Error when taking live Magento site locally

Question

First I like to say I'm new to Magento, and have been given the task to work on the site but I'm having an issue taking the live site and installing locally for development work. Here is the errors I'm receiving when trying to install site locally.

Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Function name must be a string in /Applications/MAMP/htdocs/site/app/code/core/Mage/Core/Model/Layout.php:556 Stack trace: #0 /Applications/MAMP/htdocs/site/app/code/core/Mage/Core/Controller/Varien/Action.php(390): Mage_Core_Model_Layout->getOutput() #1 /Applications/MAMP/htdocs/site/app/code/core/Mage/Install/controllers/WizardController.php(120): Mage_Core_Controller_Varien_Action->renderLayout() #2 /Applications/MAMP/htdocs/site/app/code/core/Mage/Core/Controller/Varien/Action.php(418): Mage_Install_WizardController->beginAction() #3 /Applications/MAMP/htdocs/site/app/code/core/Mage/Core/Controller/Varien/Router/Standard.php(254): Mage_Core_Controller_Varien_Action->dispatch('begin') #4 /Applications/MAMP/htdocs/site/app/code/core/Mage/Core/Controller/Varien/Front.php(172): Mage_Core_Controller_Varien_Router_Standard->match(Object(Mage_Core_Controller_Request_Http))

5 /Applications/MAMP/htdocs/site in /Applications/MAMP/htdocs/site/app/code/core/Mage/Core/Model/Layout.php

on line 556

I've followed these steps so far:

1. Download the magento files using any ftp client.
2. Export the database from live server.
3. Put the downloaded Magento files in your localhost root folder.
4. Create a blank database in my local computer and import the database backup that I exported from the live one.
5. Delete/Rename the file app/etc/local.xml
6. Change secure and unsecure URL's in 'core_config_data' table.

Any help will be appreciated as I really need to get this working.

Using Magento version 1.9.0.1 and line 556 is the

$out .= $this->getBlock($callback[0])->$callback[1]();

Here is the whole function:

public function getOutput()
     {
         $out = '';
         if (!empty($this->_output)) {
             foreach ($this->_output as $callback) {
                 $out .= $this->getBlock($callback[0])->$callback[1]();
             }
         }

         return $out;
     }

This is the exception log printout:

Exception: load error: failed to find /var/www/vhosts/siteuk.virtualsplash.com/httpdocs/skin/frontend/mtbelano/default/css/styles.less in /Applications/MAMP/htdocs/site/lib/Soczed/less/lessc.inc.php:2379
Stack trace:
#0 /Applications/MAMP/htdocs/site/lib/Soczed/less/lessc.inc.php(2528): lessc->__construct('/var/www/vhosts...')
#1 /Applications/MAMP/htdocs/site/app/code/community/Soczed/Less/Model/Observer.php(178): lessc::cexecute(Array, false, Array, Array)
#2 /Applications/MAMP/htdocs/site/app/code/core/Mage/Core/Model/App.php(1338): Soczed_Less_Model_Observer->beforeLayoutRender(Object(Varien_Event_Observer))
#3 /Applications/MAMP/htdocs/site/app/code/core/Mage/Core/Model/App.php(1317): Mage_Core_Model_App->_callObserverMethod(Object(Soczed_Less_Model_Observer), 'beforeLayoutRen...', Object(Varien_Event_Observer))
#4 /Applications/MAMP/htdocs/site/app/Mage.php(448): Mage_Core_Model_App->dispatchEvent('controller_acti...', Array)
#5 /Applications/MAMP/htdocs/site/app/code/core/Mage/Core/Controller/Varien/Action.php(384): Mage::dispatchEvent('controller_acti...')
#6 /Applications/MAMP/htdocs/site/app/code/core/Mage/Cms/Helper/Page.php(137): Mage_Core_Controller_Varien_Action->renderLayout()
#7 /Applications/MAMP/htdocs/site/app/code/core/Mage/Cms/Helper/Page.php(52): Mage_Cms_Helper_Page->_renderPage(Object(Mage_Cms_IndexController), 'new_home_page')
#8 /Applications/MAMP/htdocs/site/app/code/core/Mage/Cms/controllers/IndexController.php(45): Mage_Cms_Helper_Page->renderPage(Object(Mage_Cms_IndexController), 'new_home_page')
#9 /Applications/MAMP/htdocs/site/app/code/core/Mage/Core/Controller/Varien/Action.php(418): Mage_Cms_IndexController->indexAction()
#10 /Applications/MAMP/htdocs/site/app/code/core/Mage/Core/Controller/Varien/Router/Standard.php(254): Mage_Core_Controller_Varien_Action->dispatch('index')
#11 /Applications/MAMP/htdocs/site/app/code/core/Mage/Core/Controller/Varien/Front.php(172): Mage_Core_Controller_Varien_Router_Standard->match(Object(Mage_Core_Controller_Request_Http))
#12 /Applications/MAMP/htdocs/site/app/code/core/Mage/Core/Model/App.php(354): Mage_Core_Controller_Varien_Front->dispatch()
#13 /Applications/MAMP/htdocs/site/app/Mage.php(683): Mage_Core_Model_App->run(Array)
#14 /Applications/MAMP/htdocs/site/index.php(94): Mage::run('', 'store')
#15 {main}

Answer 1

When we configured site from one place to another place, in magento we need to do fillowing thigs.

1. Change secure and unsecure URL's in 'core_config_data' table.

2. Configured your new server detail in this file.

   app\etc\local.xml

   <connection> <host><![CDATA[localhost]]></host> <username><![CDATA[YOUR_DATABASE_USER_NAME]]></username> <password><![CDATA[YOUR_DATABASE_USER_PASSWORD]]></password> <dbname><![CDATA[YOUR_DATABASE_NAME]]></dbname> </connection>

Answer 2

Change the line $out .= $this->getBlock($callback[0])->$callback[1](); with the below-mentioned code

$out .= $this->getBlock($callback[0])->{$callback[1]}();