind of server setup.

Have you tried going to http://localhost/zencart/zc_install in your browser? Does that bring you to the setup page?

gjh42:

Unless your server configuration prohibits it, the configure.php files will be created automatically even if you haven't renamed the dist-configure files. I think those are there so installation can proceed normally for any kind of server setup.

Also work as a good template to compare against without some type of restoration or reinstallation. :)

Certainly hope that the server setup will allow whatever the confused student desires. Afterall from what seems like the original statement it was setup by the student. :)

I haven't encountered a situation where zc_install didn't build the configure.php files by itself, but I have only had experience with fresh installation on a few servers.

First and foremost I read lhungil's post. That is why I went back to a previous snapshot and loaded Zencart under the default of /var/www/ to make things a bit more simple. Zencart is sitting under /var/www/ as of now. I went into /admin/incudes/dist-configuration.php and left it as local host changed the name from dist-configuration.php to configuration.php and made the permission changes to 777 I shotgunned everything from /var/www/ to 777 (I am not concerned about security since it is simply an exercise) went to firefox and typed in http://localhost/zencart/ with negative results then typed in http://127.0.0.1 and I see my Apache 2 testpage. I then type in http://127.0.0.1/zencart/ negative results the same for /zencart/zc_install. I also went in to the configuration.php file and did this
Thank You
Steve
I understand most of you do this for a living or have been doing it for a while. Thank you for taking your time to help. This is my first attempt to do anything like this after having black and white instructions for the last 15.5 years of being USAF Security. I was forced to retire due to health reasons. I have not been able to take any server or networking classes yet they start next term. This is all foreign to me, so responses like did you read what he said is not helpful in fact it is degrading. Yes I read it, I even tried to fix it but apparently I did not understated fully. This is a 40 year old dog trying to learn a new trick.
Respectfully
The old dog.

So have you run zc_install yet (or tried to)? You don't appear to have said so.

snccoulter:

For our final project for the term is to get CentOS running within a VM with a GUI then install a lamp and get Zencart up.

Although not immediately important, but it could be useful to know the O/S being used on the 'bare metal', as well as the HyperVisor being used.

snccoulter:

With SSH access from another CentOS VM.

Personally, I'd be tackling this before even considering installing LAMP and ZenCart. Actually, I'd go one further and suggest you get TELNET functioning between the two VM's first. This is the easiest protocol to setup, with telnet being a core part of any linux installation.

SSH is only a smidgen more difficult mainly on account of the fact that it has a lot of configuration possibilities.

I digress.... Before LAMP and ZenCart, get the SSH functioning.

snccoulter:

I have the CentOS VMs running with Apache running. I can see the test page with Firefox at address 127.0.0.1 my question is what do I do from here.

Leave this as is, get the SSH functional.

snccoulter:

I think I am supposed transfer the zencart to my choice of directory so I did. It is under /www/zencart/ then the rest of the files were transferred by filezilla.

What are 'the rest of the files'?

snccoulter:

I have all the files and folders at 777 from zencart down. I tried to change the files according to the instructions but I think I lost something in translation from the ones that understand to my limited understanding.
file: /catalog/includes/dist-configure.php (renamed)
Rename this file to configure.php and change the permissions to 777 (read-write-execute for all)
Next, on the server locate the file: /catalog/admin/includes/dist-configure.php (renamed)
Rename this file to configure.php and change the permissions to 777 (read-write-execute for all)
I put 127.0.0.1 in the location it asked for an address (I think it is the right thing to do) then I changed the name of the file like instructed and then input the address into firefox 127.0.0.1/www/zencart/zc_install/includes/configure.php

You mustn't go changing folder/file permissions 'willy nilly'. This can cause some problems as well as solve others.

snccoulter:

This is where I get the error please point me in the correct direction.
Thanks
Steve

Unless I've missed something, you haven't actually told us what 'the error' is.

