help with mysql

Ok I know absolutely nothing about MySQL. I have installed Sendcard http://sendcard.resource-locator.com/ ,a postcard script written in PHP and it works fine. I don't know how I got it set up and how I figured out how to set up the database but I did it :) So now I am assuming the cards that are sent are temporarily (i have it set for 14 days) stored in the database. I checked kbase and found that I needed telnet to access the database. I went and downloaded EasyTerm at http://www.arachnoid.com . I logged in and I'm getting errors. The one time that I believe I typed the correct thing in I got 'ERROR 1045 access denied for user myname@someone-elses-domain.org' I checked the domain it was trying to log me into and it's someones blog. LOL So basically it had the correct user name but not the correct domain. What the heck did I do?? I swear I typed the stuff in correctly but I obviously didn't. Is there an easier way to do this? Should I just leave it alone so I don't cause problems? I'd like to at least know how to have access even though I guess I don't need to do anything. Not that I'd know what to do anyways. LOL Also, is there anything I should know about security issues or anything. Like I said, I know nothing about MySQL. I'd like to learn but don't want to cause problems if it's possible.

Also, Since I have the cards stored for only 14 days does this mean they will automatically disappear then? What I'm wondering is if they just stack up and waste space or leave? I guess I should just go buy a book on MySQL and start reading, huh? ;) Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!!!

Christy

Hi

To log into MySQL, try the following command in your shell window:

mysql -h hostname -u username -p

Be sure to replace 'hostname' with your MySQL hostname - you can find this out by accessing the Goodies => MySQL tab on your dreamhost web panel.

I'm not sure why you need telnet access once the script has been set up? Maybe the script is instructing you to run a cron job to delete the old cards? This sounds more probable to me.

If you can cut & paste some instructions from the files that came with your script we might be able to help.

Wil

There are actually some good free tutorials on PHP and MySQL available on the web, which should help you. Check out http://www.devshed.com and http://www.webmonkey.com - they both have some good ones. Webmonkey tends to be more basic and DevShed more in depth.

The problem you're having with Telnet could be that the client you downloaded doesn't do SSH - encrypted Telnet. Dreamhost requires the encryption for security reasons. See if there are any kind of SSH settings in your Telnet client, or any references to it in the manual. If not, you'll need a different program. The one I use is called NiftyTelnet, but that's just for the Mac - if you're on Windows you'll need something else. I think there are some listed in the Kbase.

One more thing - if you're going to be working much with MySQL you can save yourself a lot of headaches by installing phpMyAdmin (http://phpwizard.net/projects/phpMyAdmin/. It's a PHP script that basically puts a graphical interface on your databases so that you can enter or edit data, add or drop tables, etc. without having to muck around in the shell. It's still good to have a SSH/Telnet program just in case, and you particularly are likely to need it for troubleshooting Perl scripts if you work with those, but with MySQL, using phpMyAdmin can eliminate a lot of the need for it.

Lynna

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