Setting up Sphinx Search - ubuntu-14.04

Question

I've been looking for tutorials online to setup sphinx search, and I have got the test database working. However I am having trouble getting my own database to work.
sphinx.conf
source src1
{
type = mysql
sql_host = localhost
sql_user = root
sql_pass = MyPassword
sql_db = MyDatabase
sql_port = 3306
sql_query = \
SELECT listing_id, title, description, image_id \
FROM listings
sql_attr_uint = listing_id
sql_query_info = SELECT listing_id, title, description, image_id FROM listings
}
index test1
{
source = src1
path = /var/lib/sphinxsearch/data/test1
docinfo = extern
charset_type = sbcs
}
searchd
{
listen = 9312
log = /var/log/sphinxsearch/searchd.log
However when I try and run:
sudo indexer --all --rotate
The output in putty is:
using config file '/etc/sphinxsearch/sphinx.conf'...
indexing index 'test1'...
WARNING: attribute 'listing_id' not found - IGNORING
WARNING: Attribute count is 0: switching to none docinfo
WARNING: collect_hits: mem_limit=0 kb too low, increasing to 24576 kb
collected 3 docs, 0.0 MB
sorted 0.0 Mhits, 100.0% done
total 3 docs, 49 bytes
total 0.002 sec, 16740 bytes/sec, 1024.94 docs/sec
total 2 reads, 0.000 sec, 0.0 kb/call avg, 0.0 msec/call avg
total 6 writes, 0.000 sec, 0.0 kb/call avg, 0.0 msec/call avg
rotating indices: succesfully sent SIGHUP to searchd (pid=911)
However, when I try and run "search df" for example, I get:
Sphinx 2.0.4-id64-release (r3135)
Copyright (c) 2001-2012, Andrew Aksyonoff
Copyright (c) 2008-2012, Sphinx Technologies Inc (http://sphinxsearch.com)
using config file '/etc/sphinxsearch/sphinx.conf'...
FATAL: 'sql_query_info' value must contain '$id'
I am running Sphinx Search on Ubuntu 14.04 using an account called "user" which is part of the sudoers file.
I have lost my mind with this, so would appreciate someones help.
Thanks

Answer 1

Your sql_query_info is invalid. It needs to contain $id, as the message says.
However, would highly recommend not using search tool - its broken. Skip it. (articles recommending its use, are outdated) - sql_query_info is only used by search.
Move right on to starting searchd, and use test.php if dont have an application yet. Using test.php to test your index is MUCH better.