Weird problems with mysql outfile under FreeBSD

Question

(See my answer below. Leaving this up in case it helps someone else.)

What follows is a series of attempts to dump a query to an outfile on a new FreeBSD box that my site has moved to. The results are the same if I log in as me or if I log in as root. I hope the style isn't too annoying. I have my comments commented out around the actual code and output.

// try to dump query to my home dir

SELECT pmr.datetime_requested, 
nfo.postal_code 
FROM 
print_mailing_request pmr, 
personal_info nfo 
WHERE  
nfo.person = pmr.person AND 
pmr.datetime_requested >= "2010-01-01 00:00:00"  AND 
(pmr.print_mailing = 31 OR pmr.print_mailing = 30)
ORDER BY pmr.datetime_requested INTO OUTFILE '/usr/home/david/x';

ERROR 1 (HY000): Can't create/write to file '/usr/home/david/x' (Errcode: 2)

// tried creating file first with touch and even chmod 077 file // but same error each time

// OK, lets try /tmp

SELECT pmr.datetime_requested, 
nfo.postal_code 
FROM 
print_mailing_request pmr, 
personal_info nfo 
WHERE  
nfo.person = pmr.person AND 
pmr.datetime_requested >= "2010-01-01 00:00:00"  AND 
(pmr.print_mailing = 31 OR pmr.print_mailing = 30)
ORDER BY pmr.datetime_requested INTO OUTFILE '/tmp/x';

Query OK, 24654 rows affected (0.78 sec)

// so let's look at the file

less /tmp/x
/tmp/x: No such file or directory

// Log back into mysql and try same query again

ERROR 1086 (HY000): File '/tmp/x' already exists

ls /tmp
20100325180233.gtg2010.csv      20100330094652.gtg2010.csv
20100325180448.gtg2010.csv      2010_Q1_UNO.csv
20100325181446.gtg2010.csv      4724.csv
20100325181927.gtg2010.csv      aprbUfvxp
20100326003002.gtg2010.csv      dave.txt
20100327003002.gtg2010.csv      etr.xml
20100328003002.gtg2010.csv      mysql.sock
20100329003003.gtg2010.csv

// No file x.

// If I run query with no INTO OUTFILE I see 24000+ rows of

| 2010-04-04 13:27:09 | 33156                |
| 2010-04-04 13:27:10 | 33156                |
| 2010-04-04 13:30:04 | NE38 8SR             |
| 2010-04-04 14:27:03 | 00901                |
| 2010-04-04 14:37:04 | 75001                |
| 2010-04-04 14:53:05 | 78640                |
| 2010-04-04 15:15:03 | 07410                |
| 2010-04-04 15:27:04 | 43235                |

// So I know it isn't the query...

// Advice?

Answer 1

Doh! When I log into mysql on this machine my connection string has an IP address in it. /tmp as far as mysql is concerned is not on the machine I am logged into...

so I solved problem by using mysql -e eg:

mysql -h my.db.com -u usrname--password=pass db_name -e 'SELECT foo FROM bar' > /tmp/myfile.txt