[TYPO3-windows] Re: TYPO3 6.2.4 under XAMPP: Introduction Package - no Template, no Pages

[richard mei]

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Workaround for Introduction Package installation on XAMPP

For me a workaround for a successful  Introduction Package Installation on XAMPP was to install the package at first on a remote server and then transfer the installation to the local XAMPP. I guess the remote server configuration is tested better because this is the common case. At least in my case it brings up much less issues.
The transfer is like you would do it with a TYPO3 installation transfer from server to server: 
e.g. copy everything from server 1 plus dump the database and paste directories and files on server 2 plus import the database in MySQL and let TYPO3 know about the imported database in LocalConfiguration.php (e.g.: 'DB' => array('database' => 'typo3_624_mybase'), eventually adopt .htaccess (e.g. RewriteBase).
In this case I did not use symlinks as my provider does not support symlinks for files but it worked.

Introduction Package installation on XAMPP failure analysis

1.) 
The central failure message in my case is:
    Uncaught TYPO3 Exception
    #1: PHP Warning: array_merge(): Argument #1 is not an array in ...
Statement (I hope it's true):
A warning should not cause a system to fail! Except if in the install tool [SYS][exceptionalErrors] is set to message an exception even for warnings. When set to  4177 (E_ERROR | E_CORE_ERROR | E_COMPILE_ERROR | E_RECOVERABLE_ERROR) only errors are reported.
In my case there is no error message with setting 4177, only the above warning with different setting.
2.)
In my research I came over this article: https://www.drupal.org/node/36408 
'warning: array_merge() [function.array-merge]: Argument #1 is not an array in C:\webapps\xampp\htdocs\drupal\includes\menu.inc on line 351.
 
'PHP5 is the problem. I wouldn't have thought of that because I've never used PHP5, but a quick look into the PHP manual reveals that "The behavior of array_merge() was modified in PHP 5". Read Example 3 at http://us3.php.net/manual/en/function.array-merge.php .'

Indeed does the introduction package still use the old notation for array_merge()! The new one is: array_merge (array $array1 [, array $... ] ).
If one day I'm desparate enough I will try and exchange the old notation against the new one and see if this helps to allow direct installation of the Introduction Package under XAMPP. Or YOU do!?

3.)
My final guess (for today) is that on XAMPP there is a configuration setting that obviously differs from that on the remote server that is more tolerant (same Introduction Package!).