Updating Craft: Craft Isn't Installed Yet

If you are running through the CLI guide for installing Craft found here, and haven't actually installed it - this is a totally normal error and you can resolve it by following through with the installation prompts. 

This article aims to cover some certain "gotchas" associated with either setting up a local environment, or when migrating hosts, if you are seeing the error in the image above, don't fret - you've come to the right place!

1. Double-checking the database connection settings in the config/db.php file to make sure they are correct and the database server is running, keep in mind that in Craft 3 and Craft 4 this will lead you to checking your .env file for the correct variables. One key ENV variable to check is your DB_TABLE_PREFIX this value is usually default to craft_ but could be set to something custom!
2. Creating the database and user specified in the config/db.php file, if they do not already exist. Double check that you have the correct user and password!
3. Ensuring that the web server has the necessary permissions to read and write to the config/ and storage/ directories. We usually start with chmod 755 and slowly increase from there.
4. Clearing the browser cache and cookies, as sometimes this can cause issues with the installation process. Another easy way is to just use an incognito browser for a sanity check, as there usually is no browser cache or leftover cookies associated with an incognito session.
5. Checking the PHP error logs for more information about the specific issue. You can find the logs for Craft in storage/logs/*.log
6. Check the craft version you are using if it matches with your php version. This is especially true if this is a Craft 4 site, as there is now a requirement of PHP 8.

In conclusion, the "Craft isn't installed yet" error in Craft CMS can be caused by a variety of issues, including incorrect database connection settings, issues with database setup, and permissions problems. Some common resolutions to this error include double-checking the database connection settings, creating the necessary database and user, ensuring the web server has the necessary permissions, clearing the browser cache, checking the PHP error logs and checking the version compatibility. However, if none of these solutions work, it's always a good idea to reach out to the Craft CMS community or professional experts such as us here at BrillianceNW for further assistance. We have the expertise and experience to help you resolve the issue quickly and efficiently.