osCommerce QuickStart Guide

This chapter describes how to perform product installation, registration and how to setup database connection. The following topics are covered:

• Installation
• Registration
• Setup Database Connection
• Setup FTP Connection

osCommerce Installation

If you haven’t already downloaded the product, use a download link from your order confirmation e-mail or download Store Manager at http://license.magneticone.com

You should close all Store Manager applications before starting the installation procedure.

Store Manager Setup Wizard will guide you through software installation steps:

• accept License Agreement
• select Destination Location (where should Store Manager be installed)
• choose which components should be installed (all - full installation is recommended; compact; or custom)
• select Start Menu folder (where to place program shortcuts)
• select additional tasks (optional)

The Wizard will inform you about successful installation. You're all set to enjoy the advantages of Store Manager for osCommerce.

osCommerce Product Activation

Once you are done with installation, you will be asked to provide license data to register application.

Specify your First Name, Last Name and your License Number (as it appears in your license account).

osCommerce - Setup Database Connection

In order to start working with a specific store (add products, veiw orders, etc) you need to setup store connection. It can be done in Preferences Window, which appears automatically on the first start-up and can be accessed later through Tools -> Preferences.

Database Connection tab in Preferences Window has three sections: Store Configuration Section, Remote Database Connection Settings Section (or PHP MY SQL Bridge and Local Database Connection Settings - see below) and Localization Section.

1. First of all you should create Store Configuration. Preferences window allows you to create, edit or delete your store configuration (connection settings).

2. Setup database connection. Database installed with Store Manager is a kind of temporary database created locally for different purposes. It can be used for testing Store Manager functionality or to work with your store using PHP MySQL Bridge connection. If you use free demo version and you just want to run software to see how it works, please use embedded configuration with default database. Working with local (Embedded) database using Bridge connection is much faster than working with remote one. You can use your local database to store your remote database inside it, make changes and then just synchronize it - make changes locally and then upload them to the website database.

• Store Manager requires direct MySQL database connection. Most of hosting companies allow direct connections to MySQL database. However in most cases you have to go to your control panel and add your home/office computer IP address or domain name to Access List - list of IP addresses allowed to access MySQL port 3306 from outside. This option can be found under MySQL settings. Feel free to ask your hosting support to assist you in enabling direct MySQL access, they must help you since it is trivial task.
• If neither direct MySQL nor SSH connections are available, PHP MySQL bridge can be used.
• If for some reasons direct connection via port 3306 is not allowed, there is another way - secure SSH connection. Actually SSH is a kind of tunnel between two computers - your and your server. Look here for more details about SSH. See "Preferences" window, "SSH" page. The only info you need is SSH user name, password and remote port number.
  Note: SSH settings do not override MySQL settings. To connect to your database using SSH you must specify all required MySQL parameters as well as SSH. Also Preferences menu includes Notification settings, which you might want to change.

Please see our troubleshooter at support.magneticone.com under Troubleshooter >> Configure Database Connection to get a step-by-step assistance.

3. Finally Client charset and Font charset can be left by default or you can choose your region from the drop-down.

osCommerce Setup FTP connection

In order to be able to manage, view or upload images using Store Manager you should configure FTP connection.

If you have any suggestions on osCommerce QuickStart Guide, osCommerce Installation, osCommerce Product Activation, you're welcome to contact our support team.