PHP PDOException MySQL socket error FAQ: What is the PHP PDOException SQLSTATE MySQL socket error, and how do I fix the problem?
Every time I work with a new web hosting company, I keep running into one variation or another of this PHP MySQL socket error. It's pretty darned annoying, but at least I know how to fix it now.
In short, if you try to access a MySQL database using the PHP PDO library, such as with Drupal 7, which is what I just did, you may get an ugly MySQL socket error that looks like this: