thanks for the reply but it doesn't help. You never mention what you did to fix the problem that you say is server side related. I used cpanel to create the database and the authorized user. What next? The threads on this subject DO NOT answer this problem at all.
Where are the folks in the know. Why create something that you can't even install.

Are you sure?
Because ver 2.0.7 does not come with an installer folder. Your information sounds incorrect.

WHAT I'M USING:
Apache version 1.3.33 (Unix)
PHP version 4.3.10
MySQL version 4.0.25-standard
cPanel Build 10.8.1-CURRENT 60


I run the installation, verify paths etc through the installer and everything is green light up until the "check database" step. I get the following error:
Could not connect to the database server.
Please check the database server and its configuration.
I am on a shared hosting plan so no, I didn't install Mysql, it and PHPMyadmin are already provided/installed by host. PHP and MySQL are up to date versions, so no problem with that.

I've created my database according to instrcutions provided in the "Xoops for Dummies" tutorial. According to installation all the paths, login info are configured properly. So what could be the problem and the solution (in as plain english as possible please).

As a result of not being able to complete the install,when I surf back to my domain URL it reads:
This page cannot be displayed due to an internal error.

If you are the administrator of this site, please visit the XOOPS Troubleshooting Page for assistance.

Helpful infomation you should provide while asking for assistance:

Error [Xoops]: Unable to connect to database in file class/database/databasefactory.php line 34

I've read the many threads on this topic, and NO ONE seems to have a solution. At this point, I cannot honestly believe that XOOPS is ready for the world. Joomla is looking more and more appealing. XOOPS just has too many problems and apparently a total lack of support from anyone.