Hi,
The first issue you are saying is not a bug. A small modification is necessary. Since it requires a little change in the Virtuemart Core file, instead of providing the whole file we want our clients to do this little modification by themselves. So they will see how "little" it is. (because changing Core Virtuemart file is not-secured)
Okay, open this PHP file:
ROOT/components/com_virtuemart/controllers/cart.php
Look at the 117th and 118th lines
$this->json->msg = '<a class="continue" href="' . $continue_link . '" >' . JText::_('COM_VIRTUEMART_CONTINUE_SHOPPING') . '</a>';
$this->json->msg .= '<a class="showcart floatright" href="' . JRoute::_("index.php?option=com_virtuemart&view=cart") . '">' . JText::_('COM_VIRTUEMART_CART_SHOW_MODAL') . '</a>';
You are going to add
target="_parent" to those <a hre="..."> element, so basically replace those 2 lines with these:
$this->json->msg = '<a target="_parent" class="continue" href="' . $continue_link . '" >' . JText::_('COM_VIRTUEMART_CONTINUE_SHOPPING') . '</a>';
$this->json->msg .= '<a target="_parent" class="showcart floatright" href="' . JRoute::_("index.php?option=com_virtuemart&view=cart") . '">' . JText::_('COM_VIRTUEMART_CART_SHOW_MODAL') . '</a>';
So by little trick, those "continue shopping" and "show cart" links will be opened in PARENT window, instead of lightbox plugin.
About your other issue, it might or might not related to SSL.
If you haven't currently got your SSL and your website doesn't get opened properly with HTTPS:// yet, then don't enable the SSL option through VM Configuration. Otherwise you will end up with a problem as you are having.
The HTTPS:// protocol must be working alright
(without giving warning something like: the certificate is unknown, add exception to open the website)
A new Virtuemart Template is on the way. It is kind of cool!!. It is going to be joomla+Virtuemart complete package, but for those who already have the joomla template, can get the virtuemart template only and use it with their own joomla template. So there will be flexibility. The tests are still continuing. It will be out any time soon. The main color scheme of this new VM+Joomla template will be DARK but we are making the customization user-friendly. So it will be transformable to any color scheme by just changing the couple HEX color codes through CSS file. So all in all, and easy-to customize, flexible, and cool template is on the way ;)
Regards.
Forum Support.