Messages

has there EVER been a solution to this??  USPS has disabled the extension at this point and it's no longer usable as it sits.  Any help in getting it working again?

Yes, there is progress on this.

The USPS extension is currently in development and has already been updated in the 1.4.4 branch. You can try the latest version here:
https://github.com/abantecart/abantecart-src/tree/1.4.4/public_html/extensions/usps

An official release is coming soon, so this issue is actively being worked on.

Hello.
No, you cannot use 1.3.4 database directly with 1.4.3

If you want to move to 1.4.3, the safer option is to export your products from 1.3.x and then import them back into a fresh 1.4.3 installation.

If you still have your 1.3.4 files and database, another option is to hire professionals to perform the upgrade for you. In that case, they may be able to migrate the store properly and preserve most of your existing data and setup.

Hello.
Thank you for sharing this fix. This will definitely help others running into the same issue.

Quick question: Did you update using Softaculous or the native AbanteCart updater? It would be useful to know which method left the permissions at 0777.

Hello.
Put the JavaScript in an HTML block and assign that block to the page layout where the form is shown.

There are other ways to add JavaScript too, such as directly in the template files, but using an HTML block is usually the easier method for this kind of task.

Hello.
Please try this fix https://forum.abantecart.com/index.php/topic,11672.msg43993.html#msg43993

Hello.
If file or database structure comparison against a clean install doesn't resolve the issue, the recommended approach is a fresh install and migrating data. You can always export and import products into a new installation using the built-in export tool:
https://abantecart.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/AD/pages/14647524/Export

Yes, we do plan to update the USPS extension to support the new USPS APIs.

That said, AbanteCart is an open source project and our development resources are limited. Because of that, we don't have an ETA we can commit to at this time. The recent USPS API changes require more than just swapping credentials, so it does take some development and testing effort.

If anyone in the community would like to contribute,  to help accelerate the update, contributions are always welcome.

Do I need to create a special menu item or layout block for it? And will that content page still support SEO URLs the same way categories do?

Hello. Add the new menu item after you created a page https://abantecart.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/AD/pages/12320858/Storefront+Menu
Content page supports custom layouts as well as SEO Urls

Hello.
Categories are meant to list products, so AbanteCart shows the "There are no products in this category." message when none are assigned. If you want an info-only page, create it under Design > Content and add it to your menu. Otherwise, you can change that message in Language Definitions (search for the phrase and edit it).
https://abantecart.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/AD/pages/15466660/Language+Definitions

To delete the scam customer: Admin > Sales > Customers, select the customer, then click Remove.

Hello,

Yes. You can delete customer accounts from Sales > Customers.
See the guide here: https://abantecart.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/AD/pages/11010120/List+Customers

To minimize spam registrations, enable CAPTCHA for customer registration in the store settings.

Hello, 
Some offcanvas issue has been resolved in the upcoming 1.4.4 release. You can try applying the fix from this commit: https://github.com/abantecart/abantecart-src/commit/195ff5c14fdfbd8d09ed8a59a9d4ec00da2af1e9?w=1

As a general best practice, it's always a good idea to:
Make regular backups before experimenting
Clone the template before editing any theme files, so you can safely test changes
Temporarily disable blocks in Layout if you suspect custom CSS added to a block might be affecting scaling or menus

You may also want to try some of the other available themes, sliders to see if their responsive behavior fits your needs better.
https://marketplace.abantecart.com/templates--skins
https://marketplace.abantecart.com/index.php?rt=product/elastic_search&keyword=slider

Hello.
If the store does not have any orders, customers, or other valuable data yet, it is usually a better idea to do a fresh installation. Starting clean is often faster and safer than continuing to troubleshoot an existing setup.

Hello.
Slider can be customized

Hello.
A few general points that should help clear things up.

First, it's common practice to use the same image sizes and proportions as the original demo banners. You can always inspect the demo source and download the original images to see their exact sizes and aspect ratios https://www.abantecart.com/shopping-cart-demo

Second, since the carousel content is HTML, you do not need to upload images to any specific folder. You can upload images anywhere you like and simply reference the correct path in your HTML, replacing the original image path. The slider doesn't care about the physical location as long as the path is valid.

Also, in AbanteCart you don't need to manually upload images via FTP for this. In the HTML editor for the banner/block, there is an "Add Media" button. You can use that button to upload an image directly while editing the banner, and it will insert the correct path automatically.

In the admin panel, you should see the same forms and fields for each form under Design > Form Manager. Please compare your setup with the demo here: https://www.abantecart.com/shopping-cart-demo

Certainly, you can add it manually. Did you see any SQL errors when running the database SQL upgrade manually?