Thanks for your responses.
@Joachim Müller
I don't seem to be able to edit here, but as far as posting user/pass information for this dev area, it's harmless - I pass out tons of access keys to modders and uploaders. there's nothing there in that dev area that I can't put back in 45 seconds from phpmyadmin..anyway....I'd never post sensative information where a LIVE board/application would be involved, but thanks for the note.
I came here because I've been reading here and following the guide here....and until you mentioned it, I never thought to look for a bridge here so I downloaded that modbridgepack and I don't see a phpBB3 bridge in the pack. Is one available here that I'm missing? If you have a phpBB3 bridge at this forum, please post link or post title for me to search for if you would be so kind.
@Nibbler
Thank you for another puzzle piece! I stopped researching and testing custom php.ini commands, sessions implimentations, and cookie behaviors and moved back to that area of the config files. I've tested numerous paths, no path, custom paths, combinations with the cookie store '/' and no path...clearing all cookies on board and in browser...time consuming! and have still gotten anywhere. [BTW in phpBB3 the entries aren't written as you state above with a "." proceeding the path, I recall that in phpBB2 days, but that "." if used in phpBB3 config mucks it up.] When I moved from phpBB2 to phpBB3 I implimented a globals=OFF config, would this be effecting the successful outcome of the coppermine to phpBB3 bridge? [just thinking of anything I can tell you that I've done that is different on my server].
Thanks All!
Doc