[solved] 500 error on install/index.php with 1and1.com SHARED hosting

[pgevaluation]

For the benefit of anyone trying to install CMSMS on 1and1.com shared hosting and receiving a 500 error when attempting to execute the install/index.php script:

I installed v1.2.3 of CMSMS by following the shell installation guide at http://wiki.cmsmadesimple.org/index.php?title=User_Handbook/Installation/Shell_Install&printable=yes
I transferred the file using putty.exe (find it on the web) and un-tarred it on the server. Everything seemed to go ok through step 2 of the install guide.

I used my ftp client (fireftp) to rename the top level directory to just cms (no version info) for brevity.

I used the ftp client to set the permissions of the files and folders as shown in step 4 of the guide.

I then created a blank config.php file in my text editor and used my ftp client to transfer it to directory cms and chmod it to 666.

I then created a MySQL database using the 1and1.com control panel, and noting all the settings it provided.

That took me through step 6 of the guide, with no problem!

Upon attempting to execute the install script
http://mysite.com/cms/install/index.php
I received a 500 Internal Server Error.
Blech!

I read the forum and tried various things like creating a .htaccess file with one line:
SecFilterEngine Off
and then replacing it with an empty .htaccess file (which I left there)

and changing permissions on files and folders to the values discussed in the forum, namely:

chmod 711 tmp/templates_c
chmod 711 tmp/cache
chmod 711 uploads
chmod 711 uploads/images
chmod 711 modules
chmod 711 install
chmod 644 install/install.php

and then:
chmod 771 admin
chmod 711 admin
chmod 771 admin <= final state

Nothing seemed to help.

I then emailed 1and1.com and advised them of what I was trying to do. They replied fairly promptly asking for CMSMS requirements, which I provided from the wiki http://wiki.cmsmadesimple.org/index.php/User_Handbook/Installation/Requirements.

They replied again saying not much that really helped, but noting that "PHP tokenizer is not supported" on their shared hosting. That may be a problem down the road, but should it affect this!?

Today, I tried accessing install/index.php again, and it all just worked. Magic, that!

Be patient. Email 1and1.com support. It might just take time for their system to configure something.

Good luck! I hope this helps someone. It appears it IS possible to do the install on 1and1.com shared hosting. It remains to be seen whether it will work without "PHP tokenizer support".