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Overview
Osclass is a free content management system used to create online shops or classifieds websites. You can either download it from Osclass.org or you can create a free website using the online form where you need to write your email, password and site name. In the second case, you will receive a subdomain at the osclass.org domain name and you can start in less than 1 minute. You can also have unlimited ads for your page.
Osclass is fully translated in English, Spanish, German, and Catalan and in France. It also has more than 25.000 downloads only in the last month. People around the world are using Osclass in job listings, rentals, real estate ads, car classifieds and much more.
There are more than 120.000 items and you can customize it using themes, plugins or premium support. Themes and plugins have different dashboards, layouts, and functionalities. They are either free or paid versions available on the Osclass market and you can browse them by a type of extension, filter them by category or just search them after a keyword. Additionally, you can always create a plugin or a theme and upload it to Osclass.
An Overview of Osclass Plugins:
Besides themes, the Osclass team created more than 50 official plugins for their classified platform. Some of them are the following ones:
Scroll Box Plugin
A new plugin created by Osclass on 13 May 2016 is Scroll Box Plugin which costs $29. With this plugin, you can easily show useful content, promos, discounts and other marketing related content for your users and visitors. Installing this plugin is much easier that you would think because you do not need to know programming languages at all.
Some of the most interesting features are:
- Multiple designs
- Easy management of scroll boxes
- Multiple enabled scroll boxes
- Permission roles
- Clicks statistics
Radius Search for Osclass
Another plugin which costs $29 is Radius Search for Osclass which lets you find ads with products near you. Some themes already include a similar plugin so you should be careful because incompatibility problems may appear. This plugin can be used based to locate ads depending on a map or a current location. It uses Google maps and you can choose between miles or kilometers. Additionally, it gives you the latitude and longitude coordinates.
To use this plugin, you need to have latitude and longitude well established on your ads. The plugin can show you which ads are correctly posted using the Fix locations button from the dashboard. You can always enter your Google Map key if you want to use it.
Pop-up on exit
To create pop-up windows with an announcement or notification for visitors which are leaving your website you can use Pop-up on exit plugin which costs $29. This is another simple to use and install a plugin which does not require coding skills. The installation is done in 5 minutes.
Its major features are:
- Easy management of pop-ups
- Permission roles
- Clicks and views statistics
Osclass Payments Bank Wire Transfer
In order to make payments through wire transfer, you need to install this plugin which costs $29. You can ask money for posting an ad, for moving it into the featured area, for credit/ wallets, for categories, or for other things. This is one of the easiest ways to win money on a classified website.
Users select what they want to pay for then the user makes a bank transfer to a specific code and you check if the payment has arrived. Once the payment is finished you can enable the option the user wanted.
There are a couple of requirements such as Mcrypt extension for PHP enabled, PHP 5.3 at least, cron enable and it is not compatible with Item Social Share or More Edit plugins.
Mailgun for Osclass
To use Mailgun with Osclass content management system, you need the Maigun for Osclass plugin. Mailgun is a similar service with MailChimp. Mailgun offers you an email server which sends your email properly without going to the spam folder or without getting stuck somewhere. This plugin is free to use.
Osclass Payments Paypal
In order to use Paypal, you need Osclass Payments Paypal plugin which costs $29 and which lets users pay for your website services/ features using their Paypal account. You can use this plugin to be paid for featured ads, posting, highlights, credit, improved ads, and special categories.
To use this plugin you definitely need to have Mcrypt, PHP 5.3 and cron.
Osclass Payments Stripe
Another plugin for payments is Osclass Payments Stripe which lets your users pay through Stripe. The plugin also costs $29 and it has an average rating 4 out of 5. This plugin has the same requirements and it can be used in the same way as the Osclass Payments PayPal and other official Osclass payment plugins.
Tawk.to for Osclass
A nice and special plugin is Tawk.to for Osclass which enables the opportunity to chat. Using this plugin you can talk with your own visitors for free. With an average rating 5 out of 5, the plugin integrates the Tawk.to the messaging system in your Osclass. In order to use it you need to go at the Tawkto Embed Code dashboard and to login to your tawk.to account and to set the widget.
Osclass Easy Slider
One of the cheapest and low rated plugins is Osclass Easy Slider which costs $11 and it has an average rating 1 out of 5. It seems that the plugin is buggy or worst.
However this plugin can be modified and it can use images, featured ads, and normal ads as slides. Additionally, you can make your users pay for featured ads being displayed in the slider.
Mail check
In order to verify the email address, you should use Mail check. This plugin costs $15 and it is very useful because displays a notification to people which are posting an ad if they wrote a wrong email address. Also, the plugin displays the same notification for any kind of form where email field is enabled and written wrong. The plugin work on user login page, contacts ad page and register page. There are already predefined domain list and you can even add more if you want them.
However, there are themes that need an additional CSS code in order to resolve a design bug.
Butler
To clean your database and your website deleting expired and spam ads and inactive users you should use Butler. The plugin is free and it has an average rating 5 out of 5. To work properly, you need to have cron enabled. The plugin will help a lot any busy admin.
