Unpredictable behavior due to different MySQL versions

Question

I have installed different versions of PHP and MySQL on wampserver for testing purposes. However, phpMyAdmin gives a warning that: "Your PHP MySQL library version 5.0.51a differs from your MySQL server version 5.1.36. This may cause unpredictable behavior."

Is this going to cause problems?? If yes, what should be done?

I am not able to set up a password for my root account. Normally, on changing the root account password, phpMyAdmin gives an error. Thereafter, setting the password in the config.inc.php file does the job. But, the problem with me is that I am not at all getting that error screen. Even when I change the password, it still gives the same warning that no password is set up for the root account.

Answer 1

If you are using this machine for development only (seems you do : "for testing purposes"), I don't think it should be much of a problem.

I've seen that kind of message a few times, and never experimented any trouble that might be related.
(If it had been 4.0 and 4.1, maybe, as there were lots of important new stuff added... But between 5.0 and 5.1, I don't think so)

To correct that "problem", you'd have to install a new version of the libraries used by PHP... And I'm not sure the most recent version of PHP 5.2 (5.2.10) uses libmysql 5.1...
And you probably don't want to recompile anything by yourself ^^

Other solution would be to downgrade to MySQL 5.0.x ; but I wouldn't care, for a testing machine, unless I run into strage behaviour.

Answer 2

No, it should not cause a problem. I have very little respect for phpMyAdmin as a system. I have never experienced a problem using different client/server versions with MySQL, and we have used them on a large scale in production.

I don't believe a word of it. If phpmyadmin says it, does not necessarily mean it's true.

MySQL client/server versions are very largely compatible, unless you're looking at very elderly versions of either of them (i.e. < 5.0)

Answer 3

I experienced this problem using the following configuration:

• Windows 2008 32-bit
• PHP 5.2.14
• MySQL 5.1.49
• phpMyAdmin 3.3.5

Here is what I did to get rid of the "Your PHP MySQL library version 5.0.51a differs from your MySQL server version 5.1.36. This may cause unpredictable behavior." message:

1. I stopped IIS
2. I deleted "C:\Program Files\PHP\libmysql.dll" file
3. I copied "C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.1\bin\libmySQL.dll" file into "C:\Program Files\PHP\" directory
4. I started IIS

It somewhat worked, but php-cgi began crashing...