Scripted Install for ShopSite on Linux/UNIX Servers

Hosting providers who resell ShopSite shopping cart software can automate ShopSite installations on their systems by using the ShopSite Scripted Installer. The Scripted Installer was designed to allow hosting providers to install multiple ShopSite stores quickly, easily, and as often as necessary, without having to go through the Web based Installation process over and over.

Note:

These instructions are for ShopSite resellers who use the Scripted Installer. There are different instructions for Installing ShopSite on Linux/UNIX servers using the standard web-based installation system, and Installing or Upgrading ShopSite on Microsoft Windows Servers.

Warning:

Whenever connecting to your server for administrative purposes (such as installing or upgrading ShopSite), you should use a secure connection. Telnet and standard FTP are both unencrypted connections, and could be intercepted. Always use a secure connection, such as SSH for shell connections, and FTP over SSH or SFTP for file transfers.

If you offer hosting plans that share common resources (Shared hosting plans), you can conserve resources by using a single ShopSite install for multiple stores. These ShopSite malls use a single set of store and merchant CGI programs, but each merchant has an individual store with unique settings and products.

Overview

The ShopSite Scripted Installer utility can be used to install ShopSite on a Web server, set up Malls, and upgrade existing ShopSite installations:

Each ShopSite store requires an auth file in order for the store to run. Contact your ShopSite sales representative for information about options for obtaining auth files for your customers.

Planning Installations

If your hosting plans use a properly configured, compatible Web server, ShopSite usually does not require any special Web server configuration. Before beginning, however, you should be aware of the following:

ShopSite runs on a variety of Operating Systems and Web servers. See the System Requirements Help to make sure you have a compatible Web server.

Your Web server must be using NCSA compatible user authentication. Most Web servers, including Apache and Microsoft IIS, should be already configured to do this.

In order to comply with PCI Security Requirements, merchants Must have SSL (secure connections) configured and working, and must configure ShopSite to use SSL.

Before installing ShopSite on your hosting plans, you need to decide how and where ShopSite content should be managed. Depending on how your hosting plans work, you may want to use a Mall to conserve disk space. Each hosting plan will need to have the ability to access the merchant and shopping cart CGIs, as well as a place for store content. You may put the CGIs and content wherever works best for your hosting plans, so long as the directories are accessible to the Web server have correct permissions1. These instructions provide generic examples; you will be required to specify the actual content locations in the configuration script.

Script Install Directory
The Scripted Installer needs a location on the server for it and the ShopSite installation files. This should be a location on the server where your customers do not have access, but which your system administrators can access (either manually or programatically) to update the configuration files and run the script.

Example FTP/Shell Path: /usr/local/etc/shopsite-install
Not Accessible using a URL

CGI Directories
ShopSite uses numerous CGI programs, which must be allowed to run from a Web browser. A mall uses a single set of CGIs for several stores, or each store can have its own set of CGIs. The CGIs must be accessible to all merchants using them, but do not have to use the same domain name as the storefront. You may already have a compatible cgi-bin directory where you can put your ShopSite CGI directories, or you can configure your Web server to allow CGIs to run in the directories where the ShopSite CGIs will be. In order to run CGI programs, the Web server must also have read and write permissions for these directories and all their contents, and execute permission for the directories and any CGI programs in them1. ShopSite uses the following CGI directories:

Shopping Cart Directory - this is where the shopping cart CGI files will be stored.
Example FTP/Shell Path: /www/cgi-bin/sc
Example URL2: http://www.commonurl.com/cgi-bin/sc
ShopSite Directory - this is where the merchant back office CGI files will be store.
Example FTP/Shell Path: /www/cgi-bin/ss
Example URL2: http://www.commonurl.com/cgi-bin/ss

ShopSite-Images Directory
The ShopSite back office, as well as many of the built-in themes, use a common set of images stored in the ShopSite-Images directory. If you are running a mall, this content does not have to be duplicated for each individual store. This directory must be accessible for each store, but does not have to use the same domain name to be accessed. The Web server must have read and write access to these directories and their contents. The directory itself also needs to have execute permissions for the Web server1.

Example FTP/Shell Path: /www/htdocs/shopsite-images
Example URL2: http://www.commonurl.com/shopsite-images

Store HTML Directories
Each individual store, whether or not it is in a mall, needs to have a place for the Store content. The Web server must have read and write access to these directories and their contents. The directory itself also needs to have execute permissions for the Web server1. ShopSite stores static HTML content in the following directories:

Store Pages Directory - this is the directory where ShopSite will put the store pages it generates. It may also be referred to as the HTML Output Directory. If your customers are not likely to have other store content, this could be the same as the content directory for their main domain name, or you could put it in a separate sub-directory. The URL of this directory is included in the store auth file and can not be changed without obtaining a new auth file.
Example FTP/Shell Path: /home/subhostname/html
Example URL2: http://www.mystore.com
Store Media Directory - this is the location of store-specific images. It is usually a sub-directory of the Store Pages directory. Your customers can upload content to this area in ShopSite, but you may also want to provide FTP access if your customers are likely to want to upload a large number of images.
Example FTP/Shell Path: /home/subhostname/html/media
Example URL2: http://www.mystore.com/media

Store Data Directory
Each store needs an individual data directory is where the databases and store configuration files are located. Your customers are not likely to need FTP or Shell access to this directory, so you may want to locate this outside the customer's home directory. This directory must have read and write permissions for the Web Server3, but it should not be accessible from a Web browser. This means it must not be inside any directory that can be accessed from a Web browser (such as the htdocs or cgi-bin directories). This is an essential requirement for PCI Security Requirements.

Example FTP/Shell Path: /www/shopsite-data/subhostname
Not Accessible using a URL

Setting up the Script

Once you have decided how you will install ShopSite on your Web servers, you can begin setting up the Scripted Installer:

Obtain the Installer

FTP to support.shopsite.com
Log in using the username and password provided by your ShopSite sales representative.
Use Binary (BIN) mode to download the scripted-install.zip file.
If you downloaded the file to your local computer, use Binary (BIN) mode to upload the file to your server.

Configure the Installer

Create the Back to Top
Creating a ShopSite Mall

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Upgrading With the Scripted Installer