Email Reminder
A nice and one of the most useful plugins is Email Reminder which reminds users to do something like sharing on social media, validating their ad or account and so own. You can even use it as newsletter mentioning what is new on your website and reminding users that they have an account on your website. The plugin costs $29 and it has an average rating of 5 stars out of 5. You can set the plugin to remind users that their ads are not having images or you can send statistics about your Osclass website. Additionally, you can set either daily or weekly emails. You can edit the subject and the body of the email templates used with Email Reminder and you also have the Bcc field available.
Google Maps
One of the most used widgets around any type of content management system is the Google Maps one. For Osclass, there is a plugin named Google Maps which lets you use Google Maps in ads letting users geolocate the subject of the ad.
Facebook Connect
In order to connect with a Facebook account, you can easily install this plugin and use it on your website. In this case, users do not need to register and to fill in long registration forms.
Extra feeds
If you need to export to other search engines content from your website such as ads, you should use Extra feeds plugin. In this case, you can even rank up your page rank. The plugin is multilingual and can be translated in other languages too.
Digital goods
If you want to make ads available for digital goods you need to let users upload files, not only images. To do this, you should install Digital goods plugin. In this case, users can post ads with music, e-books and much more.
Demo theme
To test multiple themes simultaneously to one Osclass installation you should install Demo theme which adds an additional parameter to the link of your website.
Buy sell options
You can extend the description of a category in order to offer more buy and sell options and settings. You can choose which categories have those specific options by checking them. The plugin is free to use.
Age warning
If you created a website with adult content, you can use Age warning plugin which displays a notification for users regarding the content of the website. They can choose to leave the website or to enter.
Amazon S3
The Amazon S3 plugin for Osclass websites helps users to attach photos from Amazon S3 making the website to load faster. Amazon S3 is a cloud service where you can store files.
Breadcrumbs
Breadcrumbs help users to know where they have been and on which web page currently they are. You need to edit the theme in order to use this plugin by adding a PHP code and a CSS.
Google Analytics
One of the most used measurement tools is Google analytics, an alternative to Yandex. With it, you can see exactly who came to your website and from where using geolocation and even more. The plugin is multilingual and it can be used to receive reports.
Products attributes
This plugin adds multiple fields to an ad offering multiple information. Now customers can read more about the products they are interested and they can buy the one which is most suitable for them.
Dating attributes
This plugin makes the same things as the Products attributes, but it is meant to be used with a dating Osclass website where additional fields are introduced. It is also multilingual and free.
Cars attributes
To make your car store even greater, you just need to add Cars attributes so use this plugin to add multiple fields such as color, model, brand, and manufacturer and so on.
Real State attributes
One of the most attributes plugins used is the Real State one which offers fields for a number of bedrooms, the number of bathrooms, and so on. Additionally, you can use this plugin with other ones to boost even more your website.
Jobs attributes
The Jobs attributes plugin is making the same thing as the Cars attributes, Real State attributes, Dating attributes and Products attributes, but it is used at Job board websites.
Osclass Themes:
Osclass team has more than 20 themes. Some of them are responsive while other ones no. The following themes are created by Osclass team:
Gum
This is a responsive theme which can be properly used on computers, laptops, smartphones and tablets. It has powerful tools such as partially hide seller phone number, favorites integration, Google map integration, related ads, featured ads, seller since a specific time, character countdown, SEO links, and integration with Osclass Payment Pro. You can also edit the footer of the theme and to change the time format together with the logo, favicon, banner and much more.
The team costs $49 and has an average rating 5.0 and requires Osclass 3.5. Also, it is compatible with all versions between 3.5 and 3.6.1 and it was last time updated on 05 May 2016.
Gum theme comes in 5 colors: dark blue, pink, dark green, orange and black. You can see a live preview/ demo before you buy it and you should also know that you can put featured ads in a slideshow together with related ads.
It is very interesting that the theme can be translated and it already comes in English and Spanish version.
Pop
One of the newest Osclass themes is Pop Theme which comes in a package together with Scroll Box Plugin, Pop-up on exit plugin and Osclass Payments Pro. The packages cost $79 with a discount bigger than $70. You can download each one of the elements separately if you want. The theme, however, requires Osclass 3.5 or newer and it was last time updated on 14 March 2016. It has an average rating of 4.4 stars out of 5. You can get this theme free if you are buying an InMontion, Arvixe, WebHostingHub or A2Hosting web hosting providers.
Pop theme is already user-friendly, especially on the phone, being also responsive and it is a one-page theme with infinite scroll. You can choose colors from a pallet and it has features such as public user profile, fully browser compatibility, Google maps, sharing options and so on.
Some issues with the Pop theme are about compatibility with plugins. The pop theme is compatible with European Cookie Law, Rich edit, Print PDF, Dating attributes, Facebook, Social Bookmarks, Cars attributes, Products attributes and real estate attributes, but not with job attributes and watchlist. It is not multilingual also.
