Attempting upgrade to 1.3.17 - Utter Failure - (DEV Site)

---Before you REPLY - This is on a development server, therefore there is NO admin access or FTP access unless you can edit your hosts file. Then access can be provided. -Saving some time for y'all.

I have tried every method - Install via web, install via package, install via /setup/packages
PHP has been set for max execute & max input = 300

Web Install - MD5 does not match file, within SECONDS of pushing the button, no way it was fully downloaded before md5sum was ran against it.

/setup/packages/ :
Via API Key


Via Package Upload


Via Install from Directory -
Messages:
JInstaller: :Install: Cannot find XML setup file
Path does not have a valid package.
But it's there, just waiting:


This process will have to be re-done as this is only a test on a server migration, and I am fairly confident that this is a /folder/ permissions error, as this is not the first time this issue has arisen upon server migration. Please advise what (if any) special permissions are required in the easy social installation, so that I (and others) can avoid this issue going forward.

Thanks in advance -
Mike