stalls at database setup during installation

[timwkrause]

I'm trying to do a fresh install and the installation script just stalls on a progress page after I enter the database parameters. I'm getting the following errors in /var/log/apache2/error.log:

less /var/log/apache2/error.log

[Sat Jul 12 11:45:42.609411 2014] [access_compat:error] [pid 1781] [client 68.146.197.254:33115] AH01797: client denied by server configuration: /var/www/zen-cart-v1.5.3-07042014/includes/filenames.php
[Sat Jul 12 11:45:43.166141 2014] [access_compat:error] [pid 1782] [client 68.146.197.254:33119] AH01797: client denied by server configuration: /var/www/zen-cart-v1.5.3-07042014/includes/filenames.php
[Sat Jul 12 11:46:36.805731 2014] [access_compat:error] [pid 3404] [client 68.146.197.254:33126] AH01797: client denied by server configuration: /var/www/zen-cart-v1.5.3-07042014/includes/filenames.php

There is also a debug log: zcInstallDEBUG-1405187282-635702.log
with the following contents.

[12-Jul-2014 11:48:06 America/Edmonton] PHP Fatal error:  Call to a member function RecordCount() on a non-object in /var/www/zen-cart-v1.5.3-07042014/zc_install/includes/functions/general.php on line 827

[DrByte]

zcInstallDEBUG-xxxxxx.log message:
[Sat Jul 12 11:45:42.609411 2014] [access_compat:error] [pid 1781] [client 68.146.197.254:33115] AH01797: client denied by server configuration: /var/www/zen-cart-v1.5.3-07042014/includes/filenames.php

Yes, for a zcInstallDEBUG-xxxxxx.log file it's normal for it to attempt to access that file and get denied. That's merely testing whether the .htaccess rules are properly blocking unauthorized access to system files.

[12-Jul-2014 11:48:06 America/Edmonton] PHP Fatal error: Call to a member function RecordCount() on a non-object in /var/www/zen-cart-v1.5.3-07042014/zc_install/includes/functions/general.php on line 827

That suggests your /includes/classes/db/ folder and its files are missing from the server, or other dependent files which load assets from those files are missing.