Visual Studio kills MySQL

[Stinger51]

I installed Visual Web Developer 2010 Express (a freebie "Visual Studio") on a Win7 machine to have a look at ASP.Net (yeah, sacrilegious, I know) and it completely put the kobosh on XAMPP (took over port 80). I was unable to connect to localhost. So, I changed the port setting to 8080, but XAMPP refused to accept this change, no matter how many .conf or .ini files I checked. At this point, I switched over to WAMP and was able to set the port to 8080 with no problem.

So now I can connect to localhost (127.0.0.1) again. But one last problem remains: I cannot connect to MySQL. I keep getting the error "Call to undefined function mysql_connect() in C:\wamp\www. . ." No matter what I try (short of uninstalling Visual Web Dev) I cannot revolve this issue. I cannot access my database because WAMP cannot make the connection because it can't even find the connection function. And phpinfo() shows that MySQL is not enabled (listed)! So, I know this has to be a set-up issue somehow. Interestingly enough, I can see my database using SQLYog, a 3rd party DBMS.

Somehow the installation of Web Dev 2010 has caused this problem because either server (XAMPP or WAMP) worked just fine before this installation. I've had no luck finding any patch for this.

Note: I'm running Apache 2.2, PHP 5.3.1 and MySQL 5.5. on a Win7-64 bit O/S.

Thanks in advance for any help anyone can offer.

[bradgrafelman]

My first thought is that it's good that you can't use any of the mysql_*() functions, because you really should Stop Using the MySQL Extension!.

Either way, the php.ini file being read by PHP is going to enable (or not) whatever extensions you desire. So, if you're missing the functions provided by a certain extension, then you'll want to modify that php.ini file to enable the appropriate extension. Note you can do a [man]phpinfo/man to determine which php.ini file(s) (if any) PHP is using.

[Stinger51]

I've made sure that the MySQL extensions are enabled in the php.ini file. But I still cannot call any functions. Php.info shows that MySQL is not enabled. Just how MS Studio could mess this up is beyond me, but it apparently did, as that is the only software I've installed since this issue began.

As for using MySQLi, I don't follow you. Those are still calls to the same MySQL library, only using the new class definition, right? If I can't get PHP to find the MySQL library I'm not sure what good that would do. How can you use MySQLi calls if you can't access the library? But I like the idea of not having to fool around with setting up MySQL anymore, if that's possible.

[bradgrafelman]

Stinger51;11024121 wrote:

I've made sure that the MySQL extensions are enabled in the php.ini file.

Apparently not, because as you've said:

Stinger51;11024121 wrote:

Php.info shows that MySQL is not enabled.

Have you verified that the php.ini file you're looking at is actually being parsed by PHP?

Stinger51;11024121 wrote:

Those are still calls to the same MySQL library, only using the new class definition, right?

Not necessarily, no.

Stinger51;11024121 wrote:

If I can't get PHP to find the MySQL library I'm not sure what good that would do.

PHP doesn't need the MySQL client library. The outdated [man]mysql[/man] PHP extension initially needed it ("libmysql") - not PHP itself. Due to its many shortcomings, however, the "myqlnd" driver was developed (the "nd" suffix stands for "native driver", meaning it's native to PHP and doesn't require an external library to work).

Stinger51;11024121 wrote:

How can you use MySQLi calls if you can't access the library?

With mysqlnd, that's not an issue (because if you can't access mysqlnd - the native driver - that suggests you're not really accessing PHP at all).

Stinger51;11024121 wrote:

But I like the idea of not having to fool around with setting up MySQL anymore, if that's possible.

Not sure what you mean here; installing and configuring the MySQL server isn't (and never has been) a prerequisite for getting PHP to interface with MySQL. Now, if by "MySQL" you actually meant "the PHP extension to interface with MySQL", that's a whole different story. (Not typically a long one, either - the most I've ever had to do was uncomment "extension=php_mysqli.dll" in php.ini and call it a day).

