Warning: mysql_connect()

@Espanhol — good that the problem was the wrong database name; that exact error just means MySQL refused the connection (bad credentials, host mismatch, or missing privileges). @kolibrizas and @WillGresham pointed in the right direction: confirm the account and host your server expects. For background on what the “Access denied for user 'x'@'y'” message shows and how host/user matching works, see the MySQL troubleshooting notes. (dev.mysql.com)

Quick troubleshooting checklist (most common causes):

• Verify the exact database name and username your provider uses (shared hosts often prefix names).
• Confirm the host you’re connecting to (localhost vs 127.0.0.1 vs a remote host) — MySQL treats them differently.
• Test from the command line: mysql -u your_user -p -h your_host your_db to separate PHP issues from credential problems.
• Check grants/privileges (SHOW GRANTS FOR 'user'@'host') and that the DB exists and the server is running.
• Watch for simple typos or extra whitespace. If connection fails, the error text tells you whether a password was supplied. (dev.mysql.com)

Modernize and secure the code (important if this thread is viewed years later): the old ext/mysql functions were deprecated in PHP 5.5 and removed in PHP 7+. Use MySQLi or PDO (PDO gives a nice abstraction and works with prepared statements). Always use parameterized queries / prepared statements to stop SQL injection, and create a least-privilege DB user (avoid root). Also don’t echo raw DB errors to users — log them instead. (php.net)

Example PDO connection pattern (read credentials from environment or a config file outside the webroot):

<?php
$dsn = sprintf('mysql:host=%s;dbname=%s;charset=utf8mb4', getenv('DB_HOST'), getenv('DB_NAME'));
$options = [PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE => PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION, PDO::ATTR_EMULATE_PREPARES => false];
try {
    $pdo = new PDO($dsn, getenv('DB_USER'), getenv('DB_PASS'), $options);
} catch (PDOException $e) {
    error_log($e->getMessage());
    http_response_code(500);
    exit('Unable to connect to database.');
}
?>

Store secrets out of the code (environment variables or a secrets manager) and use safe error handling and logging. These practices reduce the chance of the same “Access denied” confusion and make the app safer and easier to maintain. (12factor.net)