I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer when it comes to this and I am not able to come up with a method that will detect the prefix before uploading the sql file.

The admin panel's Install SQL Patches MAY take into consideration the prefix but I haven't found where the configure.php setting is saved in the database. Also, I can't help but think that the mixture of prefix - no prefix could possibly help. Not trying to cast dispersions on anyone's ability. Just letting you know what we've had to do to get this working.

Not done looking but certainly open to those much smarter helping with the problem.

When the sql upload fails under the old method, you often wind up with two listings under Configuration. If you delete the wrong one, the ID will not match the setting in the configuration-group table.

Things only get worse from there.

Things known for sure:
  1. This will NOT work without attributes on EVERY product as products without attributes just sit and spin waiting for an image.
  2. This will NOT work without PHP 5+
  3. The existing file structure does not put some of the files where they are needed. (web images folder is wrong)
The list of things still not known is too long for here but we continue on.