Thanks ... for kind comment and re-tracing steps. When one installs via command using the install.php file that comes with the code, one cannot use uppercase (don't think - never tried to really) and one has to follow the 8-1-1-1 restriction on the password. Plus the setting for not to allow caps/other charactors is already set.
It appears that Softaculous doesn't use the built in moodle code but something of it's own. Softaculous is commercial and they don't open source their code so good chance that no one in Moodle community forums can correct the script. Maybe someone from Softaculous should lurk in these forums to see what's wrong with their script! ;)
If you want to help them out, report the issue to your provider who will then hopefully work with Softaculous to fix it.
'spirit of sharing', Ken