Repurpose
If you need a theme which is created with Bootstrap framework and it is simple you can use Repurpose with is also free and has more than 8500 downloads already. It was last time updated on 20 January 2016 and it requires at least Osclass 3.3 but it is compatible only with versions between 3.3 and 3.3.2 so it definitely needs a major update. You can add scripts to the header and the footer of the theme and you can also download the 1.2.3 version or the 1.2.2 one.
Modern
One of the most popular themes from Osclass market created by the Osclass team which is also free is Modern. There are on the Internet dozens of modifications, scripts and fully compatible widgets with this theme. It was downloaded more than 47500 times and requires the Osclass version 3.5 in order to be installed. It is compatible with all versions between 3.5 and 3.6.1. You can download multiple versions of the theme as you wish to start with the 3.0 and to finish with 5.1.
The theme has all the major features of the most classified website and it lets you place ads such as Google AdSense.
Bender
One of the most powerful free themes is Bender which also comes in multiple versions and you can also find it as Bender Red, Bender Blue and so on. The theme was last time updated on 05 February 2016 having more than 40000 downloads only the simple version. It is a responsive theme adapted to any devices.
Real Estate
If Modern is one of the most popular themes, Real Estate is even more popular being installed in Osclass by default and having more than 70000 downloads. It has also an average rating of 5 stars out of 5. This theme is fully compatible with a real estate website and real estate ads. The last update was created on 20 January 2016.
Country themes
There are multiple Osclass themes with the map of a country. Some of them are USA, Italy, Brazil, Spain and so more. Each of these themes has a customizable map of the specific country. Also, they are free to use and are ideal for copying the OLX website.
One of the easiest to use themes is the Twitter one which uses Bootstrap. You cannot customize it too much, but it is free and if you need a simple classified website you can use this theme. It has more than 40000 downloads and it was last time updated on 20 January 2016.
MasJob
If you want to create a website where jobs are listed you can use MasJob theme which has an average rating of 5 stars out of 5, but it is not fully compatible with all Osclass versions. You can use Masjob with 3.2 or newer versions, but not newer than 3.4.3. This is another free theme with most of the major features for classified websites available such as sections, fields, possibility to upload CVs and so on.
NewCorp
Another great and awesome theme for a job board is NewCorp which is free to use and allows you to upload files, filter jobs, and apply to jobs and so on. You can also edit the header and the footer of the theme by adding widgets. The theme’s layout has colors such as black, white and blue.
Seeker
Seeker is one of the most loved themes by those who want to create a job board theme. It has an average rating of 5 out of 5 and it is customizable letting you search jobs by profession or location. This theme is also easy to translate especially if you use Poedit editor without needing to translate the PHP files. A special feature is the auto-expiration settings for jobs.
Osclass Premium Themes:
Besides Osclass team, there are also other developers which are creating premium themes for the Osclass platform. Some of these themes are the following ones:
AadClassy
This theme was built with Salient and it offers a responsive layout, multilingual interface, user-friendly administrator dashboard, multiple areas for ads, it is fully compatible with all browsers. Additionally, it has the avatar feature and multiple level categories.
The theme supports most of the maps and most important plugins. AadClassy costs $25 and it is rated 3 stars out of 5.
Sofia Theme (Full Responsive)
One of the most popular theme made by a private company named ABprofitrade is Sofia Theme. This theme is fully responsive as the title also mentions it. The price for this theme is $39 and requires at least Osclass versions 3. It is a new theme; last time being updated on 18 May 2016.
You can easily use this theme because it is retina ready and it can be translated with Poedit. Also, it has multiple view mods on the search page and has contact button for advertisers. You can even change the style and you get support and update. The dashboard is fully transformed so the user has powerful tools.
Material Theme
This theme costs $30 and it is created by MDL Theme company. They wanted to make a mobile theme based on Google standards. You have access to a color picker together with custom 404 Page, footer, comment system, slide and much more.
Massive responsive and user-friendly
Massive is a super new theme which can be used for any type of Osclass website. It costs $39 and it is created by Pixel Combo.
Some of this theme features are the following:
- Compatible with most Osclass versions
- Custom Google Maps, animations, logo, and font
- Custom icons, language, and layout
- Responsive
- SEO friendly
Hero Premium Osclass Themes
Ari Budin made the Hero theme. He wanted a professional theme with high compatibility for multiple Osclass versions, browsers, and technologies. You can easily edit tables, icons, sidebars, image sliders, headers, homepage, footers, product pages, colors, background, areas and much more.
It is recommended to use the Google Maps plugin together with a phone number, social share, social login and voting plugin.
The theme costs $50 and it is very useful for any kind of classified website.
Premium Theme Calinbehtuk
If you need a theme with a specific country map integrated you should buy Premium Theme Calinbehtuk for $20.
