How to Install CoreShop on Ubuntu Server: Complete Symfony E Commerce Setup Guide

How to Install CoreShop on Ubuntu Server

CoreShop is a flexible e-commerce platform built on Symfony, making it a strong choice for developers and businesses that want a customizable online store. If you are preparing an Ubuntu server for a Symfony-based shop, this guide walks you through the CoreShop installation process step by step. You will learn how to create a new Symfony project, add CoreShop, adjust essential configuration files, prepare the database, and confirm that the application is running correctly.

This tutorial is designed for users who want a practical and reliable method for setting up CoreShop on the latest Ubuntu Server release.

Prerequisites

Before starting the CoreShop installation, make sure your server environment is ready. You should have the following components available:

• A current Ubuntu Server installation
• A user account with sudo privileges or direct root access
• Apache or NGINX already installed and operational
• PHP installed and properly configured
• Composer installed on the server

Step 1: Create a New Symfony Project

CoreShop runs on Symfony, so the first task is to generate a fresh Symfony project in your web root directory.

cd /var/www/html

composer create-project symfony/website-skeleton coreshop-demo

cd coreshop-demo

These commands create a new Symfony application in /var/www/html/coreshop-demo. You may replace coreshop-demo with any project name that fits your environment.

Step 2: Install CoreShop with Composer

Once the Symfony project is ready, install CoreShop using Composer. This will fetch the CoreShop package and its required dependencies.

composer require coreshop/core-shop:^2.0

This command adds CoreShop version 2.x to your Symfony application. Composer will automatically resolve and install supporting libraries needed for the platform to function.

Step 3: Configure CoreShop and Symfony

After installation, several configuration files must be updated so the application can recognize and load CoreShop correctly. The main files involved are:

• .env
• config/bundles.php
• config/packages/coreshop.yaml
• config/routes.yaml

Update the .env File

Open the .env file and define the shop name used by your CoreShop installation.

Set the CoreShop environment section so your store has a recognizable name, such as Coreshop Demo. This value will be used throughout the application where the shop identity is referenced.

Edit config/bundles.php

The config/bundles.php file tells Symfony which bundles should be loaded. Add the CoreShop bundle so Symfony can initialize the platform. For development and testing environments, you can also enable the Symfony web profiler bundle to simplify debugging and performance checks.

This step is essential because CoreShop relies on Symfony bundle registration to expose its services, controllers, and internal configuration.

Edit config/packages/coreshop.yaml

Next, adjust the CoreShop package settings in config/packages/coreshop.yaml. Typical values include the default currency, locale-based currency mapping, tax zone, and cleanup behavior for deleted products.

A common configuration includes:

• Default currency set to USD
• Locale mapping such as en_US to USD
• Tax zone configured for the United States
• Automatic purging of deleted items enabled

These settings help define your store's operational defaults and should be tailored to your target market.

Edit config/routes.yaml

Routing must also be configured so both the CoreShop admin area and storefront are accessible. In config/routes.yaml, add route definitions for the backend and frontend resources provided by the CoreShop bundle.

The admin section is commonly exposed under /admin, while the frontend can use a locale-based URL structure such as /{_locale}. This makes it easier to support multilingual storefronts and organized route handling.

Step 4: Create the Database and Schema

With configuration complete, create the database and generate the required schema for CoreShop.

php bin/console doctrine:database:create

php bin/console doctrine:schema:update --force

The first command creates the database defined in your Symfony environment settings. The second command builds the database tables required by CoreShop and its dependencies.

Before running these commands, confirm that your database connection details in the Symfony environment configuration are accurate.

Step 5: Verify the CoreShop Installation

After the database is prepared, start the Symfony local server to test the application.

php bin/console server:start

When the server is running, open a browser and visit http://localhost:8000/admin. If everything has been configured correctly, the CoreShop login page should appear.

This confirms that your CoreShop installation on Ubuntu Server is active and accessible.

Common Tips for a Successful Setup

If you run into issues during installation, the following checks can help resolve common problems:

• Verify that PHP meets the version requirements for your CoreShop and Symfony release
• Ensure Composer completed the dependency installation without errors
• Check that file permissions allow the web server and CLI user to access project directories
• Confirm your database credentials are correct in the environment settings
• Review Symfony logs if the admin page does not load as expected

Conclusion

Installing CoreShop on Ubuntu Server is a straightforward process when the server is properly prepared. By creating a Symfony project, installing CoreShop with Composer, updating the required configuration files, and setting up the database, you can quickly deploy a modern Symfony e-commerce platform.

CoreShop offers a powerful foundation for building scalable and customizable online stores, making it an excellent option for businesses and developers who need a robust Ubuntu-based e-commerce solution. Once your installation is complete, you can move on to store customization, product setup, payment integration, and storefront design.