Install won't complete

Hi,

My permissions have been checked, database created, configure files renamed, but I can't get past the Zen Cart™ Setup - System Setup.

All I keep getting when I press save system settings is: "Forbidden
You don't have permission to access /zc_install/index.php on this server.

Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request."

Error Log:
[Wed Dec 21 23:28:14 2011] [error] [client 92.18.153.149] File does not exist: /home/rebeccab/public_html/403.shtml
[Wed Dec 21 23:27:30 2011] [error] [client 92.18.153.149] File does not exist: /home/rebeccab/public_html/403.shtml
[Wed Dec 21 23:16:45 2011] [error] [client 92.18.153.149] File does not exist: /home/rebeccab/public_html/403.shtml
[Wed Dec 21 23:16:30 2011] [error] [client 92.18.153.149] File does not exist: /home/rebeccab/public_html/403.shtml
[Wed Dec 21 23:07:08 2011] [error] [client 92.18.153.149] File does not exist: /home/rebeccab/public_html/500.shtml
[Wed Dec 21 23:07:08 2011] [error] [client 92.18.153.149] Premature end of script headers: /home/rebeccab/public_html/zc_install/index.php
SoftException in Application.cpp:252: File "/home/rebeccab/public_html/zc_install/index.php" is writeable by group
[Wed Dec 21 23:06:59 2011] [error] [client 92.18.153.149] File does not exist: /home/rebeccab/public_html/500.shtml
[Wed Dec 21 23:06:59 2011] [error] [client 92.18.153.149] Premature end of script headers: /home/rebeccab/public_html/zc_install/index.php
SoftException in Application.cpp:252: File "/home/rebeccab/public_html/zc_install/index.php" is writeable by group
[Wed Dec 21 23:05:13 2011] [error] [client 92.18.153.149] File does not exist: /home/rebeccab/public_html/500.shtml
[Wed Dec 21 23:05:13 2011] [error] [client 92.18.153.149] Premature end of script headers: /home/rebeccab/public_html/zc_install/index.php
SoftException in Application.cpp:252: File "/home/rebeccab/public_html/zc_install/index.php" is writeable by group
[Wed Dec 21 23:05:10 2011] [error] [client 92.18.153.149] File does not exist: /home/rebeccab/public_html/500.shtml
[Wed Dec 21 23:05:10 2011] [error] [client 92.18.153.149] Premature end of script headers: /home/rebeccab/public_html/zc_install/index.php
SoftException in Application.cpp:252: File "/home/rebeccab/public_html/zc_install/index.php" is writeable by group
[Wed Dec 21 23:05:03 2011] [error] [client 92.18.153.149] File does not exist: /home/rebeccab/public_html/500.shtml
[Wed Dec 21 23:05:03 2011] [error] [client 92.18.153.149] Premature end of script headers: /home/rebeccab/public_html/zc_install/index.php
SoftException in Application.cpp:252: File "/home/rebeccab/public_html/zc_install/index.php" is writeable by group

I'm sure there something stupid that I'm missing... please someone tell me what?

Bex...

BexFX:

My permissions have been checked,

By whom, and what was found? (rhetorical question)

BexFX:

SoftException in Application.cpp:252: File "/home/rebeccab/public_html/zc_install/index.php" is writeable by group

There's your problem. The zc_install/index.php file is group writable, and the server doesn't like it. (It is a security risk).

Change the permission on this file (and all other .php files) so they are NOT group writable. Typically this should be 644 (read/write by the owner, read only by everyone and everything else).

Cheers
Rod

ps. Be warned: Several participants of this forum like nothing more than to try to 'correct' me. Ignore them. They will only confuse you.

pss. The exception to the above is if Dr.Byte, Ajeh or any of the other dev team members supply a correction. In which case their comments should take precedence over mine. :)

Thanks, but if I set it the folder to 644 it won't even let me begin the install. Just tells me to re-upload zc_install folder.

I'm matching up log error message times with what I'm actually doing now. And the only message that seems to actually appear when I press Save System Settings is:

Error Log:
[Thu Dec 22 20:08:58 2011] [error] [client 92.18.153.149] File does not exist: /home/rebeccab/public_html/403.shtml

What's appearing in browser:
Forbidden
You don't have permission to access /zc_install/index.php on this server.

Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.

Then maddening thing is my host even has a how to install video for Zen Cart (abit, somewhat out of date)
http://eukhost.com/new/support/demo/zencart/zencart_admin_install.php

Still doesn't work. (Humpf) Any ideas?

Bex

BexFX:

Thanks, but if I set it the folder to 644 it won't even let me begin the install. Just tells me to re-upload zc_install folder.

Folder != File.

BexFX:

[Thu Dec 22 20:08:58 2011] [error] [client 92.18.153.149] File does not exist: /home/rebeccab/public_html/403.shtml

This would (I assume) be after you changed the folder permissions. (This is usually a 'secondary' error, with the actual problem being no permissions to read the folder contents, ergo, the file can't be found.

BexFX:

What's appearing in browser:
Forbidden
You don't have permission to access /zc_install/index.php on this server.

This is to be expected if you've changed the folder permissions to something too restrictive.

BexFX:

Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.

This error is a different issue entirely. Basically, this error can be ignored, it is simply telling you that you don't have a valid error page to display when another error is found.

BexFX:

Then maddening thing is my host even has a how to install video for Zen Cart (abit, somewhat out of date)
Still doesn't work. (Humpf) Any ideas?

Yes, but I'm forbidden from expressing them.

READ the error messages.
READ my original reply.
DO as instructed.
DON'T confuse FILES with FOLDERS.

Cheers
Rod

Where / who is your hosting company?

While many cheap 'n nasty hosts will advertise the fact that they support zencart (and other eCommerce), their servers are not up to the task.

If you use a host that KNOWS eCommerce (and preferably zencart) you will not experience any problems loading, launching, configuring and running your site.

MANY of the irritating problems people have in launching and running zencart relate to poor hosting.

Permissions on folders should be 755. When you upload folders & files your FTP program will automatically use the correct Server permissions. You will have to manually change permissions on 2 files but that comes later.

Delete this file and try the install again.

/zc_install/.htaccess