C# WPF Application with Local Database crashes when used on another computer

Question

I developed a C#/WPF application utilizing Entity Framework 6 to connect to a local MySQL database. The application works perfectly when running on the local computer. However, when I install the application on other systems and run it, it crashes the moment it needs to access the database.

Catching the exception and making a message pop-up, I get the message "Value cannot be null. Parameter name : source." From this post, Value cannot be null. Parameter name: source , I presume that it is because my connection string is wrong or I am not doing something correctly to allow remote database access.

This is my connection string in App.config: connectionString="metadata=res://*/Database.csdl|res://*/Database.ssdl|res://*/Database.msl;provider=MySql.Data.MySqlClient;provider connection string="server=(ipAddress);user id=root;password=password;persistsecurityinfo=True;database=practice""

The ip address I am using is the real ip address of the local system obtained from cmd => ipconfig => IPv4.

After a lot of googling and searching through stack overflow, I have not yet found a solution to this. I do not want a local instance of the database on the other computers, they should all remotely connect to the database hosted on the local computer. I do not think there should be any issue connecting because all the systems are on the same network and I can ping the computer with the local database from the other computers.

I have tried giving remote access to the other computers in MySQL using the following statements: CREATE USER '%'@'(IPADDRESS)' IDENTIFIED BY ''; GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON *.* TO '%'@'(IPADDRESS)' WITH GRANT OPTION; CREATE USER '%'@'(IPADDRESS)' IDENTIFIED BY ''; GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON *.* TO '%'@'(IPADDRESS)' WITH GRANT OPTION; Also tried following Asaf's solution in this post ( WPF application doesn't work in other computers ). However, neither worked for me.

If anyone can explain how to publish a C#/WPF application with access to MySQL database, that would be great.

EDIT: After editing the code more to see the exception, I am getting the error "The underlying provider failed on Open." Looking into that now.

EDIT: SOLVED! Thank you to obl. Needed to enable remote connection as 'root' ( How to allow remote connection to mysql ), flush privileges, and restart MySQL Server. Afterwards, the application worked.

Answer 1

Thanks to Obl, I solved the problem by enabling remote connection as 'root' ( How to allow remote connection to mysql ). Afterwards, just had to flush privileges and restart MySQL server.