ogr2ogr - MySQL issue

[mike d'ambrogia]

Sent this to the FWTools list last week but got no response, thought I'd
try here prior to bulldogging out a different solution in phpmapscript

------------------------

trying to use ogr2ogr from FWTools1.0ab2 to move shape data into mysql,
and a couple of problems crop up

   ogr2ogr -f MySQL MYSQL:snfv_org_-_db,user=xxx,password=xxx,port=3306
camps.shp -append -update

connection to the db works great, but it comes back with :

   ERROR 1: MySQL error message:Table 'snfv_org_-_db.camps' doesn't
exist Description: DESCRIBE Failed

it appears that it then tries to create a new table but only with 2
fields which is incorrect.  my shape file, when converted to GML,
contains:

<gml:featureMember>
<ogr:camps fid="F2">
<ogr:geometryProperty><gml:Point><gml:coordinates>789136.68985666858,422
5743.1304081939,0</gml:coordinates></gml:Point></ogr:geometryProperty>
<ogr:ID>0</ogr:ID>
<ogr:SITE__>hucklk2</ogr:SITE__>
<ogr:DESTINATIO>Huckleberry Lk.</ogr:DESTINATIO>
</ogr:camps>
</gml:featureMember>

I get this error when ogr2ogr tries to create the new table:

ERROR 1: MySQL error message:You have an error in your SQL syntax. Check
the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right
syntax to use near 'GEOMETRY NOT NULL )' at line 1
  Description: CREATE TABLE camps (OGR_FID INT UNIQUE NOT NULL
AUTO_INCREMENT,SHAPE GEOMETRY NOT NULL)
  ERROR 1: Terminating translation prematurely after failed translation
of layer camps

the field type "GEOMETRY" is not a valid data type in mysql

so i create a table for camps more closely modeled after the GML layout:

CREATE TABLE `camps` (
  `fid` varchar(200) NOT NULL default '',
  `coordinates` varchar(200) default '',
  `ID` varchar(11) default NULL,
  `SITE__` varchar(50) default NULL,
  `DESTINATIO` varchar(50) default NULL,
  `infra_id` varchar(11) default NULL,
  PRIMARY KEY  (`fid`)
) TYPE=MyISAM;

now when I run the ogr2ogr command above it dr watsons on me with
"ogr2ogr.exe has generated errors and will be closed by windows."  dr
watson log doesn't reveal anything that helps

in checking the archives for this list it appears that mysql support is
somewhat new, can't seem to find a clue on the next direction to try,
any suggestions?  

also, is there an IRC/chat channel for FWTools?