Unable to add extensions - 3.0.3.2 - documents have not caught up to revision, FTP settings are missing...

I have similar issues with a fresh online install of OC 3.0.3.2- I get the same error (as the previous similar topic) msg part way through the installation process on my test web site. I have full access via FTP and I am using the same 'name' on my http login as my ftp login. Permissions are set to 755 on directories.
This is what I get:
---------------------------<begin>------------------------
SyntaxError: JSON.parse: unexpected character at line 1 column 1 of the JSON data
OK
<b>Warning</b>: rename(/directory/tree/storage/upload/tmp-2xQUA34Kcs/upload/admin/controller/extension/export_import.php,/directory/tree/catalog/admin/controller/extension/export_import.php): Permission denied in <b>/directory/tree/catalog/admin/controller/marketplace/install.php</b> on line <b>218</b>
<b>Warning</b>: rename(/directory/tree/storage/upload/tmp-2xQUA34Kcs/upload/admin/model/extension/export_import.php,/directory/tree/catalog/admin/model/extension/export_import.php): Permission denied in <b>/directory/tree/catalog/admin/controller/marketplace/install.php</b> on line <b>218</b>
<b>Warning</b>: rename(/directory/tree/storage/upload/tmp-2xQUA34Kcs/upload/admin/view/stylesheet/export_import.css,/directory/tree/catalog/admin/view/stylesheet/export_import.css): Permission denied in <b>/directory/tree/catalog/admin/controller/marketplace/install.php</b> on line <b>218</b>
<b>Warning</b>: rename(/directory/tree/storage/upload/tmp-2xQUA34Kcs/upload/admin/language/en-gb/extension/export_import.php,/directory/tree/catalog/admin/language/en-gb/extension/export_import.php): Permission denied in <b>/directory/tree/catalog/admin/controller/marketplace/install.php</b> on line <b>218</b>
<b>Warning</b>: rename(/directory/tree/storage/upload/tmp-2xQUA34Kcs/upload/admin/view/image/export-import/loading.gif,/directory/tree/catalog/admin/view/image/export-import/loading.gif): Permission denied in <b>/directory/tree/catalog/admin/controller/marketplace/install.php</b> on line <b>218</b>

and on and on...
-------------------------<end quote>-----------------------------

I was looking through the docs and they speak of the FTP setting that are supposed to be found in the admin/system/settings/ and then there is supposed to be a tab called FTP - which isn't showing on my installation of 3.0.3.2. What I have are tabs "General" "Local""Option""Image""Mail""Server" and that is all. The "FTP" tab is shown on one of the tutorials as between "Image" and "Mail". However there is no tab there.

On other online stores one can call up the server settings/php version/etc., but I can't find that command in the 3.0.3.2 menu. Has it been removed? Am I using a beta version and should be back one or two versions for doing my setup on?

The docs are a bit sparse on permissions - for example, considering that directory 777 permissions are bad, but if you need to set those to do an install, you would then have to remember to change them back to 755 to protect your site.

What other information can I provide to help?

Thanks!
(PS, I also posted this in a similar topic that said SOLVED so I thought as that solution didn't work for me that I should start the topic again...)

catalog/system/storage/session//sess_24deeef072314447279662e498
A double forward Slash just tell's you, that your config settings are incorrect.