The most major features of this theme are:
- Customizable header, body, content, footer, link, admin panel, and search filter
- Map of specific country
- Multiple counters for users
- Multiple options for ads
Zara Theme full responsive
One of the most expensive Osclass themes is Zara Theme created by Abprofitrade. This theme costs $59 and it was downloaded 344 times. It is a mobile friendly theme with powerful features and layout.
It can be used to offer smartphones and tablet users a new experience by letting them post their ads even from a mobile device.
Its major features are:
- Compatibility with all devices: desktops, laptops, phablets, smartphones, tablets and so on
- Security for emails
- Plugins integrated such as Favorite items plugin
- Slideshow
- Alerts
- Publish form
- Smart search
Employer-green mobile friendly Job Theme
The boys from Media DMJ created an awesome theme for job boards named Employer. This theme is really cheap, its price being $19 and it is also responsive and has employer and job seeker sections.
Rival Premium Osclass Theme
Ari Budin comes with a new Osclass theme named Rival. It is fully compatible with latest Osclass and it has a new administration dashboard together with custom website elements.
The features of this theme are:
- Color pallet
- Ads areas
- Sliders
- Sidebar menu
- Avatar
- Personal and company profiles
- Additional information
- Comments
There are a couple of plugins that you should use it with this theme to create an excellent website such as Watchlist, Google Maps, More Edit, Attribute and so on.
Premium theme Rita
This theme is made by Puiu Calin and it has a responsive design. You can use this theme if you want to add images for categories, social media, widgets, text, menus and other interesting elements, especially on the front page.
Employer Job Theme
A very cheap theme is Employer Job Theme which costs $15 and it can be used by employers and those who are looking for a job. To work properly you need to install attributes plugin and you should also know that the theme does not support image uploads.
Boxer – Full ResponsiveTheme
With a new design type, DrizzleThemes created Boxer based on boxes. The theme is responsive and it has useful features for multiple areas such as mobile menu, search page, front page, widgets and so on. You can even get a license and you can choose between blue, green, orange and yellow versions. Additionally, you can pick one of the 2000+ font icons, 10+ widgets, and languages. The theme is fully compatible with Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Opera and newer versions than Internet Explorer 8.
Osclass Tips and Tricks:
In the following I will show you some of the best tips and tricks you can do with Osclass.
Errors
Check your errors using Osclass Debug Read, a plugin created for simple users because you do not need FTP access or cPanel access and you just need to activate the PHP debug.
Helper’s functions
You can always use the helpers’ functions which are also used by themes, scripts and Osclass plugins. These contain vital information for your Osclass.
Price format
You can always change the price format by changing the language in the administration panel. Here you can add or remove a format as you wish.
Terms plugin
Using the Terms plugin you can easily display a checkbox with terms and condition of your website on the publication page of an ad. If the user does not check the box, he will not be able to finish the publication of the ad he wrote. You do not need to modify the theme you use. However if you want to change the position of the checkbox you should also modify the theme.
Simple Message
Most of the simple classifieds ads are not having a message system between the seller and the possible client. S Message or also named Simple Message is used to communicate with your seller or with your client on an Osclass website. You can even block users and you can also see a history of your sent message in your administration panel.
Javascript errors
You can always find Javascript errors if you use your browsers inspect element tool. Nowadays all modern browser are coming with an included tool regarding the inspection of a website’s source code. Both Chrome and Firefox have this kind of tool where you can see the HTML, CSS, and Javascript tools and you can even modify them to see how an element looks with your modification.
Auto Delete Users
You can easily delete old users which are no longer active on your Osclass by using the Auto Delete Users. This plugin also deletes users which did not confirm their account and you can schedule an automatic check of users. Auto Delete Users uses cron and you need to activate cron in the general Osclass settings.
Translating custom fields
To translate custom fields in Osclass you need to modify the Osclass core. Most of the modifications are made in the field.form.class.php file from the oc-content/Osclass/frm folder. Here you need to find the static public function meta using CTRL+F function of your editor. Now you should replace for each custom field the following code $field[‘s_name’] with __($field[“s_name”]). Next, you just need to translate the core.po file from the language folder using any type of text editor. However, I recommend you to use Poedit in order to save change in the core.mo file when you are saving the core.po file.
Osclass Cron
You can run multiple commands and scripts at scheduled period of times using the Osclass Cron. This offers you the possibility to use commands at every hour, day or week. You also need to enable this function from the administrator panel of Osclass. To run a cron script you need to use the following code:
function my_cron_job(){}
osc_add_hook('cron_hourly', 'my_cron_job');
where cron_hourly is for each hour and cron_daily for each day while cron_weekely for each week.
To see which PHP files your Osclass theme is using you need to write down at the end of functions.php from your theme the following code:
function which_file() {
$theme_name = osc_theme();
$included_files = get_included_files();
$matches = array();
foreach ($included_files as $k => $v) {
if (preg_match("/\b$theme_name\b/i", $v)) {
echo $matches[$k] = $v;
}}}
osc_add_hook('footer', 'which_file')
PayGol
Using the PayGol plugin you can enable PayGol payment for your Osclass. PayGol offers the possibility to make payment from short text messages, card, phone call or wire transfer.
