I found for me new alternative for Zen Cart shopping Cart - it is PrestaShop. PrestaShop is new and easy maintained shopping cart. It doesn’t have all features, what I need, but I get promise, that these features going soon. I wrote also review about PrestaShop - You can find it from my other site - FreeSoftNews. Also - there is one list of open source shopping carts also.

After playing with PrestaShop some days, I found that one problem is also lack of documentation. So I make now try to fix that thing and write some tutorials with pictures, howto use PrestaShop. This is my first tutorial at these series.

Also - sorry for bad English, I am not native English speaker and when You finding some places, what need to correct - let me know with comment.

Thanks

Spott

To the tutorial

Requirements:

• Apache webserver with PHP 5 or newer
• MySQL 5.0 or newer database server
• GD Library functionality

Most todays hosting services are fine for PrestaShop. This is also good to know, becauase Magento requirements are right now much specificated and its hard to find right hosting provider for Magento.

I am using my own Virtual Private Server, with DirectAdmin control panel. So its like usual hosting server.

All pictures are made under Ubuntu Linux 8.04. I don’t like Windows. For FTP Client - I am using FileZilla 3.0 - so its looks similar to all operating systems. All pictures are made with GIMP. And for browser - I am using Firefox.

I am installing new PrestaShop Cart to http://demo.phpdemos.net/prestashop domain. I have  database demophp_presta and user with same name. Password for that database is ********** :D. Database is hosted on the same server, so the host is localhost.

So lets get started

Download the latest PrestaShop

First we need to download latest PrestaShop version. Right now, is the latest version 1.0 FINAL (1.0.0.8). Look to PrestaShop Downloads page.

Direct link to 1.0 FINAL version is here.

You are getting ZIP file, what you need to extract.

After extracting You see fallowing folders and files:

Now You need to upload all these files and folders to Your webserver.

Upload files with FileZilla

So lets open now FileZilla and transfer all files and folders to Your webserver. Usually to folder public_html, what is Your webserver root directory (or it can be also www, htdocs or other names - ask from Your hosting provider, if You don’t know that). Because I want, that my PrestaShop will be at subfolder prestashop, I upload all my files to this folder. When You want, that Your shop will be at top level (http://yourdomain.com), then upload files directly to your webserver root directory.

For uploading - simply select all PrestaShop files (left window) in FileZilla and drag them to right window.

Permissions

After all files are uploaded, we need to change permissions of some folders.

We need to change permissions of fallowing folders to 777 (read, write and execute permissions to everyone):

• /config
• /tools/smarty/compile
• /img - and all subfolders
• /mails - and all subfolders
• /themes/prestashop/lang - and all subfolders
• /translations - and all subfolders

Folder permission change is easy on FileZilla. Activate folder with right click and from menu chose File Attributes …

Mark all fields, so that Numeric value is 777:

For /img, /mails, /themes/prestashop/lang and /translations folders - check Recurse into subdirectories and Apply to directories only

Then FileZilla changes the all needed subdirectories permissions also.

Installer

Step one

Now open Your web browser (Firefox) and tip to URL bar your shop address. At my example - http://demo.phpdemos.net/prestashop

You will get fallowing picture at Your browser:

You can chose now your install language. At version 1.0 is supported English (default) and French install. We leave this to English. As we have new install, then we have filled fallowing option:

“Installation: Full installation of the PrestaShop™ e-Commerce Solution”

Now press Next at the bottom.

Step two

You are now at System and permissions page, where installer checks that all needed permissions and softwares are meet.

At first part, installer checks that all needed PHP modules and options are enabled:

PHP settings:

• PHP 5.0 or later is installed
• Allowed to upload files
• Allowed to create new files and folders
• GD Library is installed
• MySQL support is on

Write permissions on folders (do not apply recursively/to subfolders):

• /config
• /tools/smarty/compile

Write permissions on folders and subfolders/recursively:

• /img
• /mails
• /modules
• /themes/prestashop/lang
• /translations

Until that You need that all are marked with green mark -

When something are marked with - you need to fix thing until you can get forward.

After that it is optional set-up, and there can be also some red marks.

• PHP settings (modify via your PHP admin software):
• Allowed to open external URLs
• PHP register global option is off (recommended)
• GZIP compression is on (recommended)

Usual users seeing fallowing picture:

It mean, that at PHP stage is everything OK, but something is wrong with directory structure. So go back to folder permissions area.

When all is fine, you see:

Now press Next button again.

Step three

Database configuration

You need to fill Your database settings. As I told, my database host is localhost, database name is demophp_presta, username is also demophp_presta and password is *********.

Press now the Verify now! button - this will test, that all given settings are right and Installer can connect to the database.

When everything is fine, then it shows, that Database is connected.

Now chose your database tables prefix or leave it as it is (I am leaving ps_). Table prefix is good, when multiple softwares uses the same database.

Also You can now chose, to install PrestaShop Full mode: Install all basic modules and add sample products or Simple mode : Don’t install any module. I am leaving at Full mode. It mean, that installer installs sample products and also activates most popular modules. It is very easy to configure Your shop and delete added products. So it is recommended option for all new users. When you are using PrestaShop before, then You can take Simple install option and activate all wanted modules after install.

Also You have possibility to configure e-mail delivery. I am leaving everything as it is. But when You need to use external SMTP server, then you need to check Configure SMTP manually.

You need then fill your SMTP server address field, chose Encryption, Port, Login and password fields. After that you can send test e-mail, to see, that gived settings are right.

If You have everything set up here as You need, then press again Next.

Step four

Now You are at Shop Configuration step.

Here You can give Your shop name - my shop name will be - “PHP Demos Presta Shop”, You can upload new shop logo (or leave at beginning default one, like I leave - You can change it later also). And also You need to fill Your admin user details.

My first name will be - Php. Last name - DEMOS. My e-mail address is demo@phpdemos.net and My shop (admin user) password will be *********.  I filled Recive notifications filed also - I gives possibility to get all information (like new orders etc) fast to Your e-mail.

Now press again Next.

Step five

And now is PrestaShop installed to Your server.

Now is only two small steps to go.

Finnal settings

First - go back to Your FTP Client and we need to delete install folder from webserver.

Second - we need to rename Your admin folder. I rename it to backoffice.

For that - activate admin folder at FileZilla and right click shows You fallowing menu:

Now You need to rename admin folder to backoffice:

When You skip that part then You are not able to login your admin area. You are getting fallowing error:

Now You are ready.

Shop is ready

Your FrontOffice of PrestaShop will look like that:

And when You are giving admin address (at my example - http://demo.phpdemos.net/backoffice )

You see the fallowing picture:

Use Your the e-mail and password, what You give at install.

Thats all - for other things - wait for new tutorials, how to set up products, how to configure Your shop etc.

Spott