snorky

Oddly enough, I tried that (or something similar, apparently omitting/goofing up a step). Following your instructions fixed it. Thank you.

MySQL 4.1 CentOS 4.5 NOTE: I have more than a full-time job administering a network with 2500+ nodes and 6000+ end users. Since these old versions of MySQL and CentOS have been working, I haven't updated them. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." That said, the server that hosts the mysql server got hit by an unexpected power-down -- someone was testing the backup power generator ... I have several databases on that instance of mysql. All seemed to have survived - except, of course - the most important one. On the 'other' DBs, users can run the php/html programs and access data without problems. Note: everything on this MySQL server has run smoothly for several years prior to the big hit. On the 'big' database - the one that is now suffering - [*]the users cannot access the server; for these users the PHP performs only SELECT functions [*]the maintainers - the people whose PHP performs SELECT, INSERT, DELETE, UPDATE functions cannot access the server [*]the DBA - me - cannot use PHP, the MySQL console, and Webmin to access data note: I don't use PHPAdmin on this - phpmyadmin broke after an update and I never bothered to fix it The failed commands and the error messages errors: users: $link=mysql_connect('xxx.xxx.xxx.15','guest',''); PHP CODE: if (!$link) { die('Unable connect to the server at this time. Version 20110216.1155: '. mysql_error()); } ERROR MSG: Unable connect to the server at this time. Version 20110216.1155: Access denied for user 'guest'@'xxx.xxx.xxx.22' (using password: NO) MAINTAINERS: CODE: $link=mysql_connect('xxx.xxx.xxx.15','maintainer','password'); { die('Unable connect to the server at this time. Version 20091006.1300: ' . mysql_error()); } ERROR MSG: Unable connect to the server at this time. Version 20091006.1300: Access denied for user 'maintainer'@'xxx.xxx.xxx.22' (using password: YES) DBA: COMMANDS/ERROR MSGS: I get a panoply of errors, depeding on what I'm doing. Whether I log on to mysql as root or as dba, all of the errors refer to user '' mysql -u root -p --- I no longer need a password for root or dba when SELECTing from the mysql table, the passwords for root dba display in plain text, instead of encrypted mysql> SET PASSWORD FOR 'dba'@'localhost' = PASSWORD('newpass'); ERROR 1044 (42000): Access denied for user ''@'localhost' to database 'mysql' Note that the user is '' mysql> UPDATE mysql.user SET Password=PASSWORD('newpass') WHERE User='dba' AND Host='localhost'; ERROR 1142 (42000): UPDATE command denied to user ''@'localhost' for table 'user' I get the error command denied to user '' with any db admin statements such as SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, SET, DELETE. As a result, I cannot create a new user or superuser, elevate the privileges for an existing user, delete existing users. For example, using Webmin, Failed to delete users : SQL delete from user where user = 'dba' and host = '' failed : DELETE command denied to user ''@'localhost' for table 'user' I have yesterday's mysqldump of this (and each) non-system database, i.e., all but the mysql DB. However, I don't see where restoring the non-problem DBs' data will solve the problem of users, passwords, and privileges. It appears to me that the mysql DB is corrupted. Is there a way to fix that? Or am I (as usual) going off half-cocked?