Maintenance page
You can always change the maintenance page by creating a maintenance.php file in your theme’s folder. Next you need to add a code which tells your users that the web site is in maintenance. To use your theme’s styling you just need to enter the following code:
<link href="<?php echo osc_current_web_theme_url('css/main.css') ; ?>" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />
Placeholder
If in an ad there is not available an image, then usually the Osclass themes have a placeholder. You can display images from the same category product instead of the placeholder. To do this, you need to modify multiple files from your theme.
For example, for Bender theme, you need to modify loop-single.php and loop-single-premium. In these two files you need to replace the following code:
<img src="<?php echo osc_resource_thumbnail_url(); ?>" title="" alt="<?php echo osc_esc_html(osc_premium_title()) ; ?>" width="<?php echo $size[0]; ?>" height="<?php echo $size[1]; ?>">
with this one:
<img src="<?php if(file_exists(osc_themes_path() . 'bender/images/category/' . osc_item_category_id() . '.png')) { echo osc_base_url() . 'oc-content/themes/bender/images/category/' . osc_item_category_id() . '.png'; } else { echo osc_base_url() . 'oc-content/themes/bender/images/no_photo.gif'; } ?>" alt="<?php echo osc_esc_html(osc_premium_title()) ; ?>" width="<?php echo $size[0]; ?>" height="<?php echo $size[1]; ?>" >
In the end you also need to create another category folder in your images folder of your theme where you put all the images you want to use for each category. Each image will be renamed after the category id and will have a name like: example 1.png.
How to add a Facebook share button
If you want your users to be able to share the content of your websites such as an ad or a page on Facebook, you should definitely use a Facebook share button. Not only that using this button your users can share content from your website, but also you get more users. In order to create a Facebook share button, you first need to go at Facebook Developers where you should activate your developer account. Next, you should copy the share button script and put it in the item.php file where you want to appear. The widget’s code is:
<a name="fb_share" type="button_count" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php">Share</a><script type="text/javascript" src="https://static.ak.fbcdn.net/connect.php/js/FB.Share" ></script>
Referral plugin
There is a referral plugin available on the Osclass market. You should download it because it is free. You can use it for yourself or your users offering them the possibility to have featured ads with the credit obtained from referrals.
How to add PHP code
Some of Osclass pages cannot be customized as you wish. Those pages are usually created in the administration dashboard and usually, their content is stored in the database and not as a PHP file in FTP.
If you want to add PHP code to this kind of pages, you should make a quick test to a new one by creating a page without description. Next, you should create a new page in FTP named page-example.PHP, where the example is replaced with the name of the page you just created in the administration dashboard. If you do not follow this rule, you cannot add PHP code to a web page created in the Osclass administration dashboard. Now if you save and upload the file to your themes folder you can see that everything written there automatically appear in the dashboard also. Now you can even add PHP code if you want not just videos, images, and HTML code from the Osclass dashboard editor.
How to change the administrator password in PHPmyAdmin
First, you need to log into your cPanel and go to PHPmyAdmin. Here you should choose to appear all Osclass tables. Now select the only oc_t_admin table and then press the edit link. You can see that the field s_password is the one which stores the administrator password. You only need to delete everything from this field and then you just need to write your own new password. After that, you should choose the security option for scripting as SHA1. Now press the Go button and all the changes are saved and you can also use the new password.
How to upload themes and plugins
If you are a developer, you can make themes and plugins for Osclass and you can also upload them in the Osclass Market by login into the Market and at My products section you can add new item by filling in the information description, title, category, price if it is the case and other important information. Next, click Submit and then simply upload your file. Do not forget to write the Osclass versions which are compatible with it and also the upload process can be a little longer than expected due the large file you are uploading or due the internet connection.
Search engine optimization tips and tricks
Once you made your website fully functional and with the proper design you just need to follow a couple of advice regarding SEO in order for Google and other search engine send their bots: Google Bot, MSN Bot, Ask.com Bot to index faster your website. These devices are the following ones:
First, you need to install the sitemap generator plugin to create a sitemap to your website. Next, you need to sign your website in Bing Webmaster and Google Webmaster using the created sitemap. If you have a Gmail account, you can use it to log into Google Webmaster and with an MSN account, you can log in to Bing Webmaster.
Usually to prove ownership you either need to write the verification code in the head or you can prove ownership with Google Analytics which is another useful tool to check your traffic.
How to manage ads
Osclass is a special content management system created specially to manage ads and to create a classified website. To manage ads, you just need to log into administration dashboard and at Listing section you have their Settings. Some of the available settings are:
- Letting just registered users to publish ads so all users who want to have an ad to your website needs to make an account.
- Letting users to validated their ads through email.
- Letting just non-registered users to confirm their ads.
- Letting only registered users to talk with the ad owner.
- Setting notifications for yourself
How to manage categories
You can easily manage categories and their child categories by using the administration dashboard at the Categories section where you can use the Add New button in order to create a new category and to enter its name. You can even write a description and set its parent category. Additionally, you can set an expiration date.
