mySQL OLD_PASSWORD Error 1251 - A.2.3. Client does not support authentication protocol

    Based on a result from an issue that I had before that also generated error 1251 but turned out to have been caused by a problem not related to NEW and OLD_PASSWORD, I have subjected myself almost 5 hours of tinkering, configuration and re-configuration. The silver lining, if any is that I had another chance to really examine the web and learn some more about mySQL 4.1.16nt, Apache 1.3.34 and PHP 4.4.2.

    A few weeks back while preparing a different web server, I started of thinking that the error 1251 was at that time caused by old passwords although I was running all 4.1.x plus compliant clients. It is funny that last time I spent a considerable amount of time tweaking password formats while the problem lay in the mis-configuration of PHP for mySQL, and today I spent a long time looking elsewhere first while the solution was known to me all along. I disregarded the fact that it could be a case of OLD_PASSWORD requirement by one of the clients... I assumed that Apache 1.3.34 is not one of the clients (version 2.x works with new passwords anyway and it's not 4.x, so I assumed that the 4.x requirement is not for Apache). 

    Having ruled the above out, I focused on the connection between my servers (Web server and DB server) although that could not explain why I was not able to get Drupal to connect the localhost database that was running and available to command-line pings and mySQL Administrator connections. Maybe by convenience, I concluded thatt he local DB had an issue and focused my attention on why I could not connect to the remote DB server that I knew was working with many PH/MySQL applications.

    Solution

    After searching everywhere and reading very many support posting on various websites including the Apache support website. I followed the instruction to reset the password and when I got a confirmation, I reset the passwords, refreshed Drupal and PHPmyAdmin, and they were able to remote connect to the DB server in time for me to tweak them before I can leave for the day. 

    SET PASSWORD FOR ’some_user’@’some_host’ = OLD_PASSWORD(’newpwd’);

    NB: This command will return a deceivingly empty response: Query OK, 0 Rows Affected (0.00 sec) 

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    I can safely declare the theme of this entry to be: DO NOT ASSUME ANYTHING!

    This issue is related to another challege that was solved in Successful configuration of WAMP after mySQL error 1251