[Stinger51]

I re-installed WAMP 2.2 for Win7-64 and double checked the php.ini file and according to WAMP I do indeed have the extensions for MySQL enabled. But phpinfo() still showing MySQL is not enabled, only that MySQLND is enabled. Still, I cannot programmatically access any MySQL functionality. The new port (8080) I assigned in the Apache/conf file does work fine for WAMP (but XAMPP refuses to accept this port, keeps defaulting to port 80 no matter what) and at least allows me to access localhost:8080. But without MySQL access, further LAMP dev is at a standstill. The first call to mysql_connect() brings everything to a halt. Again, I can see my database from a 3rd party DBMS, so I know that port 3306 is working.

I'm about ready to grab a new Win7 machine (forget 8, it's a mess) and dedicate it just for ASP.Net dev. Or I may see how far I can get with Ubuntu 12 on my current machine (dual boot) and LAMP dev. But that's a whole "other ballgame."

If anybody out there knows how to get XAMPP to change port settings to something other than port 80 (and I've tried everything I can find) and make it stick, I will give XAMPP one more shot.

Thanks for your input.

[bradgrafelman]

Stinger51;11024175 wrote:

I re-installed WAMP 2.2 for Win7-64 and double checked the php.ini file and according to WAMP I do indeed have the extensions for MySQL enabled. But phpinfo() still showing MySQL is not enabled, only that MySQLND is enabled. Still, I cannot programmatically access any MySQL functionality.

Can you attach your php.ini file as well as the output of the phpinfo() (rename it to .txt so the forum allows you to upload it) so we can view both of them directly?

Stinger51;11024175 wrote:

The new port (8080) I assigned in the Apache/conf file does work fine for WAMP (but XAMPP refuses to accept this port, keeps defaulting to port 80 no matter what)

Neither "WAMP" nor "XAMPP" have any real bearing on the matter at hand. Those are simply collections of other software (Apache, MySQL, PHP, etc.) wrapped together and presented to those who are too lazy to actually set things up properly themselves. (At least, that's always been my view of them.) In the end, you're still just using Apache and PHP.

[Stinger51]

bradgrafelman;11024179 wrote:

Can you attach your php.ini file as well as the output of the phpinfo() (rename it to .txt so the forum allows you to upload it) so we can view both of them directly?

Neither "WAMP" nor "XAMPP" have any real bearing on the matter at hand. Those are simply collections of other software (Apache, MySQL, PHP, etc.) wrapped together and presented to those who are too lazy to actually set things up properly themselves. (At least, that's always been my view of them.) In the end, you're still just using Apache and PHP.

Yes, attached is the php.ini file as a text file. This file lives in the wamp\bin\apache\apache2.2.21\bin directory.

I used to "roll my own" LAMP setup, but got lazy. Still, I learned a lot by that experience, especially when it came to getting the correct version of XDEBUG installed (a real nightmare, if there ever was one). And I see I will have to do this again for WAMP. I will probably just copy the lines from one file to the other, making sure the versions for XDEBUG are correct.

Thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide.

php.txt

[Weedpacket]

Have you verified that the file is actually being read (i.e., that the "Loaded Configuration File" entry given by phpinfo() is correct?

bradgrafelman wrote:

Note you can do a phpinfo() to determine which php.ini file(s) (if any) PHP is using.

[Stinger51]

Weedpacket;11024185 wrote:

Have you verified that the file is actually being read (i.e., that the "Loaded Configuration File" entry given by phpinfo() is correct?

Yes. This is from the printout when I run phpinfo():

Configuration File (php.ini) Path C:\Windows

Loaded Configuration File C:\wamp\bin\apache\Apache2.2.21\bin\php.ini

Scan this dir for additional .ini files (none)

Additional .ini files parsed (none)

When I installed the latest WAMP download this is how things got configured. I've been looking for resources that will demonstrate how to have PHP and MySQL talk to each other without bothering with this .ini file, but so far I haven't found any. That would be the ideal.

