MySQL server, please help!

Question

Hello,
I'm pulling my hair out with this SQL server problem.
I have an XServer RAID running 10.5.5. I'm trying to get a document management system called DocHaven installed and running with MySQL.
I downloaded and installed the MySQL 5.0.51b package they had linked on their site (the DocHaven company) and everything appeared to go smoothly. I launch MySQL Admin, login as root/blankpassword and create the "dochaven" database for users to use. I think create a "test/test" user.
When I launch the software, it is able to verify connectivity to the SQL server as "root", but I am unable to verify nor login as "test"?! The list of users that it picks up is obviously made up users like "Agatha" "Bob T" and "Miss Crab".
So my question is: How do I use the "test" user? Am I running two SQL servers? How do I check? I never went about disabling any default SQL server, I didn't know 10.5.5 Server had one.
Help?

Answer 1

I am in email contact with DocHaven support and one of their emails leads me to think that my server is running two instances of MySQL (the default installed, and the MySQL 5.0.51b that I installed).
Based on a very quick look, the DocHaven folks lack any overt references to Mac OS X Server in their site, and installing MySQL on Mac OS X Server can (does) lead to two parallel installations, and to the usual problems such can trigger.
It is possible to have two copies of MySQL installed (qv: [MAMP|http://mamp.info] can install various software bits entirely in parallel with similar bits shipped within Mac OS X), but care need be taken to prevent run-time collisions; when you're supplementing an installed product within Mac OS X or Mac OS X Server, it's usually best to shut down the installed version (which has its own issues), or (where you can) to simply avoid installing replicated software.
I'll continue contacting support, but from a level one troubleshooting idea, do you know of an easy way to verify if I am indeed running two servers? SQL is obviously new to me, though I am somewhat comfortable with command line. So any SQL commands will be new. I have downloaded and installed MySQL Administrator... this appears to be connecting to the MySQL 5.0.51b server, but for all I know, the default SQL server is running somewhere, too.
If you have Mac OS X Server and you followed the DocHaven directions from that web page I cited earlier (and which point to a need to install MySQL on Mac OS X), then you almost certainly do have two copies of MySQL loaded. You probably don't have two copies fully running, as MySQL tends to get tangled. Therein lies a problem, too.
Here, (as mentioned) I'd try a reinstall; whether you can successfully back out or delete or uninstall that second MySQL depends heavily on what happened when the kit was installed. (I'm guessing you don't have a copy of the Mac OS X Server system disk created prior to the installation, either -- so we'll here hope you can trash the existing MySQL installation through some means and try again.)
Consider asking the DocHaven folks if they've ever installed on Mac OS X Server, or if they support it. And if so, then if Mac OS X Server and its version of MySQL are considered supported; if you really need that second MySQL kit.