tcp/ip connection won't connect

[Jordan Thompson]

Help!
I am running mysql version 4.17 and perl version 5.8.4. I am also running an older version of mysql on the same machine to support the current release of our software. Once the new release is deemed bug-free, we'll lose the older mysql version. But in the meantime there are two versions (listening to two different ports.)

I can connect to the server from the mysql client with mysql -uroot -ppasswd -P4406 --protocol=tcp -hlocalhost (or -h127.0.0.1) and I get the new database server.

When I try the same with a perl module, I always get the older version (it is connecting via the unix socket and ignoring the port number.)

My question is this: How can I force the perl module to override the unix socket (like I am from the mysql client via the --protocol option?)

thanks for your help,
Jordan