login form not posting to script

Anon

hi all
i am having a problem with authentication scripts. I have a form for creating users, and this information is successfully posted in to the table.
when i call the form for users to login(show_login.html), on pressing the login button nothing happens, the form is loaded again with both text boxes cleared. This form is intended to post to authuser.php.
can somebody please tell me what i am doing wrong. both files are in my document root. I have included both scripts here.
please help!!!!
Thankyou

<HEAD>
<TITLE>Login</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>

<H1>Login to ul dss system KABISA</H1>

<P><STRONG>Username:</STRONG><BR>
<INPUT TYPE="text" NAME="username" SIZE=25 MAXLENGTH=25></p>

<P><STRONG>Password:</STRONG><BR>
<INPUT TYPE="password" NAME="password" SIZE=25 MAXLENGTH=25></p>

</FORM>
</BODY>

////////////authuser.php//////////////

<?php

if ((!$username) || (!$password))
{
header("Location: http://localhost/show_login.php");
exit;
}

$dbhost="localhost";
$dbuser="root";
$dbpsswd="";
$db_name = "kimaiyo";
$table_name = "auth_users";

$connection = @mysql_pconnect($dbhost,$dbuser,$dbpsswd)
or die("Unable to connect.");

$db = mysql_select_db($db_name, $connection)
or die("Couldn't select database.");

$sql = "SELECT username, password FROM $table_name
WHERE username = \"$username\" AND password = password(\"$password\")
";

$result = mysql_query($sql)
or die ("Can't execute query.");

$num = mysql_num_rows($result);

if ($num != 0) {

$msg = "<P>you are now loged in</p>";

}else {
header("Location: http://localhost/show_login.php");
exit;
}

<HEAD>
<TITLE>The ul dss system</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>

<? echo $msg; ?>

</BODY>

Anon

register_globals must be off cuz the script thinks that $username and $password
are not set yet, so it redirects back......

turn on register_globals in the php.ini file or try....
$POST["username"] - $POST["password"] like this:

////////////authuser.php//////////////

<?php

if ((!$POST"[username"]) || (!$POST["password"]))
{
header("Location: http://localhost/show_login.php");
exit;
}

yurko

also make sure that username/password is present in your table.
otherwise $num will == 0 and you are redirected back to http://localhost/show_login.php
BTW in your script username and password are casesensitive.