Installation Error: "Could not connect to database!"

**akay** · 05/17/2011, 18:17

I just posted this somewhere else on the forum, but in my control panel, it shows that I have 0 posts, so I apologize if that post shows up later and this is a duplicate.

I followed the directions on this page to install Contao: http://www.contao.org/installing-contao.html

Because that page does not describe anything about XAMPP, I used this page as a guide to set it up: http://docs.joomla.org/Use_Joomla!_1.6_ ... n_computer

Once that was in place, I returned to the Contao installation directions above. After I enter an encryption code, I see this message in the section below it: Could not connect to database!

Is there some other step for the database that I should have performed?

**ramjet** · 05/30/2011, 00:19

For some reason this post has only just shown on the forums for me.
Have you solved this akay?
Presumably you have independantly created a database, and correctly entered those details in the install tool?
Have you run the install check tool to check everything is ok re permissions/files/system?

**akay** · 05/31/2011, 15:23

As you can see, I wrote this post on the 17th, but it took until the 29th for me to receive an email saying that my post was approved and posted. The original post that I wrote (with the same question) still appears to be missing.

I did find a solution: to go use Joomla. Their documentation is much better and I didn't have to wait over a week to be approved to use their forums. I'm very satisfied with it.

A note about my original question: the Contao installation guide assumes a lot of knowledge of the user. Having never used a CMS, I was stumped at this early step, which I now know to be quite simple. However, I had to use to another installation guide, Joomla's, to learn anything about installing a local database and connecting to it. I would strongly advise not assuming that a new user has any prior experience when writing a guide. It's cost Contao at least this user.

**Medianomaly** · 05/31/2011, 16:53

Hi Akay,

Few people would argue with the claim that more/better documentation would be a great benefit to Contao. It's a shame, for example, that you had to turn to Joomla over this shortcoming. :D

However, I think in general I've come to learn that this CMS does in fact assume a bit of prior knowledge, whereas WordPress and Joomla might me geared more towards novices -- getting you up, running, and administering as quickly as possible. So if you'd consider yourself that, Joomla might be a better fit.

From this standpoint I would argue that it's not Contao's responsibility to cover an introduction to databases and Web servers. This is outside the scope. I didn't know the first thing about this either when I started, but I'm glad I learned and stuck with it.

So get some time under your belt with a CMS like Joomla, then come back and compare the two.

**xchs** · 05/31/2011, 17:28

Originally Posted by Medianomaly

However, I think in general I've come to learn that this CMS does in fact assume a bit of prior knowledge [...]

From this standpoint I would argue that it's not Contao's responsibility to cover an introduction to databases and Web servers. This is outside the scope.

I fully agree with Medianomaly. In fact, Contao is a "A tool for webmasters" as Leo pointed out some time ago in a blog post (replace the word "TYPOlight" with "Contao" - everything else remains the same

).

A "webmaster" according to our definition has good knowledge of HTML and CSS as well as basic knowledge of websites in general (hosting, domains, FTP, file permissions etc.). Optional object-oriented PHP programming skills are helpful to understand the technical background and to customize or extend the system. If you fulfill these qualifications, you get a CMS that