Magento Commerce Open Source Software: Good And Not So Good

My Top 3

I’m one of those who got really excited when I was first stumbled onto the open source software being developed by Magento Commerce.  Since that time, I have tried to follow the development of Magento, but alas, I haven’t had any first hand experience with using any of the beta versions.

Sadly, I’ve now tested in on several hosting accounts, and I have yet to get all the way through an installation.  The installation process itself is a beast, and it usually requires me to make a number of changes to file permissions, PHP settings, etc.  But for really great software, I don’t have a problem suffering through a troublesome installation.  That is, if the end I could actually get to the fun part of trying out the system.

Unfortunately, even installation test I have done has ended at exactly the same place.  Magento Commerce requires the pdo_mysql extension to be loaded.  That I needed the pdo_mysql extension isn’t the surprise, as it is very clearly listed as a requirement for the program on the MagentoCommerce.com website. 

 No, my surprise is that web hosting companies / upstream providers that I have used or “tried out”, have not been willing to load the pdo_mysql extension.  Actually, perhaps the bigger surprise is that the extension is loaded into their PHP configurations from the very start.

In my humble opinion, smart hosting companies will make an immediate change on this issue.  Some already have, which has allowed quite a few people to try the beta versions of Magento.  Many have still experienced other issues with installation, so I am not the only one who is hoping that when it comes time for Magento to be released, the installation process will have been improved.

But there is good.  The fact that I tried to get Magento to work so many times reminds me of why I wanted to try it in the first place.  If Magento proves to be even half as good as I expect, I suspect it will be quickly become a favorite once it reaches a production version.  At least in the circles of people who strongly favor open source software, it is likely to become quite popular.

If you are reading this and have never heard of Magento, I would encourage you to take a few quick moments to visit MagentoCommerce.com.