need help: hosting e-commence site from home

[michael0224]

Hello.

I would like to setup a website with shopping cart and be able to purchase with credit card. I have 'somehow' setup Apache server/php/sql at my home computer still trying to get MySQL to work. I wonder how/where can I get the required SSL cert./softwares to start a e-commence with security. Are there free ones? Because I do not intend to use it for real, it's just for my own kwnoledge and partice.

I appreciate any suggestions. Thanks for your help.

[michael0224]

So is it not possible to do it without paying hosting companies?

[michael0224]

Thank you everyone. This is a web hosting forum and no one has any idea. For sure I know someone here do know and not giving me a hand. I will go search it out myself.

Mariving please close it. Thanks.

[mairving]

michael0224, sorry that your question wasn't answered.

Setting up a SSL can be quite difficult. I seriously doubt if you need to set one up to test Ecommerce solutions. So I would forget about trying to do that on your home system. Once you get MySQL setup and working properly, you could try installing one of the Open Source ones out there like OS Commerce. There are Windows versions available and I am pretty sure that you can use it without a SSL.

[Chris Graham]

I think the reason nobody answered is that this is really a tough thing, and not easy to quickly address. You can set up an SSL certificate yourself for absolutely nothing, but it kind of subverts the point because SSL certificates need to be assigned by an authority or they're meaningless.
OS Commerce could be a good solution for you as mairving pointed out. To handle transactions you'll need to set up a "merchant account" or something simpler, like PayPal. For a proper merchant account see http://authorize.net/.

[computersshopper]

yep, oscommerce is pretty nice it has large developer community and knowledge based support system, btw if you are expecting transaction less than $1000 PM you can proceed with 3PP otherwise merchant account is the best solution further depending upon your location, if you are in US paypal and 2co both are good option available there and if your intended market is in EU Chronopay.com is the best.

[michael0224]

Thanks for your replies, everyone. I will take a look at the 'merchant account'.

Sorry I got tempered before.