Of all the modules we use I found DBD::mysql the only one that was a pain to install. We are using RH7.3, perl 5.6.2 and the binary distro of mysql installed exactly as recommended. Anyway I would suggest you download DBD::mysql as the tar.gz so you can tinker with the Makefile args until make works. Hopefully the following will offer some hints even though our systems differ:

DBD-Mysql (need to spcify a raft of options on the command line) It to
+ok a while to get these right as it can't find the required libs and 
+includes without help.

[root@devel3 DBD-mysql-2.9002]# perl Makefile.PL  --cflags=-I'/usr/loc
+al/mysql/include/'  --libs=-L'/usr/local/mysql/lib/ -lmysqlclient -lz
+' --testdb=test --testuser=root --testpassword=xxxxxxxxx --testhost=l
+ocalhost

I will use the following settings for compiling and testing:

  cflags        (Users choice) = -I/usr/local/mysql/include/
  libs          (Users choice) = -L/usr/local/mysql/lib/ -lmysqlclient
+ -lz
  nocatchstderr (default     ) = 0
  nofoundrows   (default     ) = 0
  ssl           (guessed     ) = 0
  testdb        (Users choice) = test
  testhost      (Users choice) = localhost
  testpassword  (Users choice) = xxxxxxxxxx
  testuser      (Users choice) = root

To change these settings, see 'perl Makefile.PL --help' and
'perldoc INSTALL'.

Using DBI 1.21 installed in /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.6.1/i386-linux/
+auto/DBI
Writing Makefile for DBD::mysql
[root@devel3 DBD-mysql-2.9002]# make
gcc -c -I/usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.6.1/i386-linux/auto/DBI -I/usr/loc
+al/mysql/include/ -fno-strict-aliasing -I/usr/local/include -O2 -marc
+h=i386 -mcpu=i686   -DVERSION=\"2.9002\" -DXS_VERSION=\"2.9002\" -fPI
+C -I/usr/lib/perl5/5.6.1/i386-linux/CORE  dbdimp.c
gcc -c -I/usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.6.1/i386-linux/auto/DBI -I/usr/loc
+al/mysql/include/ -fno-strict-aliasing -I/usr/local/include -O2 -marc
+h=i386 -mcpu=i686   -DVERSION=\"2.9002\" -DXS_VERSION=\"2.9002\" -fPI
+C -I/usr/lib/perl5/5.6.1/i386-linux/CORE  mysql.c
Running Mkbootstrap for DBD::mysql ()
chmod 644 mysql.bs
rm -f blib/arch/auto/DBD/mysql/mysql.so
LD_RUN_PATH="/usr/local/mysql/lib:/usr/lib" /usr/bin/perl myld gcc  -s
+hared -L/usr/local/lib dbdimp.o mysql.o  -o blib/arch/auto/DBD/mysql/
+mysql.so   -L/usr/local/mysql/lib/ -lmysqlclient -lz  
chmod 755 blib/arch/auto/DBD/mysql/mysql.so
cp mysql.bs blib/arch/auto/DBD/mysql/mysql.bs
chmod 644 blib/arch/auto/DBD/mysql/mysql.bs
Manifying blib/man3/DBD::mysql::INSTALL.3pm
Manifying blib/man3/DBD::mysql.3pm
Manifying blib/man3/Bundle::DBD::mysql.3pm
Manifying blib/man3/Mysql.3pm
[root@devel3 DBD-mysql-2.9002]# make test
PERL_DL_NONLAZY=1 /usr/bin/perl -Iblib/arch -Iblib/lib -I/usr/lib/perl
+5/5.6.1/i386-linux -I/usr/lib/perl5/5.6.1 -e 'use Test::Harness qw(&r
+untests $verbose); $verbose=0; runtests @ARGV;' t/*.t
t/00base...........ok                                                 
+       
t/10dsnlist........ok                                                 
+       
t/20createdrop.....ok                                                 
+       
t/30insertfetch....ok                                                 
+       
t/40bindparam......ok                                                 
+       
t/40blobs..........ok                                                 
+       
t/40listfields.....ok                                                 
+       
t/40nulls..........ok                                                 
+       
t/40numrows........ok                                                 
+       
t/50chopblanks.....ok                                                 
+       
t/50commit.........ok                                                 
+       
        14/30 skipped: No transactions
t/60leaks..........skipped
        all skipped: no reason given
t/ak-dbd...........ok                                                 
+       
t/akmisc...........ok                                                 
+       
t/dbdadmin.........ok 6/21New DB not in DSN list                      
+       
t/dbdadmin.........ok 10/21DSN testab not in DSN list.                
+       
t/dbdadmin.........ok 14/21DSN testac not in DSN list.                
+       
t/dbdadmin.........FAILED tests 7, 11, 15                             
+       
        Failed 3/21 tests, 85.71% okay
t/insertid.........ok                                                 
+       
t/mysql2...........ok                                                 
+       
t/mysql............ok                                                 
+       
Failed Test  Stat Wstat Total Fail  Failed  List of Failed
----------------------------------------------------------------------
+---------
t/dbdadmin.t               21    3  14.29%  7 11 15
1 test and 14 subtests skipped.
Failed 1/18 test scripts, 94.44% okay. 3/759 subtests failed, 99.60% o
+kay.
make: *** [test_dynamic] Error 11
[root@devel3 DBD-mysql-2.9002]#


You will not get any compile errors or warnings if you get the libs an
+d includes right. Note the 3 test ‘failures’ are not important.
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