Nonetherless, the reason I'm suggesting you take care of the SSH requirement first is because this will introduce you to IP addresses and hostnames. Whilst setting this up you'll be giving both VM's a unique IP address, and these are the addresses that you'll be needing to enter into the zencart configuration settings.

The address 127.0.0.1 is fine if the client (web browser) and the server (zencart) are both on the same VM, but your requirement is for 2 VM's, which I assume is client on one, server on the other, in which case 127.0.0.1 (aka 'localhost') won't work.

Cheers
RodG

Thanks RodG. I will tackle the SSH today. The error I get is 404 file not found.
Gjh42 I have tried zc_install and get 404 file not found.

Thanks

snccoulter:

Thanks RodG. I will tackle the SSH today. The error I get is 404 file not found.
Gjh42 I have tried zc_install and get 404 file not found.

Thanks

In which path do you have the folders: includes, images, admin, etc storedin? From a previous post it sounded like it was in the www directory or it was in the zencart directory off of www: var/www/zencart.

I again recommend putting a simple file into the directory that is being accessed to verify all other things are correct to show the file. Even a php file like:

<?php
Echo "Hello World!";
?>

Preferably, something that has proper html encoding, but

Also, are you trying to access the ZC server from the server itself or from your alternate location?

Thanks for the help between you all and a new set of directions installing LAMP I was able to get it to work basically. What I did was copy the folders to /var/www/html. This is the address I used for the install 192.168.91.141/zc_install but I was given this error. date.timezone is not set in php is this the right direction to go in date.timezone = "Europe/Brussels" obviously I will find out what mine is america/pacific

Thanks Steve

snccoulter:

Thanks for the help between you all and a new set of directions installing LAMP I was able to get it to work basically. What I did was copy the folders to /var/www/html. This is the address I used for the install 192.168.91.141/zc_install but I was given this error. date.timezone is not set in php is this the right direction to go in date.timezone = "Europe/Brussels" obviously I will find out what mine is america/pacific

Thanks Steve

So, you've basically got your first Zen Cart store installed... Now you are dealing with some of the "upgrade" aspects of it. Ideally your php would already have the timezone set in it, but there is a way to do that through ZC. Also. Where to find that part? Well, kinda want to say. Welcome to Zen Cart! :) as several of those that have provided assistance in here would say, school of hard knox is where a lot have gained their experience. Backup, try, break, restore... Repeat until successful. :)

You may also want to search for the main topic of your issue: date.timezone. Even better is if/when you use the letters php with that search (which in this case is related to that problem). Sometimes, unfortunately, one must go outside of the ZC forum to search for a ZC article that relates/has a solution. Not sure why the integrated search isn't as good at finding related information. Anyways... I'm not trying to be a pain in your side. While there are plenty of helpful people on the forum, and it seems you have nearly completed your assignment (or so it seems), hopefully you learn more than the fact that open source rules and there are a lot of knowledgeable people out there that can be quite helpful.

That said, in your installation process, did you return your configure.php files back to using relative paths for all of the directories, or are they all still hard coded? If the later, hope your instructor doesn't say, okay, now I want you to move your store to: xxxx.

I figured it out. Went into the php.ini file and added the date and time, and it is up and running. Tanks everyone for your help. The dog now knows a new trick.

snccoulter:

I figured it out. Went into the php.ini file and added the date and time, and it is up and running. Tanks everyone for your help. The dog now knows a new trick.

Hopefully you've been keeping a backup copy of the various files that you've been editing, because the chances are, before your instructor even begins to assess you on this project, the 1st thing s/he will want is to see is these backups.

Good luck.
Cheers
Rod

Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (ICT)

Also, is it correct as stated in the first post: > get Zencart up that is all that is needed? No purchase processed, no products of any particular setup, shipping, taxes, etc...? Or installation of any particular "plugins"?

Ie. Final project, probably 4 days to a week of time, and done?