To delete categories, you need to select the Delete button or disable if you want to be invisible on your frontend.
How to install Xampp and Osclass on your computer
Xampp is a free open source software which contains Apache, MySQL, and PHPmyAdmin. You can easily install it be downloading Xampp from Apachefriends. Additionally, you can run it and you should have your own server on your computer. This is usually named localhost. In this case, you can install any type of content management system or you can just create PHP files and browse them using an internet browser. It is recommended to install it on a separate partition than the one with Windows. The Xampp folder will increase due your web files stored in your local web host. All the files of the scripts must be placed in the htdocs folder. Your web address is localhost and you just need to write it down into your browser in order to visit what you have there. You can easily create a database using the PHPmyAdmin and next you just install Osclass as you install it on a remote server on a bought hosting.
How to display category descriptions
You can display category descriptions if you want in order to offer more information to your users. The description can be written in the Osclass administration dashboard at settings and at categories for each category. Next you need to go at inc.main.php file and at edit the code where the categories are displayed by adding:
title="<?php echo osc_category_description(); ?>" after <?php echo osc_search_category_url();?>”
How to create a space for AdSense Ads in the right or left of the content
Most Osclass lets you to add either a widget to their header or footer, but not on the left or the right of your content. To create a space/ widget for AdSense Ads or other type of ads you need to either write a code to header.php in the case you want to have the same ad for each page either to edit each page with its specific banner. So after the <body> you should paste the following HTML code:
<div class="ad_space">here comes the code for your ad</div>
And in style.css you should use the following CSS code:
.ad_space{
position: fixed;
left: 10px;
top: 100px;
}
How to resolve problems regarding email administration notification
Most of the web hosting companies offer a proper hosting plan which works with default settings from Osclass, but if you are using a free plan you might have problems receiving administration notification through your email because they have some sort of spam protection. In this case, you should use Gmail. In order to set your Gmail account to receive administration notification, you need to go to your Osclass administration dashboard and at settings and at server select Gmail and write down your Gmail address and password. Also, be sure that the SMTP box is checked.
How to translate plugins
If you want to translate plugins, you should use Poedit editor which can easily help you to translate every plugin you want. Once you download it from Poedit.net you just need to install it and run it. You also need to log into oc-content\ plugins folder where all plugins are installed. You also need to rename the en_US folder in the languages folder of every plugin by giving the proper ISO name of the language you want such as de_DE for Germany, en_UK for British English and so on. Next, you need to open the messages.po file with Poedit and translate editing like in the following example:
msgid “The English version”
msgstr “Your translation”
For plugin where the languages folder does not exist, you need to create the folder and to copy from another plugin the messages.pro, deleting everything from it excepting the first line. Next, you need to write for each message two lines like the above ones.
How to Install OSClass with Nginx on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS:
Requirements
- A server running Ubuntu 18.04.
- A root password is setup to your server.
Getting Started
Before starting, you will need to update your system with the latest version. You can do this by running the following command:
apt-get update -y
apt-get upgrade -y
Once your server is updated, restart your server to apply the changes.
Install LEMP Server
Before starting, you will need to install Nginx, MariaDB, PHP and other required packages to your server. You can install all of them with the following command:
apt-get install nginx mariadb-server php7.2 php7.2-cli php7.2-fpm php7.2-common php7.2-mysql php7.2-gd php7.2-xml unzip -y
Once all the packages are installed, start Nginx and MariaDB service and enable them to start on boot time with the following command:
systemctl start nginx
systemctl start mariadb
systemctl enable nginx
systemctl enable mariadb
Once you have done, you can proceed to the next step.
Configure Database for OSClass
By default, MariaDB is not secured. So, you will need to secure it. You can do this by running the mysql_secure_installation script:
mysql_secure_installation
Answer all the questions as shown below:
Enter current password for root (enter for none): Set root password? [Y/n]: N Remove anonymous users? [Y/n]: Y Disallow root login remotely? [Y/n]: Y Remove test database and access to it? [Y/n]: Y Reload privilege tables now? [Y/n]: Y
Once the MariaDB is secured, log in to MariaDB shell with the following command:
mysql -u root -p
Enter your root password when prompt. Then, create a database and user for OSClass using the following command:
MariaDB [(none)]> CREATE DATABASE osclassdb;
MariaDB [(none)]> GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON osclassdb.* TO 'osclass'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';
Next, flush the privileges and exit from the MariaDB shell with the following command:
MariaDB [(none)]> FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
MariaDB [(none)]> EXIT;
Once your database is configured, you can proceed to the next step.
