permalinks / templates / comments broken

I am on wp 6.1.1 with wp 2023 theme running php8.1-fpm redis apache2 and mysql 8

I tried wp troubleshooting mode

NOTE: with troubleshooting mode activated. Activating your plugin and/or the EM Zoom Integration plugin always results in a “site error” and WP refuses to continue. I have “force” wp to enable it troubleshoot mode, but the problems I describe still persists.

1. Custom page templates are ignored on single and recurring events .. always goes to default template regardless of EM general settings (short-term workaround – edit my default page template)

2. broken permalinks – Events page always returns 404 with default general settings for permalinks (my site is set to /index.php/%postname%/ ).. if I change to EM permalink settings FROM “events” to “index.php/events”… then all of my event pages… get weird urls with index.php/index.php (they still work)… and amazingly if I go to index.php/index.php/events I get an archive list of events… but this is useless and EM settings to display a calendar are simply ignored. (short-term workarond use “events” permalink structure and create a custom events page by placing shortcodes)

3. Comments on booking forms never turn off regardless of recurring or single events (short-term workaround hide comments with css visibility)…

My scenario is simple. I have a new web platform prototype that I want to do open to the public zoom web meetings to demonstrate. Demonstrations happen 6 days a week 4 times per day. Each demo is 30 minutes.

I begrudgingly ditched tags and categories for simplicity and sanity…