default_free_shipping extension - what is this? It broke my cart...

[Geoffrey]

I've been setting up a site, and I had everything working pretty well all the way through the last checkout page.

Today, when i started AC admin, I was reading the various settings menus that come up every time you start AC admin.  On the last page, I clicked an extension called default_free_shipping extension.   I have no idea why i did that.  I thought it was part of the site.   

It looks like it's a not-very-useful tool that places a free shipping box with an icon on the 2nd checkout page.  I don't need that.  So I turned it off. 

Now I get two errors on my 2nd checkout page. 

It says Success: You have successfully saved your settings!   It says this in a green box ON MY CHECKOUT PAGE!?!.
Right under that, it says Error: No Shipping options are available. Please contact us for assistance!  in a red box. 

This page was working before I started that extension.  Now the page doesn't work. 

When I set up all my products, I enabled Free Shipping in the Product Summary setup page for each product.  Based on this setting, the cart was working fine. 

Then I turned that extension on, then turned it back off, and now the cart has errors. 

I have several questions:
1 - How do I fix this? 

2 - what is this extension?  It has a name that makes it seem like part of the AbanteCart system, but i guess it is not part of the system?  Do i need it for the site to work correctly?  What is it? 

3 - Is AbanteCart able to function completely without adding any extensions?  Or does it need some extensions in order to work properly?  If so, which ones? 

4 - Why does the "new site" settings pop-up continue to come up every time I start AbanteCart admin?  Is there a way to disable it? 

[Basara]

Hello.

Free shipping setting in the product is just set Any available delivery method to 0.00 price for this product.
The Default_free_shipping extension you have in Extensions> Shipping is delivery method allowing your customers select it if more than one delivery method available.

So if in customers basket product which one require shipping you should have configured at least one Shipping extension (delivery method). Make sure:
1. you have at least one Delivery method enabled (installed and status is ON)
2. this delivery method have no limitation: AbanteCart allow you to limit any delivery method for some location etc
3. some delivery methods like fedex, usps may have weight or dimentions limitations so they can not ship it and do not return any options to your store

And one more when you change delivery methods or Location's settings make sure to clear AbanteCart cache 

[Geoffrey]

Make sure:
1. you have at least one Delivery method enabled (installed and status is ON)

This was the cause of the problem. 

When I first installed the store, I selected the USPS shipping extension. 

Later, when I turned on the default_free_shipping extension, it apparently turned off the USPS extension. 

Then when I turned off the d_f_s extension, the USPS extension stayed off.  So there was no "Delivery method enabled", as you said above. 

Problem solved. 

Thanks.