[Weedpacket]

Stinger51 wrote:

how to have PHP and MySQL talk to each other without bothering with this .ini file

Hmm. Just checking the Win7/Apache2.4.3/PHP5.4.11/MySQL5.5 installation here (it's not mine but it is using MySQL for its dbms) and the only MySQL interface enabled on it is PDO, not MySQL and not MySQLi.

Just an an experiment I uncommented "extension=php_mysql.dll" and restarted the server.

Yep, that's enough for the extension to be loaded and the function to exist ... so not much help there, I guess. A failure to load the extension would be reported as such.

Huh. Turns out that Windows PHP loads mysqlnd even if you don't have any MySQL APIs enabled.... (At least in the official build, which is what I'm using - I don't know about third-party builds)

But beyond the config settings in the "[MySQL]" section of php.ini (which won't be applying if the extension isn't enabled to begin with), neither PHP nor MySQL use the .ini file to "talk to each other". That's done using the standard socket mechanism - the .ini file is only needed if the MySQL server isn't listening on the traditional 3306 socket.

[Stinger51]

Yes, the older php.ini file had the MySQL extensions enabled by default, for sure, as I always recall see those when running phpinfo(). I did find it curious that some sort of change has been made. But as you stated, we should not be using this approach anymore.

Now I am wondering about sockets. I don't understand this topic very well, never paid very much attention to it. But is it possible that the ASP.Net installation did something to overwrite this (these) settings? Something is starting to smell fishy to me. As I also mentioned, I did not have this "issue" until a few days ago when I installed Microsoft's Visual Web Developer 2010 Express package. And for sure, this package is hogging port 80. I have to think that somehow knocking out my config for MySQL is related to this. I just can't understand how.

Well, without any obstacles to overcome (even if man made, and this is all surely man made) how else can we learn here? So, thanks for bearing with me here. I am certain at the end of this "trial" everybody paying attention here or reading here will have learned something.

[Weedpacket]

Stinger51 wrote:

Now I am wondering about sockets.

I should have said "ports". I was thinking of the Berkeley Sockets implementation of the transport (since it's basically the IP port model adapted so that it can also be used between processes on a single host. "Socket" refers to the whole "host:port" address - PHP sends a message to MySQL by addressing it to "127.0.0.1:3306" (or whatever the host and port are configured as) - like in snail mail where the address written on the envelope includes the name of the recipient as well as the destination).

If you run PHP from the command line, what does phpinfo() say then?

[sandthipe]

Leave Apache alone, and try changing the IIS port: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/149605

Also, have you been restarting Apache as you adjust the php.ini settings? If you can make changes to the php.ini file, but those changes are never reflected in the phpinfo() output, you've got 1 of 2 problems: 1) you're forgetting to restart Apache after making changes OR 2) Apache is looking at a different php.ini file

[Stinger51]

It's been so long since I did anything from the command line in Windows I forgot the syntax. I motored on over to the wamp\www directory and I tried this from the command prompt (brackets [ ] used here instead of < > to preserve formatting here):

[?php phpinfo.php; ?]

but Windows just complains that the command syntax is incorrect. Sorry, but my VAX/VMS like command line skills are long gone. I take it that if phpinfo (from the command line) shows nothing about MySQL this is another issue? Help, please.

[Stinger51]

Thanks for that link. I am loathe to touch anything in the Windows registry (since I blew it up once awhile back), but will make a backup copy and see what I can do here. I tried to fathom the article the link pointed to, but it's mostly beyond my depth of understanding. But I believe you are correct, that this issue points to the server that the Windows package set up for me to use ASP.Net dev. It is somehow interfering with MySQL and the WAMP server I'm running.

Per Apache, yes, I've even cold booted the machine I'm on after making sure the extension=php_mysql.dll lines are uncommented. And WAMP reports that it is using the correct php.ini file:

C:\wamp\bin\apache\Apache2.2.21\bin\php.ini

[Weedpacket]

Stinger51 wrote:

I motored on over to the wamp\www directory and I tried this from the command prompt (brackets [ ] used here instead of < > to preserve formatting here):

[?php phpinfo.php; ?]

but Windows just complains that the command syntax is incorrect.

