How to Install PrestaShop 1.7.8.2: Step-by-Step Guide

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Prestashop Tutorial

In this video tutorial, we will see how to install PrestaShop 1.7 on our hosting space via FTP and what operations need to be performed immediately after the CMS installation. We will start by downloading the installation package directly from prestashop.com, then upload the installation files, configure the database, and proceed with the installation of sample data and the main modules, including: Email Alerts and PrestaShop Cleaner.

Download PrestaShop

The first operation to do is to download the installation package from PrestaShop.com. In the future, we will be able to choose between the fully open-source version and the corporate version. Currently, the differences between the package available on GitHub and the one on prestashop.com are minimal, so for simplicity, it is preferable to download the ZIP archive directly from https://www.prestashop.com/it/download

Unpack the installation package.

Once the installation package is downloaded, let's extract it into a local folder. In fact, it is possible to upload it in ZIP format via FTP and extract it directly, but in this tutorial, this operation is done locally, as it requires less technical expertise.

Once extracted, we will have the following files in the folder:

index.php which contains the instructions to start the installation.
Install_PrestaShop.html the link to the documentation related to the installation of the CMS.
prestashop.zip the actual installation package of this ecommerce platform.

Upload via FTP

As shown in this video tutorial, once you have unpacked the installation package, you will need to upload it via FTP to the root of your hosting. This folder may vary depending on the configuration of the web server on which your VHOST is set up. If in doubt, ask your provider's support or check their guides.

An important operation is to verify that your hosting meets the minimum requirements. PrestaShop, although very advanced, does not have particular needs, but not all hosting services are suitable. For the requirements, please refer to this FAQ: System requirements for PrestaShop 1.7

Since this is an e-commerce platform, I recommend starting with a professional hosting service. The recommended disk space is 10GB, and it is important to ensure that the provider (common in budget offers) does not impose limits on the number of files. Even better is to go for a VPS or Cloud solution, given the more affordable costs today compared to the past, aiming for solutions with 4 vCPU, 8GB of RAM, and NVMe SSD disks. This can be a good investment for the scalability of your project. The CMS requirements are not high; with some adjustments, it can easily run on Aruba hosting for just a few euros per year, but it is better to opt for higher solutions. Aruba itself offers valid solutions from Cloud to dedicated servers. We recommend our PrestaShop Hosting offers available with or without CMS support.

It is very important, whatever your choice, to have direct access to the log files in real-time. Personally, I recommend hosting with Plesk Control Panel, and cPanel is also valid. The cost of the license or the price increase of the hosting pays off over time with the time saved in all activities from backup to configuration.

Install PrestaShop

As shown in the video, the actual installation of PrestaShop is extremely simple; just follow the instructions and enter the required data, and everything will be done automatically. As with updating PrestaShop, there are other methods; Plesk and cPanel control panels may have their own simplified installation procedures, and it is also possible to perform the installation via SSH either from GitHub (very complex and for developers) or through an installation package, for example: sudo curl -O https://download.prestashop.com/download/releases/prestashop_1.7.8.2.zip we will download the package to our Server or VPS, and then we just need to unzip it. Of course, to do this we need SSH access to our hosting, which is very rare.

Installing PrestaShop on your own PC

If you want to take your first steps in learning how to develop ecommerce solutions, modules, extensions, and themes for the CMS, it can be useful to install one or more instances of PrestaShop locally. There are various solutions like installing MAMP, XAMPP, and AMPPS that simplify the installation of everything needed from the Web Server to MySQL. Among the various solutions, the simplest is definitely AMPPS, which will allow us to install PrestaShop with just a few clicks.

In an upcoming video tutorial, we will see in detail how to:
Install PrestaShop on localhost

Conclusions

As we have seen, the installation of PrestaShop is not complex; there are also many providers that offer hosting with PrestaShop already installed. In practice, you don't need to be a programmer, and you don't need any more knowledge than opening an e-commerce site through one of the many SaaS platforms like, for example, Shopify. However, if the goal is to learn how to develop in PrestaShop or how to create an e-commerce platform, DIY is also fine. If, on the other hand, you intend to start selling online and launch a business, it is strongly discouraged; it is better to turn to an agency or a freelancer, consulting their portfolio to understand how much experience they have gained in the field. In fact, as you have seen, installing a CMS platform or activating a profile on a SaaS solution does not require great technical knowledge, and not always is the expert truly competent. There is no professional order, nor a qualification exam, and you don't even need to have a degree in Computer Science.