Step 1: Update Your System

Before installing PrestaShop, ensure your system is up to date. Run the following commands:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Keeping your system updated is crucial for security and performance, whether you're setting it up locally or on a VPS Windows Servers platform.

Step 2: Install Apache, MySQL, and PHP

PrestaShop requires a web server, a database, and PHP. Install Apache, MySQL, and the required PHP extensions by running:

sudo apt install apache2 mysql-server php php-mysqli php-curl php-xml php-gd php-mbstring php-zip php-soap php-intl -y
            

After installation, enable and start the Apache and MySQL services:

sudo systemctl enable apache2
sudo systemctl start apache2
sudo systemctl enable mysql
sudo systemctl start mysql
            

Step 3: Configure MySQL Database

Log in to MySQL to create a database and user for PrestaShop:

sudo mysql -u root -p

Create a database and user with the following commands:

CREATE DATABASE prestashop_db;
CREATE USER 'prestashop_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON prestashop_db.* TO 'prestashop_user'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;
            

Replace your_password with a secure password of your choice.

Step 4: Download PrestaShop

Navigate to the web root directory and download the latest version of PrestaShop:

cd /var/www/html
sudo wget https://download.prestashop.com/download/releases/prestashop_1.7.8.5.zip
            

Extract the downloaded file:

sudo unzip prestashop_1.7.8.5.zip

Move the extracted files to the desired directory:

sudo mv prestashop/* .

Remove the empty directory and the zip file:

sudo rmdir prestashop
sudo rm prestashop_1.7.8.5.zip
            

Step 5: Set Permissions

Set the proper permissions for the PrestaShop files:

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/*
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/*
            

Step 6: Configure Apache for PrestaShop

Create a new Apache configuration file for PrestaShop:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/prestashop.conf

Add the following configuration, replacing your-domain.com with your actual domain:

    ServerAdmin admin@your-domain.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/html
    ServerName your-domain.com
    ServerAlias www.your-domain.com

    
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/prestashop_error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/prestashop_access.log combined

            

Enable the new site and the required Apache modules:

sudo a2ensite prestashop.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl restart apache2
            

Step 7: Secure Apache with Let's Encrypt SSL

To secure your PrestaShop installation with HTTPS, use Let's Encrypt. Install Certbot:

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache -y

Obtain and install the SSL certificate:

sudo certbot --apache -d your-domain.com -d www.your-domain.com

Certbot will automatically configure SSL for your PrestaShop instance, ensuring secure access to the platform, whether it is hosted locally or on a Windows VPS hosting UK.

Step 8: Complete the Installation

Open your web browser and navigate to http://your-domain.com or https://your-domain.com. You will be greeted by the PrestaShop installation wizard. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process, including setting up your database connection using the credentials created earlier.