Re: install_driver(mysql) failed

[Doug McLean]

Well my last post isn't showing up and I'm buggered if I can find out whether it ever will do. Is there a forum FAQ anywhere?

Still, just in case it is working, I thought I'd follow up - I found the fix to my problem. In case it's of any use to anyone out there... I was using a password-protected IIS website and my script which uses DBD::mysql wasn't working (error message along the lines of "install_driver(mysql) failed: load mysql.dll failed at Dynaloader.pm line 230"). But the script worked on the command line.

Turned out I had to switch my IIS authentication method. I was using "Integrated Windows Authentication", which I foolishly assumed meant that when I logged in to the website, I had the same level of access as if I'd logged in to the desktop. Somehow this was not the case, and my script couldn't access the necessary library files. I switched to "Basic Authentication" and hey presto, it worked. So it seems the less secure method of authentication gives you greater access privileges. Nice one.

If you use this approach, it seems the common concensus is that basic authentication should be nice and secure over HTTPS. Don't use it over HTTP unless you want your Windows username and password transmitted unencrypted across the web. To be on the safe side, configure IIS to "require secure connection (SSL)" for directories that are "protected" in this way. Although people who attempt to access it via HTTP might still get as far as giving their unencrypted login credentials before being told to get knotted, I'm not sure.

Best of luck
Doug