Using mysql 3.23.56, I ran your script (after changing database names and passwords, and creating a TEST table), and it correctly displayed the number of rows in the table. However, because you're not printing a newline after $total, the count appeared merged with my shell prompt. I.e.,

  [dws@labrat test]$ perl total.pl
  2[dws@labrat test]$
  ^
[download]

Is it possible you have some funky prompt that's obscuring the result? Try printing the result with a trailing newline.

The link you provided indicates a problem with count(*) when doing an INNER JOIN, which your script doesn't.