[Chuck S]

Yes you can beg to differ from me that is your right

HOWEVER your quoting right from the install directions posted on this site YES

The paragraph I quoted from is right on that page and is the basic web installation instruction and states the config file needs write permissions. Read below what you posted above in the installation instructions

4.) Web Installation Script

Now you are ready to run the web based installation script that will check your server for PhotoPost's requirements and set up your PhotoPost database. Open install.php in your web browser and follow the prompts.

Step 1 will let your review and/or set your options in config-inc.php. Your config-inc.php MUST be writable by install for this step to succeed. If you get an error, it is because the server does not have write access to the file. Change permissions to 777 and run again.

Step 2 will test your server for the graphics selection you chose. If you selected ImageMagick, it will look for mogrify at the path you specified. If you selected GD, it will test to make sure the GD library is installed. If either returns an error, then you need to go back and either find the proper path to mogrify - or your server does not support the GD library you selected.

To proceed to the next step, click on "Click here for a FRESH install".

Step 3 will check your database settings. If the server cannot connect to the databases you specified, you will get an error. To fix this you will need to edit your config-inc.php variable settings and hit REFRESH; or restart install.php and edit your selections. Once verified, the install program will begin populating your tables with our data. Finally, the script will ask whether you want to install PhotoPost using its Internal User registration system, or to instead work with an existing/external Forum user registration system.

Step 4 will prompt you for some server configuration information, and our script tries to guess as to your server's settings. Please don't assume that the defaults are correct, double check them. If you are using PhotoPost with a forum, note that the following forum versions correspond with the selections in the drop down box (those using PhotoPost's internal registration system can ignore this):

2.2.0 = All vBulletin versions v2.2.0 and newer
2.0.3 = vBulletin versions between 2.0.3 and v2.2.0 (not including 2.2.0)
phpBB2 = phpBB 2.0+ (RC versions not supported)
UBBThreads v6 = UBB Threads versions 6.x
DCForums = DCForums 1.2
InvisionBoard = IPB 1.1.1

Step 5 will set up your user and usergroups database. If you receive an error message at this point, check your config-inc.php file and be sure that the settings for your $bb_database are correct. Make sure that your MySQL database for PhotoPost is properly set up and that the username and password that you're using to access it are correct and that the user has insert, update, delete, and alter privledges.

PhotoPost installation is now complete. Be sure you remove your install.php file (and the various upgradeXX.php/.sql)files) from your server's PhotoPost directory to prevent malicious users from altering your PhotoPost settings. Leave the .sql files in place as they are used later if you reimport usergroups.

To proceed, open the administrative control panel, adm-index.php, in your browser.