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Overview

Pro Stock Tool requires a properly configured Apache web server with PHP to run. This guide walks you through setting up your server environment for development and production deployments.

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Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:
  • Apache 2.4 or higher
  • PHP 7.4 or higher (PHP 8.0+ recommended)
  • MySQL 5.7 or higher (or MariaDB 10.3+)
  • mod_rewrite enabled in Apache
  • Write permissions on the application directory

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Apache Configuration

1

Install Apache

Install Apache web server based on your operating system:Ubuntu/Debian:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install apache2
CentOS/RHEL:
sudo yum install httpd
sudo systemctl start httpd
sudo systemctl enable httpd
macOS (using Homebrew):
brew install httpd
brew services start httpd
Windows: Download and install Apache from Apache Lounge
2

Enable Required Modules

Enable the necessary Apache modules for Pro Stock Tool:
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo a2enmod headers
sudo a2enmod expires
sudo systemctl restart apache2
On CentOS/RHEL, these modules are typically enabled by default. Check your /etc/httpd/conf.modules.d/ directory.
3

Configure Virtual Host

Create a virtual host configuration for Pro Stock Tool. Create a new file /etc/apache2/sites-available/prostocktool.conf:
<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName prostocktool.local
    DocumentRoot /var/www/prostocktool

    <Directory /var/www/prostocktool>
        Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>

    # Enable CORS headers for API endpoints
    <Directory /var/www/prostocktool/database>
        Header set Access-Control-Allow-Origin "*"
        Header set Access-Control-Allow-Methods "GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, OPTIONS"
        Header set Access-Control-Allow-Headers "Content-Type"
    </Directory>

    # Logging
    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/prostocktool-error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/prostocktool-access.log combined
</VirtualHost>
Enable the site and reload Apache:
sudo a2ensite prostocktool.conf
sudo systemctl reload apache2
4

Update Hosts File

For local development, add the domain to your hosts file:Linux/macOS:
sudo nano /etc/hosts
Windows:
notepad C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts
Add this line:
127.0.0.1    prostocktool.local

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PHP Configuration

1

Install PHP and Extensions

Install PHP with required extensions:Ubuntu/Debian:
sudo apt install php php-mysql php-mbstring php-json php-curl
sudo systemctl restart apache2
CentOS/RHEL:
sudo yum install php php-mysqlnd php-mbstring php-json
sudo systemctl restart httpd
macOS:
brew install php
brew services restart httpd
2

Configure php.ini

Edit your php.ini file (location varies by OS, typically /etc/php/8.x/apache2/php.ini):
; Increase memory limit
memory_limit = 256M

; Set timezone
date.timezone = America/New_York

; Enable error reporting for development
display_errors = On
error_reporting = E_ALL

; For production, disable error display
; display_errors = Off
; log_errors = On
; error_log = /var/log/php/error.log

; File upload limits
upload_max_filesize = 20M
post_max_size = 20M

; Session settings
session.save_handler = files
session.save_path = "/var/lib/php/sessions"

; Security settings
expose_php = Off
For production environments, always set display_errors = Off and enable log_errors to prevent sensitive information from being exposed.
Restart Apache after making changes:
sudo systemctl restart apache2
3

Verify PHP Installation

Create a test file to verify PHP is working:
echo "<?php phpinfo(); ?>" | sudo tee /var/www/prostocktool/info.php
Visit http://prostocktool.local/info.php in your browser. You should see the PHP information page.
Delete info.php after verification as it can expose sensitive server information.

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Directory Structure Setup

1

Create Application Directory

Set up the application directory structure:
sudo mkdir -p /var/www/prostocktool
cd /var/www/prostocktool
2

Clone or Copy Source Files

Copy your Pro Stock Tool files to the web directory:
# From your source directory
sudo cp -r /path/to/source/* /var/www/prostocktool/
Your directory should contain:
  • database/ - PHP backend files
  • controllers/ - JavaScript controllers
  • view/ - HTML view files
  • styles/ - CSS stylesheets
  • img/ - Image assets
  • login.html - Registration page
  • Inicio-Sesion.html - Login page
3

Set Proper Permissions

Set the correct ownership and permissions:
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/prostocktool
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/prostocktool
For CentOS/RHEL:
sudo chown -R apache:apache /var/www/prostocktool
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/prostocktool
The web server user varies by OS: www-data (Ubuntu/Debian), apache (CentOS/RHEL), or _www (macOS).

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SSL/TLS Configuration (Production)

For production deployments, enable HTTPS using SSL certificates:
1

Install Certbot

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache
2

Obtain SSL Certificate

sudo certbot --apache -d yourdomain.com -d www.yourdomain.com
Certbot will automatically configure Apache for HTTPS.
3

Auto-Renewal

Test the renewal process:
sudo certbot renew --dry-run
Certbot automatically sets up a cron job for renewal.

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Performance Optimization

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Enable PHP OPcache

Add to your php.ini: 
opcache.enable=1
opcache.memory_consumption=128
opcache.interned_strings_buffer=8
opcache.max_accelerated_files=4000
opcache.revalidate_freq=60

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Enable Apache Compression

Enable mod_deflate: 
sudo a2enmod deflate
Add to your virtual host: 
<IfModule mod_deflate.c>
    AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/html text/plain text/xml text/css text/javascript application/javascript application/json
</IfModule>

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Enable Browser Caching

Enable mod_expires: 
sudo a2enmod expires
Add to your virtual host: 
<IfModule mod_expires.c>
    ExpiresActive On
    ExpiresByType image/jpg "access plus 1 year"
    ExpiresByType image/jpeg "access plus 1 year"
    ExpiresByType image/gif "access plus 1 year"
    ExpiresByType image/png "access plus 1 year"
    ExpiresByType text/css "access plus 1 month"
    ExpiresByType application/javascript "access plus 1 month"
</IfModule>

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Troubleshooting

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Apache Won’t Start

Check for configuration errors: 
sudo apache2ctl configtest
View error logs: 
sudo tail -f /var/log/apache2/error.log

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Permission Denied Errors

Check SELinux status (CentOS/RHEL): 
sudo setsebool -P httpd_can_network_connect 1
sudo setsebool -P httpd_can_network_connect_db 1

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PHP Not Executing

Verify PHP module is loaded: 
apache2ctl -M | grep php
If not present, enable the PHP module: 
sudo a2enmod php8.1  # Adjust version as needed
sudo systemctl restart apache2

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CORS Issues

Ensure CORS headers are properly set in your PHP files. All API endpoints in Pro Stock Tool include: 
header('Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *');
header('Access-Control-Allow-Methods: GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, OPTIONS');
header('Access-Control-Allow-Headers: Content-Type');

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Security Best Practices

Always follow these security practices for production deployments:
  1. Disable directory listing: Set Options -Indexes in your virtual host
  2. Hide PHP version: Set expose_php = Off in php.ini
  3. Use HTTPS: Always use SSL/TLS certificates in production
  4. Restrict database access: Only allow connections from localhost
  5. Keep software updated: Regularly update Apache, PHP, and dependencies
  6. Set secure file permissions: Never use 777 permissions
  7. Use environment variables: Store sensitive data in environment variables, not in code

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Next Steps

Database Configuration

Set up MySQL database and tables

Frontend Setup

Configure frontend files and structure

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