Can't connect to local MySQL server

[Dustin Froula]

I noticed reading around that this is a very commond error, but I have
yet to find a solution.

I get the following error when I try to test phplib from test.php3 
( pointsource.ucdavis.edu/horde/test.php3 )

Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/tmp/mysql.sock' 

mysql is running: when I type:

[root@pointsource /tmp]# mysqladmin version -p
Enter password:
mysqladmin  Ver 8.20 Distrib 3.23.38, for pc-linux-gnu on i686
Copyright (C) 2000 MySQL AB & MySQL Finland AB & TCX DataKonsult AB
This software comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY. This is free software,
and you are welcome to modify and redistribute it under the GPL license

Server version          3.23.38-log
Protocol version        10
Connection              Localhost via UNIX socket
UNIX socket             /var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock
Uptime:                 21 min 33 sec

Threads: 1  Questions: 10  Slow queries: 0  Opens: 6  Flush tables: 1
Open tables: 0 Queries per second avg: 0.008


There is also a file  /tmp/mysql.sock but it appears to be empty?

Suggestions??

-Dustin