Looking for easy sessions using mod_perl

[Boysenberry Payne]

I'm moving from PHP to mod_perl.  What a jump...
Normally in php it's as simple as:
session_start();
Then depending on your settings the session is kept in a cookie
or in the url.
I've looked into Apache::Session a bit, also Session (which is a 
wrapper for Apache:Session.)
I set it up locally using my mysql database, but I'm getting now where 
fast.

Here is the code:
my $cookie = $r->header_in( 'Cookie' );
$r->print( "Content Type: text/plain\n\n" );
$cookie =~ s/SESSION_ID=(\w+)/$1/;
my %session;
eval {
  tie %session, 'Apache::Session::MySQL', $cookie,
    { DataSource => 'dbi:mysql:boysie_habitat2',
      UserName => 'boysie_human',
      Password => "[EMAIL PROTECTED]",
      LockDataSource => 'dbi:mysql:boysie_habitat2',
      LockUserName => 'boysie_human',
      LockPassword => "[EMAIL PROTECTED]",
    };
};
if( $@ ) {
  $r->print( "Couldn't tie session: $@" );
}
I get the following error:
null: Use of uninitialized value in substitution (s///) at 
/Users/WebRoot/perl/index.pl line 16.

I've tried printing out the cookie to see it and get the same error for 
anything I try to print it with.

It seems like it's being recorded ok in mysql.  I get the id fine, but 
the a_session column seems to be funky.
I'll copy an example below:
---------------------------------------


 e16d4be4a2f73b323184e8da1cef694d_session_id
---------------------------------------

You can't see it in the copy but there are a bunch of squares (I guess 
mac os x's new line characters.)

Any reason why this is so difficult to get working (besides my 
inexperience...)

Thanks,
Boysenberry