I am having the same issue. I am using a remote MySQL database running on a solaris box that is already supporting other wordpress databases. However on my local install I am unable to establish/maintain a php connection. This is not a user/password/database/host permissions issue. Something amiss between php and mysql:
running a php-mysql connection test returns the following:
Lost connection to MySQL server at ‘reading initial communication packet’, system error: 146
Believe the remote MySQL version is 5.1.46
