Host installed oscommerce and now I'm lost

[Wyvern]

Sorry, I am not a geek. I'm just an artist who needs a store on my web site.

 

On my host control panel I had them install oscommerce to my site.

 

While still in my host control panel:

 

When I click on "configure" - I get prompted for admin name and password which were previously filled in when I had my host install the program.

 

When I click on "access the site application's main page" I get a sample store page.

 

 

I can't even find the "first page". I have absolutely no idea how to start using this.

 

:'(

 

Wyv

[Jack_mcs]

Was your shop set up for your domain name? If so, then you would reach it by http://www.youromainname.com or, more probably, http://www.youromainname.com/catalog. Your host should be able to tell you though since they set it up. You can always ask again here but without more details it will be difficult for anyone to really help you.

 

Jack

[Wyvern]

Thanks -

 

I've written my host.

 

Yes it was set up for my domain. When I click on "access the site application's main page" I get this:

 

http://www.intimateforest.com/osCommerce/

 

which isn't helpful at all.

 

Still lost.

 

Wyv

[♥Vger]

Well, that is the oscommerce shop's main page.

 

To learn something about how to edit it, go to the downloads section at www.oscommerce.com and download the pdf document of the Knowledge Base for osCommerce 2.2 MS2.

 

Vger

[Wyvern]

I have that and it isn't helping.

 

What is listed in the pdf file is not how my host installed it. It isn't

"The structure of osCommerce is:

catalog

catalog/admin

extras"

 

what they installed is:

osCommerce

osCommerce/admin

osCommerce/download

osCommerce/images

osCommerce/includes

osCommerce/pub

osCommerce/temp

 

If I go to http://www.intimateforest.com/osCommerce/install/ I get a 404 error.

If I go to http://www.intimateforest.com/osCommerce/admin/install/ I get prompted for username and password which I enter and then I get another 404 error.

 

I don't understand this at all. (sigh)

[Jack_mcs]

The packagee is installed so you don't need to go to those install directories anymore. You shop is installed in the osCommerce directory. The example shows what it would look like in the catalog directory. It makes no difference what the name of the directory is as long as you remember to substitue in yours. But saying you don't know what to do is no helpful. Does that you mean you don't know how to get into your admin section, how to add products, how to open a browser, how to turn on your computer...? Try narrowning your question down to one item and ask that. The results will be a lot better than having us guess as what you need.

 

Jack

[Wyvern]

how to open a browser, how to turn on your computer...?

 

Jack

 

That really wasn't necessary, Jack and it certainly wasn't helpful.

 

I have never done anything like this before. It is not instinctive. I'm just trying to make sense of the documentation and follow the directions, so I try to "install". How am I supposed to know that it is already installed?

The documention goes straight from the installation to using the administrative tool. It doesn't tell you how to log into the store administration which is why I thought I must not have it installed.

 

I'm not trying to make you GUESS - I don't know what to ask.

 

If you can't show a bit more tolerance to someone who is just trying to figure out what they are doing wrong, please don't bother to respond. I really don't need stupid insults thrown at me simply because I do not know what to ask.

[Jack_mcs]

I'm sorry you took that personally. I don't make those kind of remarks and that is not how it was meant. It was meant just as it was stated. There have been posters on here in the past that didn't know how to start a browser. Since you are not asking a specific question, I needed to try to narrow down where the problem is at. It was not meant to insult you in any way. We have all been where you are and felt the frustration you feel. I am trying to help. Once your problem is known, it will be a lot easier to help you. Without asking you questions though, I don't know how else to find out what the problem is.

 

Jack

[andesigns]

Hi,

 

Maybe a good place to start would be in the documentation that your server supplied you when you signed up. An ftp program could help you. You will need to know host (ftp.yourDomainName.com/org), User (your login for your server) and your password. Then your files should show and you can download them then upload them.

 

here is a link on oscommerce. These demo's can be handy and they are short. http://demodemo.com/tutorials_osc.html

 

you should get to know something about php if you want to change your site around. Also css, Css can help you to change the look of your page. "Dummies" books are a good place to start. ("Php for Dummies" and "Css for Dummies.")

 

Good luck.

 

AnDesigns

[madcrazygirl]

Occurs to me that if your host can't provide simple getting started documentation or just tell you how to start then you may have chosen the wrong host for your needs.........