How to Install OpenCart on AlmaLinux 8 (2025 Guide)

Starting an online store doesn’t have to eat up savings or your patience, OpenCart is a free, open-source platform that works just as well for someone’s first shop as it does for a large retailer, It comes with customizable themes, built-in store management tools, and no monthly subscription fees, meaning you can put more money toward stocking products or running ads instead of paying software bills, In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to install OpenCart on AlmaLinux 8 (a secure, Red Hat-based Linux system), explain why it’s still a strong choice in 2025, compare it to other platforms, and share a few practical tips from real-world use.

Why OpenCart is Worth Your Time in 2025

Online shopping keeps growing every year, and if your store is slow or hard to manage, you’ll get left behind. Here’s why OpenCart still holds its ground in 2025:

Speed and Performance: Because OpenCart is lightweight, pages load quickly, and that matters, Google’s data shows that even a one-second delay can cut sales by up to 20%, so speed isn’t just nice to have; it’s money in the bank.

No Monthly Bills: With OpenCart, you don’t get stuck paying monthly fees like you do with Shopify or Wix, and you also get to control the customer info.

Real-World Example:

A bakery started with a single online shop using OpenCart, within a year, they expanded to three cities using the multi-store feature, while their hosting costs stayed nearly the same.

Advanced tip for 2025

If you want to sell on platforms like Amazon, OpenCart’s built-in API can automatically keep your stock updated on its own, That means no double-checking spreadsheets and far fewer overselling mistakes, In an era where customers shop on multiple sites, this kind of time-saving automation can help you stay competitive without working around the clock.

How To Install OpenCart on AlmaLinux 8

OpenCart is free and popular for building online stores, before installing, you’ll need a few things ready, take a look at the following list:

✔️ System Requirements:

Operating System: AlmaLinux 8 (64-bit)

RAM: Minimum 1 GB, 2 GB or more recommended

Disk Space: At least 1 GB of free space for OpenCart

User Access: Root or Sudo user access

A Linux VPS server running AlmaLinux 8

Step 1: Set Up Your Server

Log in to your VPS and install AlmaLinux with 2 GB RAM or more, connect via SSH and update your system:

dnf update -y

Step 2: Install Apache, MariaDB, and PHP

Your store needs a web server (Apache), a database (MariaDB), and PHP to run OpenCart, install them with:

dnf install httpd mariadb-server -y

dnf install epel-release -y

dnf install http://rpms.remirepo.net/enterprise/remi-release-8.rpm

dnf module reset php

dnf module enable php:remi-8.0

dnf install php php-gd php-ldap php-zip php-odbc php-pear php-xml php-xmlrpc php-mbstring php-mysqlnd php-snmp php-soap curl curl-devel unzip git -y

Enable Apache and MariaDB to start on boot:

systemctl start httpd

systemctl enable httpd

systemctl start mariadb

systemctl enable mariadb

Why PHP 8.0? It is faster and more secure than older versions, meaning your pages load quicker and your store is safer.

Step 3: Create the Database

Secure MariaDB first:

mysql_secure_installation

Answer the questions as prompted (choose strong root password, remove anonymous users, disallow remote root login, remove test database, reload privileges).

Then create the OpenCart database and user:

mysql -u root -p

CREATE DATABASE opencart;

CREATE USER 'opencart'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';

Give all points to the OpenCart database with the following command:

GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON opencart.* TO 'opencart'@'localhost';

Empty the points and exit MariaDB with the following command:

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

EXIT;

Pro Tip: Use a strong, random password to protect your store from hackers.

Step 4: Download OpenCart

Clone the OpenCart repository and move files into place:

git clone https://github.com/opencart/opencart.git

cd opencart

mv upload /var/www/html/opencart

Copy configuration files:

cp /var/www/html/opencart/config-dist.php /var/www/html/opencart/config.php

cp /var/www/html/opencart/admin/config-dist.php /var/www/html/opencart/admin/config.php

Set correct permissions:

chown -R apache:apache /var/www/html/opencart

chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/opencart

Step 5: Configure Apache

Create a virtual host file:

nano /etc/httpd/conf.d/opencart.conf

Add this content (replace yourdomain.com with your actual domain):

<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerAdmin [email protected]
DocumentRoot /var/www/html/opencart/
ServerName opencart.yourdomain.com
<Directory /var/www/html/opencart/>
Options FollowSymLinks
AllowOverride All
Order allow,deny
allow from all
</Directory>
ErrorLog /var/log/httpd/yourdomain.com-error_log
CustomLog /var/log/httpd/yourdomain.com-access_log common
</VirtualHost>

Restart Apache:

systemctl restart httpd

Step 6: Open Firewall Ports 

If you have a firewall enabled, make sure to allow HTTP and HTTPS traffic:

firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=http

firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=https

Reload the firewall to make the changes:

firewall-cmd --reload

Step 7: Complete Installation in Your Browser

Open your browser and go to: http://opencart.yourdomain.com, accept the license agreement, and click Continue.

You should see the following page:

Enter your database details, admin username, and password.

Make sure all PHP extensions are installed, then click Continue.

After setup finishes, delete the installation directory:

rm -rf /var/www/html/opencart/install

Go back to the login page and then sign in to your new OpenCart dashboard.

Enter the admin username and password and click the login button, you should see the OpenCart dashboard on the following page:

Advanced Tips to Grow Your Store

1- Turn on SEO-friendly URLs so your products are easier to find on Google; this small change can help bring more visitors to your store.

2- Use clear, well-lit product photos, high-quality images to build trust and make it easier for shoppers to hit the “buy” button.

3- Give customers different ways to pay; credit cards, PayPal, and other options, this way, you won’t lose a sale just because someone’s favorite payment method isn’t available.

4- Test your site on phones, because more than 60% of online purchases now happen on mobile devices, so your store should be fast and easy to use on small screens.

5- Connect your store to marketplaces like Amazon using OpenCart’s API,  which leads to selling on multiple platforms at once can get your products in front of more people and help your business grow faster.

Conclusion

Installing OpenCart on AlmaLinux 8 gives you a secure, dependable base for your store without monthly software fees, You get full control, room to grow, and a server setup that won’t let you down during busy sales periods, and if you pair that with smart moves like linking your store to other marketplaces, making sure it looks great on phones, and tightening up your SEO, you can punch above your weight and still run the business on your own terms.