To install magento on a fresh server use the following.

• Install apache, mysql and PHP5 “$ apt-get install apache2 mysql-server php5 php5-mysql php-soap php5-mcrypt php5-curl php5-gd”
• Edit the vhost config for the apache site [/etc/apache2/sites-enabled/000-default]
  • Verify that “AllowOverride” is set to All for the magento directory
• Make sure that mof_rewrite is loaded; use “$ a2enmod rewrite” and then reload apache2
• Edit /etc/php5/apache2/php.ini
  • “memory_limit” [the manual says] no less than 256Mb (preferably 512)
  • “max_execution_time” [this is the max time that a script may be left running] SOAP requests take time, so make suer it is at a reasonable time
  • “upload_max_filesize” Set this to a size that is reasonable depending on what you plan to upload (manuals might be large)
  • “post_max_size” Set this to a size that is reasonable depending on what you plan to post (manuals might be large); also make sure that the value and the modifier is correct (so that it says 8M and not just 8 for instance)
  • “display_errors” Set to Off
  • “log_errors” Set to On
  • “error_log” Set to a file that you will be able to find [if you wish to have it in a subdir; create that as root and give it permissions as apache log dir]
• download magento (lastest version from magento
• Upack it (I choose bzip2 format) “$ tar -jxvvf magento-downloader-1.3.2.1.tar.bz2” and make sure the files gets put in the directory you wish
• Some directories have to be writable to the webserver (and all subdirectories, where there are)
  • var
  • var/.htaccess
  • app/etc
  • media
• If you are using the downloader installation
  • “$./pear mage-setup .”
  • “$./pear install magento-core/Mage_All_Latest”
  • “$rm -rf downloader/pearlib/cache/* downloader/pearlib/download/*”
• Create database and database user [this is to do it manually via mysql console]
  • “$mysql -uroot -p”
  • “mysql> create database magento;”
  • “mysql> use mysql;”
  • “mysql> INSERT INTO user (Host,User,Password) VALUES (‘localhost’, ‘magento’, PASSWORD(‘password’));”
  • “mysql> GRANT ALL ON magento.* TO ‘magento’;”
  • “mysql> FLUSH PRIVILEGES;”
  • “mysql> exit”
• Go to the webserver and complete the installation
• If you get stuck on the configuration page [that you get back to it even after adding correct information]:
  • Check “AllowOverride” in the apache config.
  • Check “post_max_size2 in the php.ini [also check so that the value is either absolute or has a modifier; 8 means 8 bytes while 8M means 8Mb]