Items filtered by date: December 2015

Magentos search feature sucks. This is a collection of articles that will help you understand how to configure the search and get the best out of it.

1. Improve Magento Sales With Better Search Results
2. Improving search results in Magento
3. Improving Search on Magento - Video
4. Magento Basics - Setting Up Google Analytics (Including eCommerce Tracking + Site Search)

Method 1

This is the normal way of disabling SSL if you have access to the admin section

1. Login to the admin site of Magento.
2. Go to System / Configuration
3. Choose the Web from the left tabs
4. Open the Secure settings.
5. Change any https:// you see to http://
6. Set Use Secure URLs in Frontend to No
7. Use Secure URLs in Admin to No
8. Clear the Cache from the admin

Method 2

If you do not have access to the admin section, perhaps because you have just moved domains or server you can use the following

1. Go into the database and in the table “core_config_data” update the record with the “path” of “web/secure/use_in_admindata” by setting the “value” field to 0.
2. Repeat this process using the record with the “path” of “web/secure/use_in_frontend” and again set the “value” field to 0.
3. Using SSH, log into my hosting account, and issue a “rm -rf ~/public_html/magento/var/cache” command, or you can use FTP to delete the same cache files

The last step is required because the “cache” cannot be cleared from the admin backend, since you can’t log into it. This does it manually.

Method 3

This is an untested method looks good and might also fix other issues.

This will set the same Base URL for secure links as it it for unsecure.

Run the following command in PHPMyAdmin or your MySQL command line.

One of the things that you have to get used to when running Magento is dealing with the indexes that it relies on. Usually you can do this from the admin panel by going to System -> Index Management.

These articles are about rebuilding the indexes from the Magento Admin

• Fixing URL Rewrites with Magento

When Reindexing in Magento Admin Fails, Use The Command Line

Another failing of Magento is that when a shop gets to a certain size the rebuilding of the indexes cannot be successfully rebuilt from the Magento Admin.

The following article gives all the reason why Re-Indexing fails. The main one is still the size of the shop.

• Catalog Search Index refresh running slow or halting/freezing (This article also described what the Indexes do)

When indexing fails from the admin panel you get a message saying that it failed with no reason why it failed. Now in most cases you cannot ignore this. You may find that most (if not all) of your products has disappeared from the front end of the website.

How To Re-Index from the command line

The following articles show you a variety of articles of rebuilding the index from the command line. Rebuilding the indexes from the command line requires less resources and allow the task to complete successfully. A CRON job is a scheduled command line command.

• Executing Magento Indexer From Shell
• How To Run Magento Indexer From Command Line
• Rebuild the Indexes VIA a CRON job

Magento 1.4+ includes a nice feature that allowed you to throw the store into “maintenance mode” if you need to do/work or make changes. Which is great, freeze people out of the store while you work or make changes.

just create a file in the root of your store called maintenance.flag

The only problem with the method above, is it also freezes YOU out of the store so you can’t make the changes you need to. So here is a little bit of code, that allows you and other you set to work on the site while everyone else sees its maintenance mode.

All we need to do it edit 3 lines.

Open: index.php in root and above line 57 add (remembering to edit the ‘allowed’ array to contain the IP’s you want to be able to access the site);

$ip = $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'];
$allowed = array('1.1.1.1','2.2.2.2'); // these are the IP's that are allowed to view the site.

then change the line

if (file_exists($maintenanceFile)) {

to

if (file_exists($maintenanceFile) && !in_array($ip, $allowed)) { 

Simple. Now you can access the site, while others see its maintenance mode.

Conversely

“Service Temporarily Unavailable” – disabling maintenance mode in Magento – maintenance.flag

If you’re seeing the “Service Temporarily Unavailable” screen when you attempt to load your Magento store (there’s a somewhat related thread here on magentocommerce.com), the most likely cause is you’ve made some updates to Magento recently, and the maintenance.flag file in your Magento root directory wasn’t successfully removed by the Magento Connect tool.

Fixing the Service Temporarily Unavailable error in Magento

Nice and simple fix for this one! Remove the maintenance.flag file in the root directory of your Magento installation.

This can be triggered by running updates or installations of extensions in Magento Connect; the file is removed on successful completion of the upgrade or installation, so if it fails for any reasons, you’ll see this screen.

What is EPP Code?

EPP Code Stands for Extensible Provisioning Protocol which is alpha-numeric code required to transfer domain from one registrar to another registrar. EPP Code is also known as Authorisation Key Or Transfer Secret Key.

Authorization (or EPP) keys/codes are generated by the current registrar and verified through the global registries for validity. Authorization (EPP) keys are a security code required by the registry for domain transfer, thus are unique to every domain name. No two EPP/authorization keys are the same, thus if you are transferring more than one EPP domain, you will need to obtain each domain’s specific code separately for the security reasons.

EPP key is one of the security precautions to protect your domain being transferred illegally. If anyone other than your registrar requests your EPP Key, you should ensure that you validate the request.

EPP domains: (.com, .net, .org, .info, .biz, .us, .cn, .com.cn, .net.cn, .org.cn, .cn, .tw, and .in)

Domain Transfer Process

1. Above mentioned domain TLDs require an EPP/authorization key for transfer.
2. Only Current registrar can generate EPP Code which is automatically sent to Registrant email address of a domain.
3. Gaining Registrar initiates transfer request for the domain with the EPP/authorization key provided by the customer. This request automatically goes to Registrant and Administrative contact email address. Once domain transfer request is accepted, domain is transferred successfully within 5-7 days under new registrar account.

In order to transfer a domain between registrars, a domain must meet the following requirements:

1. Domain must be unlocked and should be 60 days old from the date being registered or transferred.
2. Registrant and Administrative contacts should be valid to approve transfer request.
3. A domain must be in “ACTIVE” or “OK” status. If a domain is in “REGISTRAR-LOCK”, “REGISTRAR-HOLD”, “REGISTRY-LOCK”, “REGISTRY-HOLD”, "EXPIRED", “REDEMPTION PERIOD” or “PENDING DELETE” status, the global registries will not allow registrar transfer.
4. Domain contacts should respond to verification mail because domain cannot be transferred unless transfer request is approved which goes to Registrant and Administrative Contact email address.

Please note that Domains cannot be transferred without an EPP Code. In short EPP/authorization key plays major role for transferring domain from one registrar to another registrar. EPP Code is not required for UK Domains as UK Domains are transferred by changing IPS TAG only.

EPP Code for a domain name

ICANN regulations, a verification email or fax transfer authorization is also required.The concept was followed to protect and secure the transfer of the domain names between two registrars for some selected extensions.

The EPP code can be gained/obtained from the Domain Registrar. Each domain registrar has a different panel to manage the DNS and the Whois records for a registered domain through them. Mostly, you can seek the EPP code under the tab - MANAGE in the control panel provided by the domain registrar.

Please note that EPP codes are case sensitive. If you are having difficulties gaining the EPP Code/ Authorization Key for your domain from your current registrar in regards to transferring the domain, you can contact ICANN to help you transfer the domain name.

When you setup your domain registrar you get the following error:

CURL Error: 7 - couldn't connect to host

Things I have done:
- Configured API settings at reseller club (with support checking IP was correct too)
- Configured WHMCS Register settings (ID and password checked!)
- Contacted my server host (Curl is functioning fine!)

It is most likely then that you are giving the registrar the wrong ip address. For instance when you are running a website on a shared host such as justhost.com and you have your own dedicated IP address it is not this address that communicates with your registrar, your dedicated IP only really workd for http traffic.

Solution

• Download this CURL IP Checker and see what IP address is actually being used.
• change the IP in the registrars whitelist or appropriate section to match the required IP address
• original thread here

XAMPP is a great software containing Apache, MySQL, PHP, File server and many other modules/programs that make web development much easier.

But sometimes after installation and selecting English language as default the selection will not affect phpMyAdmin and its interface is in German.

The trick is simple, you will need to look up the phpMyAdmin folder inside the installation root, then you will find config.inc.php file, open it, then paste these two lines of code at the very top of the page:

{code class="brush: php;"}$cfg['DefaultLang'] = 'en-utf-8'; // Language if no other language is recognized{/code}

or

{code class="brush: php;"}$cfg['Lang'] = 'en-utf-8'; // Force this language for all users{/code}

Save the file and reopen phpMyAdmin

Taken from this Blog

The following instructions tell you how to change a colour in to the transparent colour. It can also effectively be used to swap a colour.

This is a small How-To on changing the background color of a image to transparent using open source GIMP Image editing application. The idea is to add alpha channel, select by color and cut it.

1. Open the Image in GIMP
2. Navigate Layer -> Transparency -> Add Alpha Channel.
3. Navigate Select -> By Color
4. Mouse click on background color of image
5. Navigate Edit -> Cut
6. Save it in format of your choice (Warning: JPEG does not support transparency, so opted for PNG format)

The following are all free programs that can be used to replace outlook.

Thunderbird

This is the most popular free email client solution on the net and is updated on a regular basis. To set Thunderbird up with a calendar can take a bit of time and will require some IT skills. I am sure over time it will get improved and the installing of the calendar will get easier.

