Maybe someone here can help?

[Slang]

So I want to install this portal called PAWS
http://www.afrenchtouch.org/Paws/index.php?p=home

Simple, nice, features I'm looking for. ( and I've been looking for a while ): )
However after I've uploaded all the files, set the chmods (correctly) and finally go to the installation I get this error

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected $end in /home/tripout/public_html/dreams/install/index.php on line 341

http://tripoutdesigns.com/dreams/install/

I posted the error on the original site, but I have doubts it'll be answered. So I thought maybe someone here has an idea what may be up with it?

[griever]

I can't say for sure but I think that kind of error generally means a curly bracket is missing.

[Xepher]

First... you didn't set the chmod stuff correctly. You've got a bunch of world readable/writeable (777) directories, which is a big security no-no. It means anyone can put a file in those folders, or worse, change/infect a file already there. I'm sure the install instructions might have told you to do that, but that's because it makes it "just work" if you're running it on your own machine with no other users, and aren't worried about security. But here, with our setup, there's really no reason that anything should ever be even readable by anyone else, much less writable. That is in numeric/chmod terms, the last two numbers (which represent group and world) should always be 0. Now, that aside, the problem with the actual error you're getting is that the scripts are using short php open tags. This problem came up in a few other threads as well... bottom line is programmers were lazy and used the shortcut "<?" instead of the full "<?php" in the scripts. I looked at the file giving you errors, and the first tag is proper, but later ones are the short version. You basically need to search/replace all "<?" and put in "<?php" for any php files. Be careful with your search, so you don't accidentally replace the "<?" part of "<?php" and end up with "<?phpphp" Probably safest to search for "<? " with the included space to be sure.

[Slang]

Oooh, that's not good. Yeah the install instructions says to set em to 777 (but it also says 'or 755'.. should I use that one? or 700 like you said?)

Aah, okay. Just like the tagboard. Lazy people.
Thank you very much, Xeph! I really appreciate the help!

[Xepher]

755 is better and probably okay for anything except a file with sensitive info in it. (Like a config file with your database password in it.) But there's no situation I can picture where the last two digits can't always be 0 on this server. I'd go with 700 on directories and 600 on files for pretty much everything, as it's the safest.

[Slang]

Alrigty. I changed the chmods to 755. I'll probably change to 700 once(if) I can get everything set up and make sure it works..

'cept now, at the "Database Tables Creation" step I run into this error:

Warning: mysql_query() [function.mysql-query]: Access denied for user 'tripout'@'localhost' (using password: NO) in /home/tripout/public_html/dreams/install/index.php on line 195

Warning: mysql_query() [function.mysql-query]: A link to the server could not be established in /home/tripout/public_html/dreams/install/index.php on line 195
error [ 0 ] Access denied for user 'tripout'@'localhost' (using password: NO)

blargh.

[Xepher]

Well, it's not using a password. Somewhere in the install process you have to give it a database password for it to work. Might be a config file, or might be the web form stuff.

[Slang]

That's the thing though, I did. Right before the errors in the install process.
I put in localhost, user, password, and database name... and then the next page says 'Database Paramaters OK' and then when I hit continue, I get those errors.
hmm.

[Slang]

Ah! I got past it
changed a '<?' to '<php' in a certain text file

Everything seems to be in working order now
Thank you so much for your time & patience with me Xeph!