Cygwin w/ Apache+mysql+php+Perl (win XP)

Hi I am having issues w/ the following config:

I have Apache, mysql, PHP and perl (activestate) installed in my XP (NOT through cygwin but installed individually).  I can use dos prompt and connect to mysql DB (e.g mysql -U???? -P?????), I can also use Mysql-Front / SQLyog to connect to mysql (localhost of course).  But if I open an xterm through cygwin, I cannot connect to mysql (e.g mysql -U???? -P?????).  Also the activestate perl (has DBD DBI mysql module installed) can access mysql db (through dos calling a pl script / using cgi through apache).  But I cannot use perl through cygwin to connect to mysql.  WHen I tried to do a 'mysql -U???? -P????' through the xterm in cygwin, it'll just 'hang' and keep me waiting and waiting w/out errors..so I had to do a hard excape.  also when I tried to execute the same perl script (the same script I used through dos prompt) through the xterm in cygwin, i cannot connect to mysql.  Not sure if it's the same issue (mysql and perl), but how should I tackle them?  I know that the perl and mysql package is different b/w the one installed in windows and the one installed through cygwin.  anyways I can have cygwin use the perl and mysql installed in windows?  when I do a 'which perl' it tells me it's using /usr/bin/perl while the perl (activestate) under windows is installed in another dir so it's definitely using a different perl package.  I tried installed DBI:mysql bundle into the perl pkg in cygwin but it failed becoz it cannot find the mysql_config. so I cannot installed that.  ANyhelp will be appreciated. thx