Zen Cart newbie questions

[Shnacker]

I am overwhelmed by ZenCart, and their forum over their is a huge scary monster. Can I ask some questions to friendly Bluehostforum, please educate me.

Just followed directions of: "First Steps to setting up your online shop" and selected to install the demo data. So I'm wondering how to delete the demo data tomorrow or next day? Am I stuck with all that stuff or is it easy to delete the stuff to point equivalent to if I had not selected to install that?

I had to set up those two configure.php files to 444 permission for Bluehost? Not sure why that was required? Not a big deal, just curious.

Their is a large list of folders that seem to require 777 permission before adding product to database. I had them all 777 for install, but decided to switch back to 755 after install until I figure out how this software is supposed to work? Can I just leave it at 755 and use admin control to delete the demo categories/products then add my actual category/products? Will I need to do the switch to 777 on all those folders every time I want to add a product? That would be unpleasant.

In general, do changes to the admin settings also change the configure.php files automatically or will I have to change both the setting and then modify the configure.php files manually? It's not tough ... just trying to figure out how it all works.

Has anyone experience with setting it up using PayPal? Am gonna do that for my site, not use some merchant bank system. Am happy with PayPal and will stick with them for the store.

Hope Bobdog or the other smart friendly people at Bluehostforum will help straighten me out.

[bobdog]

Bobdog here to the rescue!

The only two files that need to be set to 444 are includes/configure.php and admin/includes/configure.php. Don't worry about the rest, but be sure you are in the latest version, v1.3.8.

For the demo stuff, Try deactivating the demo categories, which will render demo products not viewable.. then you will still have references to look at in future, as the admin

http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=87218&highlight=delete+demo+data


You will not need to edit the configure files after setup, but you will have to edit them for SSL. It's pretty easy.

Setting up PayPal is easy. Go to admin > modules > payment and follow the recipe.

BTW, the zen-cart.com/forum is an excellent place to get help. Don't worry, the natives are friendly.

[Shnacker]

Have read it is good to have demo store to tinker with. So my strategy will be to move the existing store to a new folder "store-junk" or such name, and learn the process of inputting categories/products using that store. Will have to make the appropriate adjustments to those two configure.php files. I'm sure I can handle that. Have the SSL working already, it was on my bluehost account for a while so it's nothing tough.

When I get a little more confident I will reinstall the ZenCart without their demodata to a new "live" database. Then either keep the "store-junk" for testing or just delete that folder and database. Seems like this strategy is best.

Bobdog, would you comment on the folder permission setting for all those image and other folders. Will I need to make them 777 for every time I use admin to add or delete products? What is best way to add stuff to the store? Should I do all the uploading using ftp or so you recommend using admin? I've not yet tried.

[bobdog]

Leave the folder permissions alone.

The way to add product is to use the admin panel. For additional images, you will need FTP.

http://tutorials.zen-cart.com/index.php?article=58

[Shnacker]

Thank-you very much Bobdog. Woof.

That was an excellent link.

I successfully changed db name and folder name and even put the db name/user/passwrd into a php file in folder above root, and then include that php file in appropriate place in both configure.php files (for security in case PHP stopped for some stupid reason).

Next step is to learn more about how Zencart works and how to add product and customize. I hope to have this better understood in day or so. Then will do total new install to create the live store and upload genuine product to that.

Again, thanks much for helping Bob. You the Dog!