New User; HELP with installation please

Hello, please excuse my ignorance.

I am a brand new user and am trying to get my osCommerce installed to my page. I have been trying for several days with no luck.

First of all, I have a question about directories. My web page IS my catalog, so do I install it to the htdocs directory, or do I let it create the osCommerce directory?

Right now, I'm getting the following error:

SQL file does not exist: /www/t/tisimpson/htdocs/osCommerce/install/oscommerce.sql

Any help anyone can offer will be GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks so much,
Terri

[stevel]

I don't see why you can't have your htdocs folder be your "catalog". I gather you are using PowWeb's option for automatic configuration? You have to pay very careful attention to the prompts for paths.

I'm a bit puzzled as to what it's trying to do here - I assume it wants to load the base SQL definitions, but it can't find where it unpacked them. When I did this, it did not create a "oscommerce" directory.

Well, this is really confusing me.
I went in and deleted the previous install and tried again.

Once it unpacked itself (it wouldn't let me unpack it to the htdocs directory), it created the osCommerce directory.

{it said to install to the root directory leave the field blank, but when I would, it would reload the screen so I could put something in the field...it defaults to osCommerce directory}

I'm not getting past step 1: Database Import

it still cannot find the install/oscommerce.sql file.

I was careful to install the mysql and oscommerce to the same directories.

I can't figure out what I'm doing incorrectly.

[stevel]

Originally posted by idahonative
I was careful to install the mysql and oscommerce to the same directories.

It has been a while since I went through this - I can't figure out how one would install MySQL to a directory...

I'm guessing something is going wrong with the unpack. It might help you if you connected to your site with FTP and looked to see what was there - what the folder structure is, etc.

I'm sorry, I guess I didn't INSTALL the mysql. However, I think this might be where my problem is.

Let me explain the steps I'm taking:

First I click on the osCommerce link in the powweb OPS page.
It brings me to the page to Unpack osCommerce:

I unpacked it to the /htdocs/osCommerce directory.

It then tells me it sucessfully unpacked.

It takes me to the NEW INSTALL page.

The IMPORT CATALOG DATABASE is checked;
The AUTOMATIC CONFIGURATION is checked;

Enter your web server information is next:

WEBSERVER ROOT DIRECTORY
I took this right from the OPS page.

WEBSERVER CATALOG DIRECTORY
the directory where your catalog pages are being served from
I left it blank since my catalog IS my web page.

WEBSERVER ADMINSTRATION TOOL DIRECTORY
I typed /admin/

WWW CATALOG DIRECTORY
I typed /catalog/ which is what it suggests

WWW ADMINISTRATION TOOL DIRECTORY
I typed /osCommerce/admin/ which is what it suggested.


The next step is entering the database server information

It asks for the mysql server, username, password and database name.

Then CONTINUE

It then takes me to a page called DATABASE IMPORT:

and it reads:

A TEST CONNECTION MADE TO THE DATABASE WAS SUCCESSFUL.
PLEASE CONTINUE THE INSTALLATION PROCESS TO EXECUTE THE DATABASE IMPORT PROCEDURE.

IT IS IMPORTANT THIS PROCEDURE IS NOT INTERRUPTED, OTHERWISE THE DATABASE MAY END UP CORRUPT.

THE FILE TO IMPORT MUST BE LOCATED AND NAMED AT
/www/t/tisimpson/htdocs/install/oscommerce.sql

I can tell you from checking through my FTP it is not there. Do you know when during the process it is supposed to get there? Am I supposed to create it and load it up there? If so, how?

anyway, at the end of that page, it says continue, then of course it brings up an error saying that the sql file does not exist.

Hopefully, through this you'll be able to see where I'm going wrong.

Thanks again for your time and help.
Terri

Teri -
I am just going through this and haven't gotten very much farther than you. But, did you have your SQL data base created prior to the install? The steps that I followed were (1) create the database (2) make a note of it's name , you will be asked this during install. (3) go through the install process -- the install asks several questions.

I have a question for you. When you deleted the original install, how did you do it. (this is not related to your problem, but I'm just curious. I tried this once and I received a message that it couldn't delete because the folders were not empty. I had to go through and delete each & every file & folder manually. Just wondering if there is a magic trick to deleting an install.

THANKs
Anne

[stevel]

Originally posted by idahonative
WEBSERVER CATALOG DIRECTORY
the directory where your catalog pages are being served from
I left it blank since my catalog IS my web page.

WEBSERVER ADMINSTRATION TOOL DIRECTORY
I typed /admin/

WWW CATALOG DIRECTORY
I typed /catalog/ which is what it suggests

WWW ADMINISTRATION TOOL DIRECTORY
I typed /osCommerce/admin/ which is what it suggested.

Ah, I think I see. The first two items need to be coordinated with the last two. You would have wanted to leave WWW CATALOG DIRECTORY blank and entered /admin/ for the WWW ADMINISTRATION TOOL DIRECTORY.

I am a bit puzzled, though - when I went through this (which was when PowWeb first offered it), the webserver fields were to be entered in the form /www/d/domainname/htdocs/whatever - does it work to enter them as relative to your site?

Anne, the deletion is a problem with the FTP tool you are using. Try connecting to your FTP server with MSIE (if you have it) - simply click on the folder and press Delete. It will do a nested delete.

Thanks for the info Steve. I've always used ws/FTP -- I/ve never used IE. I'll have to look around and figure out where it is. Thanks again, Anne

Thanks Again, Steve. I found it!!!! Now that is certainly much easier!!!

Anne

I messed with it and finally got it before I got your post. However, now I'm curious....

I had already started creating my web page in FRONTPAGE. I would like to be able to integrate the osCommerce shopping cart into MY existing page, rather than having to go redesign my page to the osCommerce template (?).

Is there any way to do that?

Thanks again,
Terri

idaho:

You might want to just add a link in your frontpage site to the OSC catalog. i.e. "catalog", "products", "shop" etc. Then just change the look of your Osc catalog to match your current website. It may take a lot of forum browsing/posting, but I've seen some osc shops that look nothing like the initial install. With a little perseverance, you should be able to modify osc to meet your needs.

Good luck with your quest!

Stevel:

Thanks for the MSIE ftp tip. I had no idea you could do that. I'm getting pretty tired og wsftp timing out on me. I have a question. Can one chmod with MSIE? I've looked and read the help files and am not finding it.

Thanks again,

You have been a great help.

Jonathan

[stevel]

chmod with MSIE - yes. Right click on a file, select Properties. You'll then have checkboxes for the various protection fields. However, for some reason you can't use this (or it would seem any other remote chmod option) to set the configure files to 444 (that would be execute-only for all groups.) The standard solution for that is uploading a small PHP script that calls chmod for the file in question and then executing it.

Thank you stevel!

I appreciate you taking the time to answer. I live in a small community and I have noone to talk to about computer stuff, so forums are the only place that I can learn. This forum is great!

Thanks again,

Jonathan