XOOPS Version: 2.2.3
Module Name/Version:
PHP Version: 4.4.0-r9
MySQL Version: 4.1.14
Web Server Software (Apache/IIS/Other): apache
Operating System: linux 2.4 (Gentoo)
Theme you are using: (default)
Custom template: No
PHP Debug Messages: See below
MySQL Debug Messages: None
Smarty Debug Messages: See below
A full description of the issue:

A bunch of errors after a fresh install,
the install itself is flawless until admin addition:

xoops/user.php after install shows:

Notice [PHP]: Only variables should be assigned by reference in file include/common.php line 223
Notice [PHP]: Only variables should be assigned by reference in file kernel/object.php line 819
Notice [PHP]: Only variables should be assigned by reference in file kernel/object.php line 819
Notice [PHP]: Only variables should be assigned by reference in file kernel/object.php line 819
Notice [PHP]: Only variables should be assigned by reference in file kernel/blockinstance.php line 169
Notice [PHP]: Only variables should be assigned by reference in file kernel/block.php line 179
Warning [Xoops]: Smarty error: problem writing temporary file 'xoops/templates_c/wrt43bafb13ca82a' in file class/smarty/Smarty.class.php line 1084
Warning [PHP]: fetch(xoops/templates_c/%%F3^F39^F3989731%%db%3Asystem_userform.html.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in file class/smarty/Smarty.class.php line 1255
Warning [PHP]: fetch(): Failed opening 'xoops/templates_c/%%F3^F39^F3989731%%db%3Asystem_userform.html.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/lib/php') in file class/smarty/Smarty.class.php line 1255
Warning [Xoops]: Smarty error: problem writing temporary file 'xoops/templates_c/wrt43bafb1404c21' in file class/smarty/Smarty.class.php line 1084
Warning [PHP]: fetch(xoops/templates_c/%%8D^8DD^8DD9A4BE%%theme.html.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in file class/smarty/Smarty.class.php line 1248
Warning [PHP]: fetch(): Failed opening 'xoops/templates_c/%%8D^8DD^8DD9A4BE%%theme.html.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/lib/php') in file class/smarty/Smarty.class.php line 1248

Some path parts heve been removed from previous messages.

ownerships:
drwxrwxrwx 2 apache apache 4096 Jan 3 23:17 cache
drwxrwxrwx 2 apache apache 4096 Jan 3 23:43 templates_c
drwxrwxrwx 2 apache apache 4096 Jan 3 23:19 uploads


Just accessing the XOOPS page results in a blank page with the PHP notices about reference variables.

Any advice?

Well after looking around the following seemed to help...

turn safe_mode off in the server php.ini profile.
AND restart apache.

Now the files can be created.

The boatloads of messages in all sorts of modules about
assigning references assignments only apply to variables are probably a pain to repair in Xoops.

The amount of these messages seems to be a programming mistake that propagated to almost all code in xoops.

Most are along the line of:

$var =& $somemodule->somefunction();

Any ideas about this issue?