Cannot get past Database Setup

I decided to get some help from this forum because I am so angry I've started kicking things.

No matter how often I change permissions (to 777) to .../includes/configure.php and .../admin/includes/configure.php AND to their twins under the zencart/demo folder (the 1.3.x files), I continue to get the #$%^& error "Error encountered while writing /includes/configure.php" I go back and check and I've got 777 on each of the four files. The world can Read, Write, and Execute. AARRRGGGGHHHHH!

Please offer some advice before I destroy all my furniture in disgust.

Thanks.

Additional information.

I closed it all down and started over again to see if THAT would help. Unfortunately, it's now worse. When I went to .../zencart/demo/index.php, instead of the web page, I get the following:

Warning: include(/var/www/domains/shop.galeriefotos.com/docs/zencart/includes/classes/class.base.php) [function.include]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /var/www/domains/shop.galeriefotos.com/docs/zencart/demo/includes/autoload_func.php on line 59

Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening '/var/www/domains/shop.galeriefotos.com/docs/zencart/includes/classes/class.base.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/local/lib/php') in /var/www/domains/shop.galeriefotos.com/docs/zencart/demo/includes/autoload_func.php on line 59

Warning: include(/var/www/domains/shop.galeriefotos.com/docs/zencart/includes/classes/class.notifier.php) [function.include]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /var/www/domains/shop.galeriefotos.com/docs/zencart/demo/includes/autoload_func.php on line 59

Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening '/var/www/domains/shop.galeriefotos.com/docs/zencart/includes/classes/class.notifier.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/local/lib/php') in /var/www/domains/shop.galeriefotos.com/docs/zencart/demo/includes/autoload_func.php on line 59

Fatal error: Class 'notifier' not found in /var/www/domains/shop.galeriefotos.com/docs/zencart/demo/includes/autoload_func.php on line 78

What the heck is going on?

Thanks.

More Additional Information:

I noticed that the errors all seemed to be pointing at my existing install so I added all the "class.x" files in the appropriate folder and tried again. Now I get this:

1054 Unknown column 'startdate' in 'field list'
in:
[select startdate, counter, session_counter from zen_counter_history where startdate='20060715']

{sigh}

Will someone please shoot me?

Thanks, in advance, for ending my misery.

Looks like you have two installs that are conflicting with each other:

/var/www/domains/shop.galeriefotos.com/docs/zencart/
/var/www/domains/shop.galeriefotos.com/docs/zencart/demo/

The most common cause of them conficting is if you copy configure.php files from one set to the other, thus causing the DIR_FS_CATALOG and other settings to point to the "same" folder instead of their own separate working folders.

Gart:

1054 Unknown column 'startdate' in 'field list'
in:
[select startdate, counter, session_counter from zen_counter_history where startdate='20060715']

This message indicates that your database is at v1.2.x and your code is at v1.3.x and thus you need to run the database-upgrade step in zc_install to bring it up to date.

Thanks, Doctor.

I got rid of the old configure.php files in the demo folder, renamed the dist-configure.php files that were there, and opened the permissions.

I cannot seem to get to the original 1.3 page however, as there are still things the system is sqwaking about:

Warning: is_dir() [function.is-dir]: open_basedir restriction in effect. File(//includes/classes) is not within the allowed path(s): (/var/www/domains/shop.galeriefotos.com/:/usr/share/phpmyadmin:/etc/phpmyadmin:/usr/local/lib/php) in /var/www/domains/shop.galeriefotos.com/docs/zencart/demo/includes/application_top.php on line 60

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /var/www/domains/shop.galeriefotos.com/docs/zencart/demo/includes/application_top.php:60) in /var/www/domains/shop.galeriefotos.com/docs/zencart/demo/includes/application_top.php on line 60

Warning: include() [function.include]: open_basedir restriction in effect. File(/includes/classes/class.base.php) is not within the allowed path(s): (/var/www/domains/shop.galeriefotos.com/:/usr/share/phpmyadmin:/etc/phpmyadmin:/usr/local/lib/php) in /var/www/domains/shop.galeriefotos.com/docs/zencart/demo/includes/autoload_func.php on line 59

