Topic: Installing phpBB2.0.3

[Darren]

hello im having alot of trouble trying to install phpbb203 to my sme 5.5 server .i have followed dan browns how to  to the letter at least 10 times with the same outcome  "critical error" cannot connect to the database    . this happens once ive filled out the info and select start install.  i have hunted the phpbb forum with no answer to my problem .i reinstalled the sme5.5 server and retried the install but i chmod the config.php before install as suggested in the phpbb forum but i still get the same error .any help would be appreciated
thanks    darren

[Dan Brown]

It sounds like a database problem, so the chmod on config.php shouldn't have any effect.  What, exactly, is the error message?

[Bob Todd]

obvious I know but you have got the correct CASE in the filenames - just I made that mistake myself

[Darren]

the error message i get is:
 phpBB : Critical Error

Could not connect to the database
 i have enabled the debug mode but still get the same output for the error .I checked the case of filenames it all looks ok .i followed Dan's "how to"  on the server from another machine on the network using ssh which all goes ok ,i browse to the said address  and fill out the install page then when i click start the install i get the mentioned error .i can open mysql in a shell and change to the phpbb database so i know that it has created the database.should i be able to connect to the server using the created user name and password for the phpbb database??? thanks     Darren

[Dan Brown]

You should be able to connect to the mysql db using the user and password you created.  Try this:

# mysql -u phpbb -p

...and enter the password you used at the prompt.  If you used a different user than phpbb, use it in the command above.  Does that work?  I'm kind of surprised it doesn't give a more informative error message.

[Darren]

i tried what you suggested and  i cannont connect to the database using the user and password i created on the initial install page ? or the admin user account or root at localhost .i set it up just as you had it in your howto using phpbb as the user with my own password.once i have enabled debugging should the error output change in the browser where i get the error now or will it be in a log file elsewhere?

[Dan Brown]

You won't be able to use root or admin with your root password, because the mysql root password is something completely different.  Not sure what you mean about "debug mode"--is this in PHP or in phpBB?  In any case, your problem is with the database user.  Try this, and post the _exact_ output:

# mysql
mysql> grant all on phpbb.* to phpbb@localhost identified by 'phpbbpassword';
mysql> quit
# mysqladmin reload

Note the single quotes around phpbbpassword; they are required.  After this, try accessing the database as I mentioned above.  If it works, try configuring phpBB again.  If not, please post the _exact_ result.

[Darren]

i tried what you suggested  the output was :
ERROR 1045: Access denied for user: 'phpbb@localhost' (Using password: YES)
i enabled debugging in this file: phpBB2/includes/constants.php  as was suggested in the phpbb forum  .

[Dan Brown]

The output to what?  This looks like the output when you try the phpbb config again, right?  What happened with the other two things I suggested?

[Darren]

i entered this within a terminal logged on as root:
 # mysql
mysql> grant all on phpbb.* to phpbb@localhost identified by 'phpbbpassword';
mysql> quit
# mysqladmin reload

then this :
# mysql -u phpbb -p

when i enter the password that i used in the initial install page i get this
ERROR 1045: Access denied for user: 'phpbb@localhost' (Using password: YES)

[Dan Brown]

No, the password you should be using is phpbbpassword.

[Darren]

thats it,it all works fine ,i cant believe that was the problem  
thanks alot for your help i really appreciate it

[Kingnubian]

Call me slow but can someone explain line by line what is expected in the "Database Configuration" section of the install page please?

[Dan Brown]

Kingnubian, everything is exactly as it appears in my howto.  "Database Password" will be phpbbpassword if you followed my howto to the letter.