Install OSClass
First, you will need to download the latest version of OSClass from their website. You can download it with the following command:
wget https://static.osclass.org/download/osclass.3.8.0.zip
Once the download is completed, extract the downloaded file to the Nginx root directory with the following command:
unzip osclass.3.8.0.zip -d /var/www/html/osclass
Next, change the directory to osclass and copy sample config file with the following command:
cd /var/www/html/osclass
cp config-sample.php config.php
Next, open config.php file and define your database settings:
nano config.php
Make the following changes:
* The base MySQL settings of Osclass */ define('MULTISITE', 0); /** MySQL database name for Osclass */ define('DB_NAME', 'osclassdb'); /** MySQL database username */ define('DB_USER', 'osclass'); /** MySQL database password */ define('DB_PASSWORD', 'password'); /** MySQL hostname */ define('DB_HOST', 'localhost'); /** Database Table prefix */ define('DB_TABLE_PREFIX', 'oc_'); define('REL_WEB_URL', 'rel_here'); define('WEB_PATH', 'http://localhost');
Save and close the file. Then, give proper permissions to the osclass directory with the following command:
chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/osclass
chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/osclass
Once you have done, you can proceed to the next step.
Configure Nginx for OSClass
Next, you will need to create an Nginx virtual host file for OSClass. You can create it with the following command:
nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/osclass.conf
Add the following lines:
server { listen 80; listen [::]:80; server_name example.com; root /var/www/html/osclass; index index.php index.html; location / { try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args; } location ~ \.php$ { include snippets/fastcgi-php.conf; fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/php/php7.2-fpm.sock; # Check this } }
Save and close the file, when you are finished. Then, enable Nginx virtual host file with the following command:
ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/osclass.conf /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
Next, check Nginx for any configuration error with the following command:
nginx -t
nginx: the configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf syntax is ok nginx: configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf test is successful
Next, restart Nginx service to apply all the changes with the following command:
systemctl restart nginx
You can also verify the Nginx service with the following command:
systemctl status nginx
You should see the following output:
? nginx.service - A high performance web server and a reverse proxy server Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/nginx.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled) Active: active (running) since Thu 2019-03-28 15:19:49 UTC; 22min ago Docs: man:nginx(8) Main PID: 15044 (nginx) Tasks: 2 (limit: 1113) CGroup: /system.slice/nginx.service ??15044 nginx: master process /usr/sbin/nginx -g daemon on; master_process on; ??15050 nginx: worker process Mar 28 15:19:49 ubuntu1804 systemd[1]: Starting A high performance web server and a reverse proxy server... Mar 28 15:19:49 ubuntu1804 systemd[1]: nginx.service: Failed to parse PID from file /run/nginx.pid: Invalid argument Mar 28 15:19:49 ubuntu1804 systemd[1]: Started A high performance web server and a reverse proxy server.
Once Nginx has been configured, you can proceed to the next step.
Access OSClass Web Interface
Open your web browser and type the URL http://example.com. You will be redirected to the following page:
Now, click on the Install button. You should see the following page:
Make sure all the required dependencies have been installed, then click on the Run the install button. You should see the following page:
Now, provide your database details like database name, username, and password. Then, click on the Next button. you should see the following page:
Now, provide your admin username and password, Web title and email address. Then, click on the Next button. You should see the following page:
Now, click on the Finish and go to the administration panel button. You should see the following page:
Now, provide your admin username and password. Then, click on the login button. You should see the OSClass default dashboard in the following page:
OSClass has been successfully installed.
OSCLASS PROS:
·Plugins
There are tons of plugins available to help customize your site. Many of them, however, are not free.
·Themes
You can get a large number of themes to make your site have a unique look and feel. As with the plugins, however, most of them are not free.
· Updates
This system gets regular updates and is managed well by the developers so it is always using the latest technologies and standards.
OSCLASS CONS:
· Cost
The cost of the themes and plugins can be quite significant, especially if you choose to buy multiple plugins or themes for your site.
·Complicated Documentation
Their documentation page is somewhat complicated, and it may cause confusion for people who are new to the system. Advanced users, however, will appreciate all the information available.
-OSClass is all you need to easily create your own classifieds website. It’s a free and open script to create your advertisement or listings site.Osclass is owned by Osclass (https://osclass.org/) and they own all related trademarks and IP rights for this software.
Login Page
Dashboard
Statistics
Appearance
Listing
OSClass is released under the Apache License 2.0.
Cognosys provides hardened and ready to run images of OSClass on all public cloud ( AWS marketplace and Azure).
Deploy your OSClass securely on cloud i.e. AWS marketplace and Azure with Reliable Services offered by Cognosys at one-click with easy written and video tutorials.
Features
Features:
- General ads or specialized through modules
- Easy classifieds installation compatible with private/dedicated or shared hosting
- Lots of customization options (languages, themes, plugins)
- Search engine friendly: sitemap.xml generation, robots.txt, nice urls
- Integrated search engine with full text support
- Unlimited number of categories and sub-categories
- TYPO3, Drupal, Symfony, free site creator
-Major Features Of osclass:
AWS
Installation Instructions For Ubuntu
Note: How to find PublicDNS in AWS
Step 1) SSH Connection: To connect to the deployed instance, Please follow Instructions to Connect to Windows instance on AWS Cloud
1) Download Putty.