When using PHP from the command line you're using the Windows command line interface, not a web server. The command would be

C:\[i]current\directory[/i]>  \[i]path\to\php\executable\[/i]php phpinfo.php

Or

C:\[i]path\to\php\executable[/i]>  php phpinfo.php

If you're already in the right directory, or just

C:\[i]current\directory[/i]>  php phpinfo.php

if you have the PHP executable's directory in your system PATH.

And it's not necessary to create a whole PHP file just to run phpinfo():

C:\[i]arbitary\path[/i]>  php -r "phpinfo()"

More information about PHP's [man]CLI[/man] is of course in the manual. Note that one of the differences is that as a CLI program PHP reads php.ini on every invocation, instead of only when the web server is restarted (because of course there is no web server in this case).

[Stinger51]

Ok, here is part of the phpinfo() output from the command line as dumped to a text file (red emphasis mine):

mysql

MySQL Support => enabled
Active Persistent Links => 0
Active Links => 0
Client API version => mysqlnd 5.0.8-dev - 20102224 - $Revision: 321634 $

Directive => Local Value => Master Value
mysql.allow_local_infile => On => On
mysql.allow_persistent => On => On
mysql.connect_timeout => 60 => 60
mysql.default_host => no value => no value
mysql.default_password => no value => no value
mysql.default_port => no value => no value
mysql.default_socket => no value => no value
mysql.default_user => no value => no value
mysql.max_links => Unlimited => Unlimited
mysql.max_persistent => Unlimited => Unlimited
mysql.trace_mode => Off => Off

mysqli

MysqlI Support => enabled
Client API library version => mysqlnd 5.0.8-dev - 20102224 - $Revision: 321634 $
Active Persistent Links => 0
Inactive Persistent Links => 0
Active Links => 0

Directive => Local Value => Master Value
mysqli.allow_local_infile => On => On
mysqli.allow_persistent => On => On
mysqli.default_host => no value => no value
mysqli.default_port => 3306 => 3306
mysqli.default_pw => no value => no value
mysqli.default_socket => no value => no value
mysqli.default_user => no value => no value
mysqli.max_links => Unlimited => Unlimited
mysqli.max_persistent => Unlimited => Unlimited
mysqli.reconnect => Off => Off

mysqlnd

mysqlnd => enabled
Version => mysqlnd 5.0.8-dev - 20102224 - $Revision: 321634 $
Compression => supported
SSL => supported
Command buffer size => 4096
Read buffer size => 32768
Read timeout => 31536000
Collecting statistics => Yes
Collecting memory statistics => Yes
Tracing => n/a

Not sure if it means anything that no default port is defined for MySQL, as it is for MySQLi (3306). But it does say that MySQL support is enabled.

[Weedpacket]

What about

C:\path\> php -r "echo function_exists('mysql_query') ? 'function exists' : 'function does not exist';"

[Stinger51]

Weedpacket;11024243 wrote:

What about

C:\path\> php -r "echo function_exists('mysql_query') ? 'function exists' : 'function does not exist';"

I got back the value "exists". So, the PHP interpreter must be seeing the library, right? So, why does this not work when the local WAMP server runs the code? I'm starting to believe this has something to do with port 3306. Just what, I don't know, as I don't think the .Net environment cares about that port for its IIS stuff. I may change the default port to something else, just to try it.

[bradgrafelman]

Stinger51;11024245 wrote:

I got back the value "exists". So, the PHP interpreter must be seeing the library, right?

Correct.

Stinger51;11024245 wrote:

So, why does this not work when the local WAMP server runs the code?

Not to sound repetitive, but the culprit that comes to my mind is the php.ini configuration file. Have you verified that the same php.ini used when PHP is invoked via Apache is being used during your CLI tests?

Stinger51;11024245 wrote:

I'm starting to believe this has something to do with port 3306.

No port number configuration, conflict, preference, or... anything... would cause PHP to not load an extension.