I had some trouble configuring the MSDE server that came with the book, so I installed MySQL on my winXP sp2 pc. I've verified that I can connect to it using the "mysql administrator" software from mysql.com. I have 3 databases set up in mysql that I can see from mysql admin which I have granted full access to all the users. The server is running on port 3307. web matrix is installed on the same machine, but I can't connect to the mysql server from webmatrix. I'm guessing it has to do with what I'm typing in the "server" field. I've tried localhost, localhost:3307, localhost\mysql, localhost\mysql:3307, localhost\mysqld, localhost\mysqld:3307, 192.168.0.5, 192.168.0.5:3307, etc...
Nothing I've tried from webmatrix has gotten me anywhere. DB access is the main reason I got this book too, so I can't just skip the chapter.

I know nothing about MySQL ,but I used to have trouble
with MSDE2000 too. I had an idea that MDAC comes along
with .NET Framework ,so no need to install it. As a result
I couldn't create any database(look at my post).
Then in the other Wrox book
"Beginning ASP.NET 1.1 with Visual C# .NET 2003" on p.12
        I read :
"you need to install the Microsoft Data Access Components
(MDAC) version 2.7 or later ... enable you to communicate with databases and display the contents of your database on a Web page
MDAC is a free download from http://www.microsoft.com.
Version 2.7 comes as part of Windows Component Update of the
.Net Framework and the Windows XP Service Pack, so if you've
installed these you won't need to install it again"
         However ,after I installed MDAC it started working.
By the way you can try forum http://forums.asp.net/
Michael