Warning: include(/includes/classes/class.base.php) [function.include]: failed to open stream: Operation not permitted in /var/www/domains/shop.galeriefotos.com/docs/zencart/demo/includes/autoload_func.php on line 59

Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening '/includes/classes/class.base.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/local/lib/php') in /var/www/domains/shop.galeriefotos.com/docs/zencart/demo/includes/autoload_func.php on line 59

Warning: include() [function.include]: open_basedir restriction in effect. File(/includes/classes/class.notifier.php) is not within the allowed path(s): (/var/www/domains/shop.galeriefotos.com/:/usr/share/phpmyadmin:/etc/phpmyadmin:/usr/local/lib/php) in /var/www/domains/shop.galeriefotos.com/docs/zencart/demo/includes/autoload_func.php on line 59

Warning: include(/includes/classes/class.notifier.php) [function.include]: failed to open stream: Operation not permitted in /var/www/domains/shop.galeriefotos.com/docs/zencart/demo/includes/autoload_func.php on line 59

Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening '/includes/classes/class.notifier.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/local/lib/php') in /var/www/domains/shop.galeriefotos.com/docs/zencart/demo/includes/autoload_func.php on line 59

Fatal error: Class 'notifier' not found in /var/www/domains/shop.galeriefotos.com/docs/zencart/demo/includes/autoload_func.php on line 78

I have attempted to pull back to where I was before I tried following the online instructions that (I thought) told me to copy the old configure.php files to the demo folder, but I guess I am still missing something. After twenty-some years as a software engineer on a variety of platforms, OSes, and languages, it's nice to know I can still be humbled and turned into a drooling idiot.

Gart:

I got rid of the old configure.php files in the demo folder, renamed the dist-configure.php files that were there, and opened the permissions.

I cannot seem to get to the original 1.3 page however, as there are still things the system is sqwaking about.

....

I have attempted to pull back to where I was before I tried following the online instructions that (I thought) told me to copy the old configure.php files to the demo folder, but I guess I am still missing something.

I'm not sure "why" you chose to copy the old configure.php files.
In some cases, yes, you would do that, and then make edits to suit the new folder/server/database/etc requirements.
But the installer (zc_install) will do that for you if you're working from fresh configure.php files. If you click the "Install" button on the system-inspection page, then it'll build new configure.php files, wipe the database, and install the database contents fresh.

If you are attempting to upgrade, via a temporary/staging folder, then you do the same thing. Then after the database is installed clean (and there are no errors on your empty store running from that folder), then you simply import your old database contents into the new database. After that, you go directly to zc_install again, and choose "Database Upgrade" instead of "Install" on the system-inspection screen. Then follow the prompts for bringing your database up-to-date.

I'm having a very similar problem - fresh install of 1.3.5, uploaded to my host (smartyhost.com.au) , chmod files and renamed of dist-configs as per install instructions, now getting the following:

*Warning: is_dir(): open_basedir restriction in effect. File(//includes/classes) is not within the allowed path(s): (/var/virtual/web/w0176/:/tmp:/usr/lib/php) in /var/virtual/web/w0176/html/store/includes/application_top.php on line 67

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /var/virtual/web/w0176/html/store/includes/application_top.php:67) in /var/virtual/web/w0176/html/store/includes/application_top.php on line 67

Warning: file_exists(): open_basedir restriction in effect. File(/includes/classes/class.base.php) is not within the allowed path(s): (/var/virtual/web/w0176/:/tmp:/usr/lib/php) in /var/virtual/web/w0176/html/store/includes/autoload_func.php on line 60

Warning: file_exists(): open_basedir restriction in effect. File(/includes/classes/class.notifier.php) is not within the allowed path(s): (/var/virtual/web/w0176/:/tmp:/usr/lib/php) in /var/virtual/web/w0176/html/store/includes/autoload_func.php on line 60

Fatal error: Cannot instantiate non-existent class: notifier in /var/virtual/web/w0176/html/store/includes/autoload_func.php on line 79*

I've found so many references to open_basedir I'm not sure where to start!
I've reuploaded the whole thing in case it was an ftp fault, no change - I suspect I need to to change some settings in the top level directory to change the open_basedir restrictions???

FYI - from the techsupp file
PATH_TRANSLATED= "/var/virtual/web/username/html/store/zc_install/techsupp.php"