MultiSite Module Support Thread

KThompson:

You can use the same account on all three.

I've been told by several peeps that I can't use the same one on different websites! Also, how do I get google cart to "approve" my ssl certificate? I get error messages in the communication process because my ssl certificate is not Googlecart approved??? :( I cannot find out how to do this, and since this is happening, I don't get notified by the store that the GC is installed in that a sale has been made. Yes, GC still processes the order, and I get notified by THEM, but then I have to try to figure out which store it was purchased at. I am so frustrated at this time, as I set up a 5% discount coupon in the GC area to encourage peeps to use GC. sheesh!

Hi all,

I have a Zen Cart installation in a folder called store of the root of www.therealdr.com (which is a Joomla site). Ken has very kindly been looking into installing the Multisite mod for me, but I can't get my sub-domains to work.

My ISP tells me its because theres something in the Joomla .htaccess file that is prohibiting the use of sub-domains as its always directed to the root.

Has anyone ever heard of this issue and do they know a work-a-round? Any help would be MOST appreciated before I get lynched by my customer !!

By the way, Ken is a master at the Multisite Mod and I thank him for all of his work so far.

Many thanks,
Pete

I have a client (my sister) with a Zen Cart driven store. She needs to be able to support both wholesale and retail customers. Her web hosting company installed a wholesale module but it doesn’t give her all the functionality that she needs. Only the pricing changes when a customer logs in as a wholesale customer. However, the wholesale and retail customers are still viewing the same pages.

You can view a detailed explanation of her requirements at http://ipicdg.com/jballotti/private/WS_SOW.pdf.

The solution I’m getting from other Zen Cart forums is to install two carts, one for retail, and one for wholesale (which also means setting up two separate databases). I’m wondering if this multisite module will do what we need done.

You can access my sister’s store at http://www.zooonyoo.com.

I look forward to hearing back from anyone.

jballotti,

the multisite mod does allow you to use multiple carts with the same database. but it will use all of the same product info as well.

I don't know enough about the wholesale mod to know if you can apply it to one store and not the other but you can have different settings so it may work.

Its definately worth a shot.

Ken, thank you for taking the time to reply.
Based on what I've read, the multisite module seems like it would help in administering what looks like the solution I'm forced to implement for my client, two separate carts (with separate databases) for two different classes of customers.

What I'm really looking for is a shopping cart application that can handle different customer classes from a single shopping cart. This means the capability to do all of the things specified in the document available at: http://ipicdg.com/jballotti/private/WS_SOW.pdf

There may also be additional requirements that I didn't think of when I wrote that document. For instance, a requirement I didn't think of is the ability to apply different tax classes/rates to different customer classes by zone.

Anyway, thanks again for your reply.

KThompson:

jballotti,

the multisite mod does allow you to use multiple carts with the same database. but it will use all of the same product info as well.

I don't know enough about the wholesale mod to know if you can apply it to one store and not the other but you can have different settings so it may work.

Its definately worth a shot.

Hi,

I've manged to get 3 sites working well, using this mod, and each with their own SSL and check out pages, but on my own my own machine rather than a shared host.

How are people getting around the issues of the auto-return in paypal?
Paypal uses the auto return so that when someone uses paypal as a payment method, after the payment they get returned to the site for the confirmation page. However you have to set a direct URL, and only one, so if you have 3 sites, with 3 different looks, 3 different checkouts, do you have to have 3 different paypal accounts in order for each to have their own checkout confirmation page?

I have had 2 differernt guys try and get it up and running and each have had it fail on our store.
so I am at a loss on what is wrong.

gabbytwin:

I have had 2 differernt guys try and get it up and running and each have had it fail on our store.
so I am at a loss on what is wrong.

If all the files have been put in the correct place then need to check your hosting/server/DNS/forwarding side of things. Things get a bit more complicated if you are on a shared host

Calljj:

Hi,

However you have to set a direct URL, and only one, so if you have 3 sites, with 3 different looks, 3 different checkouts, do you have to have 3 different paypal accounts in order for each to have their own checkout confirmation page?

Guess I'll just have one 'generic' hmtl order confirmation page with links back to the individual stores, probably the simplest option, rather than administering 3 different paypal accounts.

Anyone doing this:::

I want to have the following set up:

1. 1 product DB
2. Multi sites on a VPS using that Product DB. These are seprate sites. IE https://www.myshopsite.com, https://www.giftshopsite.com etc....
3. One SSL Cert for all sites ( possiby wildcard?)
4. Mutli Check out templates to match the site user is using.

Can this be done with this mod reliably. Is any one doing. Can I pay you for your time to let me pick your brain on your configuration.....

Thank you

P.S. Ken - are you for hire ? ;)

Calljj

Just reaching. Not sure if you can pass any varriables from paypal but....

If Paypal lets you put in the return URL with a variable then create a php file and see if it will let you pass any parameters from the paypal successful order that will distinguish it from the others, then have your php read that variable and server the correct confirmation template based on that.

