[ic] Setting up a tiny store...

[interchange-users@interchange.redhat.com (Cliff Stoll)]

Hi Gang,

  I hesitate to display my ignorance, but I'm trying to set up a tiny store using a shared Interchange on an ISP.  I've bumped into several problems.  Probably all these are easy for the experienced, but as a small time user, I'm baffled.  I'm about 2 weeks into the documentation and have set up & modified the Foundation store.

Background:

   - My business is tiny - I sell a few Klein bottles every week.  No need for online inventory.  With less than a dozen products, I don't want catagories, classes, or search engines.  And because it's so small, I'm running on a shoestring budget.  Alas, I cannot afford expensive consultants.

   - I'd like to keep the look and feel of my existing website.  Kludgy, somewhat disorganized.  I wish to use the existing, mainly static html which I upload from my home computer.  (ie, I don't want to log into Interchange to make changes to my product descriptions, pictures, etc.)

Questions:

1) How do I use only the order section of Interchange?  That is, a user sees a popup menu on my webpage (a form/post) which takes her directly to the checkout page?  That is, I don't want to engage categories or left/top menus.

2) How can the top navigation menu be entirely eliminated?  In the foundation store, this says, "Home, Login, Your cart..."

3) How do you set a shared SSL for the checkout page?  I can't find a way to set this using the Wizard.  The Administration part *lists* the Secure URL, but I can't find a way to *set* it.

4) Can Interchange be set up and managed using ftp and the adminstrative interface, but without shell/telnet access?  The Interchange documentation assumes shell access, but my ISP doesn't support this.  (Aargh - I know, change ISP's ...)


Many thanks for your advice!  I'll happily reward significant help with a Klein Bottle or two!

-Cliff Stoll  http://www.kleinbottle.com