Shopping cart solution for apache linux

E-commerce site design

[m0ehl]

Hi
I am wanting some info about how to deal with a suggestion from a website design co. I am completely unfamiliar with website design,although starting to learn! I maintain domains that up until now have only been used for email purposes. Previously these were spread on a multitude of virtual hosting providers, and we have successfully moved all of them to a linux box ded server. The web designers we are talking to about 1 e-commerce site do all the site design themselves, but apparently subcontract the cart solution to a freelance guy. His solution, we are told, is windows only. A friend said it means that it probably uses asp, and it may be possible to get it working on appache. How might this be done? What, if any, open source projects exist that could be used in place? Any suggestions or comments would be mightily appreciated!
PS, not keen on moving to a win server! Choose linux over win any day for security, besides further hassle of moving again!

Thanks

[Mike12345]

There are loads of open source shopping carts out there a quick google for Open Source Shopping Carts [google.co.uk] will give a nice long list. My personal recomendation is OScommerce, its versatile and runs on loads of different platforms.

That said most programs can be fiddled with to work on your platform its just a matter of how much time is to be spent on that task. I dont know if this particular cart can be, if it has very specific requirements.

I certainly wouldnt recommend moving your whole operation to a new server for the sake of one shopping cart. Either ask your guys to come with an alternative solution that suits you, not them, or find one yourself, and when your sure it meets your requirements talk to them and make sure it is suitable to the task. Also with a more widely available and well known cart there is more likely to be detailed documentation and support forums should you run into difficulties in the future.

[m0ehl]

Sounds good advice!
Many thanks Mike12345