This was reported in the PHP Bug DB, I don't know if it's
been reported to the MySQL team as well:
(...)
Under SCO OpenServer 5.0.6, Apache 1.3.19, PHP 4.0.4 PL 1,
and MySql 3.23.36 (precompiled MySQL for OpenServer 5.0.x),
calls to mysql_real_connect will silently dump core if
mysql_init was not allowed to *allocate* the memory for the
MySQL structure.
(...)
Complete report + a patch is at:
http://www.php.net/bugs.php?id=10565
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And the eyes of them both were opened and they saw that their files
were world readable and writable, so they chmoded 600 their files.
- Book of Installation chapt 3 sec 7