Like this http://myshopsite.com/returnSuccess.php?referringURL=mygiftshopsite

in your returnSuccess.php
you will have an if statement that if mygiftshopsite then load mygiftshopsite.com/thankyou.html

makenoiz

makenoiz:

Anyone doing this:::

I want to have the following set up:

1. 1 product DB
2. Multi sites on a VPS using that Product DB. These are seprate sites. IE www.myshopsite.com, www.giftshopsite.com etc....
3. One SSL Cert for all sites ( possiby wildcard?)
4. Mutli Check out templates to match the site user is using.

Can this be done with this mod reliably. Is any one doing. Can I pay you for your time to let me pick your brain on your configuration.....

Thank you

P.S. Ken - are you for hire ? ;)

1. yes
2. i have 3 completely seperate domains, all different templates, different products, same DB.
3. 99% of wildcard only cover subdomains, those that don't cost big $$
   I've paid just pennies for 3 individual certs from godaddy, then got an extra load of IP address from my ISP to run them, for free.
4. as 2, yep each check out template matches site

As for VPS, no idea, think you will struggle with the SSL side of things due to the IP based serving required, rather than name based.. this is one of the reasons i chose to go for my own dedicated unit box rather than 3rd party shared hosting - that and its the 3rd quickest link in the world :D so great for hosting zen sites!

makenoiz:

Calljj

Just reaching. Not sure if you can pass any varriables from paypal but....

makenoiz

Unfortunately not, just a plain old fixed URL.

Spoke to a human at Paypal - incredible i know! - and they been asked about this many times, but still nothing done for those hosting multiple sites of any sort.

Hello there,

I had this mod running a while ago. It does work. Only we had a problem specific to our setup.

What happened was that we have a retail site, and a wholesalte site (as the subdomain). So all set up via multisite module. Wholesale had minimum order setup to.

We had a few people buying wholesale items, say just a small order. But can't work out how they did it, as they should have been stopped going through checkout as it wasnt at the minimum level.

After digging around, I saw a few stray links in google, that could allow somebody to buy the wholesale item, but on the retail site. Even though it should have directed them to buy the said item on the wholesale site.

I hope it doesn't sound complicated. lol. Wondered if anyone has got this setup and maybe came up with a solution to stop this happening.

As I'm writing, I am just thinking, is it a simple case of altering htaccess file, or configuring the sitemap somehow.

Thanks in advance,

Heathenmagic :smile:

Hello,

I've just installed the current version of the multi site mod over a fresh install of ZenCart according to instructions. The admin seems ok, but the site has the error:

1054 Unknown column 'CATEGORIES_ROOT' in 'where clause'
in:
[select cd.categories_name from sl_categories c, sl_categories_description cd where cd.categories_description LIKE '%-SITE_NAME-%' AND cd.language_id=1 AND c.parent_id = CATEGORIES_ROOT and c.categories_id = cd.categories_id and cd.language_id='1' and c.categories_status=1]

I am, fortunately, running a local install on my computer with the same environment as my server.

I have not a clue where to go from here. Any ideas?

Thank you!

Hello again,

I have found that the problem seems to happen when I add the multi site includes/modules/meta_tags.php file. All of the other files copy over fine, but when I copy this file, I get the error message. When I replace this file with the original zen cart version, the site reappears. Anyone else have this problem? Do I simply need to change something in this file and what might that be?

Thank you!

Calljj:

If all the files have been put in the correct place then need to check your hosting/server/DNS/forwarding side of things. Things get a bit more complicated if you are on a shared host

My site is on a dedicated server with shared accounts.

Can anyone help me on this or talk to my web guy for me please.

First: I'd like to express my appreciation to all those who answer questions here in this thread. Thank you!

Second: The number of postings in this thread are now over 400. This makes it difficult to search for solutions to problems.

I don't know about anyone else, but I really don't want to read all 438 postings in order to track down the solution for a particular problem. Then have to do it all again for the next problem, and so on.

It is unfortunate, but it appears that the original author of the Multi-Site Module has abandoned the project.

I believe that the Multi-Site Module needs more support.

Not every person who wants to use Zen Cart knows how to program in PHP, or even know how to do any programming at all. The Multi-Site Module seems to have a lot of quirks and problems that someone only with PHP programming experience can solve. In retrospect, I think I would have been better off with a commercially supported shopping cart program.

Ultimately, the Module needs new programmers that will update & fix problems, releasing new versions.

Who knows? Maybe there is even money to be made providing support for it?

I would like to suggest that those who are expertly involved with the Multi-Site Module, get together to provide a better method of supporting the Module. Maybe all it needs is a separate Zen Cart Forum category capable of containing multiple threads? Or how about a wiki?

Mountain Mama

You missed the very first step in the instructions. Add "include(includes/config_sites/site_switch.php);"
to your configure.php.

double check the instructions for the line to add I'm not at my work computer

Ok we are getting this error in the order process:

1054 Unknown column 'order_site' in 'field list'
in:
[INSERT INTO orders (customers_id, customers_name, custo

And also
1054 Unknown column 'order_site' in 'field list'
in:
[db_cache table]
If you were entering information, press the BACK button in your browser and re-check the information you had entered to be sure you left no blank fields.

In the admin area when you click on the orders in the customers section.