Plugins don't seem to work

I had been using Siteframe 3.x.x and it installed like a dream and worked just fine, but I want to "upgrade" to "Beaumont". I realize it is mostly a new setup, more than an upgrade. Thus, I installed it in an entirely different directory and it was a "bear" to get working...probably because of the migration of the templating work to Smarty. For now, I will not worry about migrating the old database to 5.x and I have allowed Setup to create a new database with a new database name. HOWEVER:

I could not get anything to come up without an error until I created an index.tpl file and placed it into the templates directory. I thought the program was set up to find the index.tpl file in the default template directory?

Next...I am now getting a very simple page coming up. No errors. Just my logo and a simple list of functions. None of them work, however, whether it is a search, login, register, etc. The page just sort of "blinks" once when any function/plugin is clicked. I assume the "home" page is simply reloading.

I have not changed the directory structure, so there are two directories with plugins as in the distribution file. One is called "plugins" and the other is called "smarty". Just to see if it would work, I created a smarty subdirectory directory in my /php/smarty/ (where the smarty class.php files and directories are) and copied the smarty plugins there. No change.

As far as I can tell, the directories (config, templates, templates_c, cache) are set correctly in Smarty.class.php and in siteframe.ini and I believe the permissions are correct.

HELP! I am at a standstill here. Also, when this is working...more specific instructions on migrating/upgrading the old database would be appreciated...unless the administration console already handles that. But, of course, going to admin.php does nothing right now either!

I sure wish this install was a breeze like the original one. A 40 year computer user, I feel as stupid as I did in 1969!!!

Olen

Mays Landing, NJ

One more thing...

by olen3105 / at 13:19 on November 2, 2008

The index.tpl file is created is the minimalistic one suggested at the Smarty website which merely says "Hello" to me. I see that all other index.tpl files under the various templates include more lines of text, but I cannot tell if any of them are needed in order for the plugins to be found when called.

One Additional thing:

by olen3105 / at 16:04 on November 2, 2008

Look at these errors I now get...

by olen3105 / at 16:06 on November 2, 2008

After putting in a couple of lines in index.php to cause all errors to be listed, the following garbage came up. Obviously a variable is wrong? But, what? Also, nothing shows up in the templates_c directory. Does that mean the template is not being compiled???

--------------------------

Notice: Undefined index: version in /home/olenberg/public_html/main/includes/DataObject.class.inc on line 199

Notice: Undefined index: user in /home/olenberg/public_html/main/includes/DataObject.class.inc on line 29

Notice: Undefined index: log_id in /home/olenberg/public_html/main/includes/DataObject.class.inc on line 41

Notice: Undefined variable: LANG in /home/olenberg/public_html/main/siteframe.inc on line 458

Notice: Undefined index: user in /home/olenberg/public_html/main/siteframe.inc on line 479

Notice: Undefined index: user in /home/olenberg/public_html/main/siteframe.inc on line 495

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/olenberg/public_html/main/includes/DataObject.class.inc:199) in /home/olenberg/public_html/main/siteframe.inc on line 510

Notice: Undefined index: bc in /home/olenberg/public_html/main/siteframe.inc on line 511

Notice: Undefined index: HTTP_REFERER in /home/olenberg/public_html/main/siteframe.inc on line 514
Hello, Olen!
Notice: Undefined index: user in /home/olenberg/public_html/main/index.php on line 28

Notice: Undefined index: virtual in /home/olenberg/public_html/main/includes/DataObject.class.inc on line 202

Notice: Undefined index: maxlength in /home/olenberg/public_html/main/includes/DataObject.class.inc on line 216

Notice: Undefined index: minlength in /home/olenberg/public_html/main/includes/DataObject.class.inc on line 221

Notice: Undefined index: pattern in /home/olenberg/public_html/main/includes/DataObject.class.inc on line 226

Notice: Undefined index: formatted in /home/olenberg/public_html/main/includes/DataObject.class.inc on line 231

Notice: Undefined index: formatted in /home/olenberg/public_html/main/includes/DataObject.class.inc on line 233