ef4d994bb54291e4fa00210a4bb21fc16a53e976
max
  Tue Nov 12 05:57:47 2019 -0800
trying to improve error message when mysql server cannot be connected to, refs #24452

diff --git src/hg/lib/jksql.c src/hg/lib/jksql.c
index 65a98d4..ad741c8 100644
--- src/hg/lib/jksql.c
+++ src/hg/lib/jksql.c
@@ -409,30 +409,35 @@
 char *failoverProfName = catTwoStrings(failoverProfPrefix, sp->name);
 struct sqlProfile *failoverProf = sqlProfileGet(failoverProfName, database);
 freez(&failoverProfName);
 return failoverProf;
 }
 
 static struct sqlProfile* sqlProfileMustGet(char *profileName, char *database)
 /* lookup a profile using the profile resolution algorithm or die trying */
 {
 struct sqlProfile* sp = sqlProfileGet(profileName, database);
 if (sp == NULL)
     {
     if (profileName == NULL)
         errAbort("can't find database %s in hg.conf, should have a default named \"db\"",
                  database);
+    else if (sameWord(profileName, "backupcentral"))
+        errAbort("can't find profile %s in hg.conf. This error most likely indicates that the "
+            "Genome Browser could not connect to MySQL/MariaDB. Either the databases server is not running"
+            "or the database connection socket indicated in hg.conf is not the one used by your server.", 
+            profileName);
     else if (database == NULL)
         errAbort("can't find profile %s in hg.conf", profileName);
     else
         errAbort("can't find profile %s for database %s in hg.conf", profileName, database);
     }
 return sp;
 }
 
 struct slName* sqlProfileGetNames()
 /* Get a list of all profile names. slFreeList result when done */
 {
 if (profiles == NULL)
     sqlProfileLoad();
 struct slName *names = NULL;
 struct hashCookie cookie = hashFirst(profiles);