MySQL won't connect from websites

Hi,

I'm having an issue with connecting to mysql. Mysql process is up and running, I can connect and query using mysql in shell but websites and phpmyadmin won't connect. I've got the following settings.

[client]
port = 3306
socket = /var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock

[mysqld]
port = 3306
socket = /var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock

And my ps result looks like below.

root 8218 0.0 0.0 11340 1688 pts/0 S 20:42 0:00 /bin/sh /usr/local/mysql/bin/mysqld_safe --user=mysql --datadir=/usr/local/mysql/data --pid-file=/usr/local/mysql/data/host.pid
mysql 8493 0.0 2.3 607780 95676 pts/0 Sl 20:42 0:00 /usr/local/mysql/bin/mysqld --basedir=/usr/local/mysql --datadir=/usr/local/mysql/data --plugin-dir=/usr/local/mysql/lib/plugin --user=mysql --log-error=/usr/local/mysql/data/host.cozum.com.err --pid-file=/usr/local/mysql/data/host.pid --socket=/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock --port=3306

I have also disabled csf to see if there is an issue with the firewall but still can't connect. In fact, I can connect to mysql remotely.

Logs also show that its up and running.
160713 20:42:29 InnoDB: Compressed tables use zlib 1.2.3
160713 20:42:29 InnoDB: Using Linux native AIO
160713 20:42:29 InnoDB: Initializing buffer pool, size = 128.0M
160713 20:42:29 InnoDB: Completed initialization of buffer pool
160713 20:42:29 InnoDB: highest supported file format is Barracuda.
160713 20:42:29 InnoDB: Waiting for the background threads to start
160713 20:42:30 InnoDB: 1.1.5 started; log sequence number 36201614193
160713 20:42:30 [Note] Event Scheduler: Loaded 0 events
160713 20:42:30 [Note] /usr/local/mysql/bin/mysqld: ready for connections.
Version: '5.5.9' socket: '/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock' port: 3306 MySQL Community Server (GPL)

I don't see what might be the reason. I appreciate your help.

Thanks,
Engin

For some reason php files trying to connect using /tmp/mysql.sock while mysql is configured to create it in /var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock. I don't know what may have changed suddenly but it's working now.