Fatal error: session_start(): Failed to initialize storage module: files (path: ) in /usr/share/phpmyadmin/libraries/session.inc.php on line 81

 Fatal error: session_start(): Failed to initialize storage module: files (path: ) in /usr/share/phpmyadmin/libraries/session.inc.php on line 81

Solution : 1
Add the parameter in the file php.ini

session.save_path = "/tmp"

Restart apache.

Solution : 2
If you are using Debian or Ubuntu and you have tried solution : 1 and  it still shows above error, remove following lines from /etc/phpmyadmin/apache.conf
<IfModule mod_php5.c>
AddType application/x-httpd-php .php
php_flag magic_quotes_gpc Off
php_flag track_vars On
php_flag register_globals Off
php_admin_flag allow_url_fopen Off
php_value include_path .
php_admin_value upload_tmp_dir /var/lib/phpmyadmin/tmp
php_admin_value open_basedir /usr/share/phpmyadmin/:/etc/phpmyadmin/:/var/lib/phpmyadmin/
</IfModule>

Now restart apache2 & mysql and try again.