database.yml

mysql:
  adapter: mysql
  database: cheese_plugin_test
  username: 
  password:
  host: localhost
  port: 3306

test_helper.rb

#require File.dirname(__FILE__) + "/../" + 'app/models/cheese/widget.rb'

# should be changed to

require File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__),"..","app/models/cheese/widget.rb")

# this will allow users for all OS environments to access the correct require path for widget.rb

# Under manually configuring the database, the conn should be changed to allow for ports

conn = Mysql.real_connect( config['mysql']['host'],
  config['mysql']['username'],
  config['mysql']['password'],
  nil, # not providing a named database in real connect
  config['mysql']['port']
)
conn.query( "CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS #{config['mysql']['database']}" )