• completely free for home and business
• lots of settings and can be tricky to set up
• no inbuilt calendar (see below)
• an integrated calendar can be added by using the standalone cross platform calendar program, Sunbird. Sunbird can then be intergrated into thunderbird by using the extension Lightening. This extension does heavy integration so it performs like outlook.
• it is possibly to import outlook addresses and emails into thunderbird via the inbuilt wizard. Disable antivirus and firewall as this could cause issues (M$ av did, it causes the import to hang/get stuck)
• to get calendar items into Sunbird/Lightening you need to export from Outlook in ICS (prefered) or CSV format and then import into Sunbird
• to show the calendar tab, top right there are some icons, the one that looks like a calendar click it to show the calendar
• when setting up an email profile in thunderbird to complete the email account setup without veryfying details, click advanced config
• signature handling is a bit shit - you can only specify 1 signature, the rules on how the signature is attached is shit
• the creation and manipulation of emails is limitid to almost text only, no proper WYSIWYG
• it is possible to export data if you want to move client at a later date

EM Client

This client is free with caveats and there is a pro version, however it looks exaclty like outlook including a calendar and you can completely import all of your outloook in one import wizard which consists of a few clicks. For free this is fantastic and easy to use.

• Free version only allows up to 2 email accounts, this is fine for most.
• when you install the free version you get 30 free trial of the Pro version. After this you need to install a license file for both the Free and Pro versions. To get a Free licsense you need to apply on the website and fill in a questionaire, this questionaire needs to be filled in once a year to renew the license.
• Pro version is not limited
• the 2 licenses are. Free/Home/Personal/Non-Commercial and Company/Commercial
• identical to outlook in useability and feel
• imports all settings ie accounts, signatures, emails, calendar items and more
• import wizard is a few click to perform a full import
• it is possible to export data if you want to move client at a later date

Zimbra Desktop (by VMWare)

This is Ajax based client which acts as a normal client unless you want to use the advanced Zimbra Account with an appropraite server. The local and the cloud repository sync with each other when using a Zimbra account. This would not be an ideal outlook client replacement at the minute beacuse of the time involved migrating to this from outlook, but it could be a very good email client on its own. Importing and exporting could be tricky

• You can use Zimbra Client for normal email accounts (ie not Zimbra accounts) and it only stores your files locally and as such acts as a normal email cleint
• can be cloud based with synced local repository if you use a zimbra account and am appropriate server
• can send in both html and plain text (this is default)
• has calendar
• GUI seems web based
• Open Source Edition (Free) and Paid versions, compare editions here
• searching in the trash and spam folders is off by default
• can handle signature properelyy and supports HTML and plain text signatures
• can add social media feeds (Twitter/Facebook.Digg)
• briefcase feature
• tasks
• email/address book/calendar/tasks/briefcase export feature. Proprietry Format
• import Feature but unkown what it will import, it might only be previous Zimbra backups
• Zimbra Desktop FAQ is here
• works by running its own webserver @ http://127.0.0.1:49832

Other Clients That have been looked at

• Opera Mail - built into opera and is fiddly
• SeaMonkey  - more a pack of cutomised mozilla product, no calendar
• Spicebird - not updated often but could be because it is a new project
• PhoenixMail - old and outdated
• Pegasus Mail - modern client but no calendar
• Microsoft Entourage 2008 - mac only
• Evolution 2.28.2-1 / Evolution Groupware Suite - looks like outlook, only for linux
• Windows Live Mail - basic email client but is reliable, is part of Windows Live Essentials
• Incredimail 2 - advertising and stupid icons etc.. some people might use it at home, free version has adverts on emails,
• FreeMailCommander - free and paid versions. free version is ok for home people but does not support signatures unless you get the paid version, not bad looking but layout is a bit messy
• Claws Mail - This is an open source client that has an active community and is kept upto date. It is ported to most platforms and has calendar and address book plugins amongst others.

To export outlook 2010 calendar

1. select calendar and then the file menu
2. save calendar as file, make sure you set all items to export, this will export a ics format

Changing the Magento Admin URL is not simple and if done wrong can kill your site so check on your DEV site first.

Note: Do NOT use the web interface in the Magento Admin Panel to change the admin URL, as this is known to cause severe problems. (at time of writing)

Change Admin URL

• The admin URL is set in the local.xml file
  • default 0 admin/url/use_custom
  • default 0 admin/url/custom
• And under System->Configuration->Admin->Admin Base URL I have set 'Use custom admin URL set to “Yes”  - Check this
• Clear the cache

Links

• How to change the Magento Admin URL / Path
• Magento admin URL change
• Change Admin URL Manually
• Magento. How to change admin panel URL - Template Monster Help

And this forum thread is just incase things have gone wrong

• Help! changing admin url broke admin