2) Connect to virtual machine using following SSH credentials :
- Hostname: PublicDNS / IP of machine
- Port : 22
Username: To connect to the operating system, use SSH and the username is ubuntu.
Password : Please Click here to know how to get password .
Step 2) Database Login Details:
Username : root || Password : Passw@rd123
Note: Please change the password immediately after the first login.
Step 3) Application URL: Access the application via a browser at http://ip/osclass/oc-admin/
Step 4) Other Information:
1. Default installation path: will be in your web root folder “/var/www/html/Osclass”.
2. Default ports:
- Linux Machines: SSH Port – 22 or 2222
- Http: 80 or 8080
- Https: 443
- Mysql ports: By default these are not open on Public Endpoints. Internally Mysql server: 3306
Configure custom inbound and outbound rules using this link
3. To access Webmin interface for management please follow this link
AWS Step by Step Screenshots
Choose your Version
Choose your EC2 Instance Type
Choose Your Key Pair
Choose your Region
Choose your Security Group
Change VPC Settings
Azure
Installation Instructions For Ubuntu
Note : How to find PublicDNS in Azure
Step 1) SSH Connection: To connect to the deployed instance, Please follow Instructions to Connect to Ubuntu instance on Azure Cloud
1) Download Putty.
2) Connect to virtual machine using following SSH credentials:
- Hostname: PublicDNS / IP of machine
- Port : 22
Username: Your chosen username when you created the machine ( For example: Azureuser)
Password : Your Chosen Password when you created the machine ( How to reset the password if you do not remember)
Step 2) Database Login Details:
Username : root || Password : Passw@rd123
Note: Please change the password immediately after the first login.
Step 3) Application URL: Access the application via a browser at http://ip/osclass/oc-admin/
- Username : azureuser (Please create new user and delete this user)
- Password : Passw@rd123
Step 4) Other Information:
1. Default installation path: will be in your web root folder “/var/www/html/Osclass”.
2.Default ports:
- Linux Machines: SSH Port – 22 or 2222
- Http: 80 or 8080
- Https: 443
- Mysql ports: By default these are not open on Public Endpoints. Internally Mysql server: 3306
Configure custom inbound and outbound rules using this link
3. To access Webmin interface for management please follow this link
Installation Instructions For Centos
Note : How to find PublicDNS in Azure
Step 1) SSH Connection: To connect to the deployed instance, Please follow Instructions to Connect to Centos instance on Azure Cloud
1) Download Putty.
2) Connect to virtual machine using following SSH credentials:
- Hostname: PublicDNS / IP of machine
- Port : 22
Username: Your chosen username when you created the machine ( For example: Azureuser)
Password : Your Chosen Password when you created the machine ( How to reset the password if you do not remember)
Step 2) Database Login Details:
Username : root || Password : Passw@rd123
Note: Please change the password immediately after the first login.
Step 3) Application URL: Access the application via a browser at http://ip/osclass/oc-admin/
- Username : azureuser (Please create new user and delete this user)
- Password : Passw@rd123
Step 4) Other Information:
1. Default installation path: will be in your web root folder “/var/www/html/Osclass”.
2.Default ports:
- Linux Machines: SSH Port – 22
- Http: 80
- Https: 443
- Mysql ports: By default these are not open on Public Endpoints. Internally Mysql server: 3306
Configure custom inbound and outbound rules using this link
3. To access Webmin interface for management please follow this link
For a list of installation instructions customized for your platform Please Click here.
Azure Step by Step Screenshots
Product name
Installation Instructions For Windows
Step 1) VM Creation:
1.Click the Launch on Compute Engine button to choose the hardware and network settings.
2.You can see at this page, an overview of Cognosys Image as well as some estimated costs of VM.
3.In the settings page, you can choose the number of CPUs and amount of RAM, the disk size and type etc.
Step 2) RDP Connection: To initialize the DB Server connect to the deployed instance, Please follow Instructions to Connect to Windows instance on Google Cloud
Step 3) Database Login Details:
The below screen appears after successful deployment of the image.
For local MySQL root password, please use the temporary password generated automatically during image creation as shown above.
i) Please connect to Remote Desktop as given in step 2 to ensure stack is properly configured and DB is initialized.
ii) You can use MySQL server instance as localhost, username root and password as shown above.
If you have closed the deployment page you can also get the MySQL root password from VM Details “Custom metadata” Section
Step 4) Application URL: Access the application via a browser at http://ip/osclass/oc-admin/
Step 5) Other Information:
1. Default installation path: will be in your web root folder “/var/www/html/Osclass”.
2.Default ports:
- Windows Machines: RDP Port – 3389
- Http: 80
- Https: 443
Configure custom inbound and outbound rules using this link
- MYSQL ports: By default, these are not open on Public Endpoints. MYSQL: 3306
Configure custom inbound and outbound rules using this link
- Step by Step Screenshots of Osclass
Login Page
Dashboard
Statistics
Appearance
Listing
Videos
Osclass Payments Pro plugin