[HELP] L2j players online script problem

This one does now work: (dont count online ppl)

<?php
//first you need to define db info
  define('mySQL_hostname', 'localhost');  //database IP
  define('mySQL_database', 'lxjxxs');  //database name
  define('mySQL_username', 'xxxx');  //database user
  define('mySQL_password', 'ztxaasz');  //database password

//connects to mysql
  $db_link = mysql_pconnect( mySQL_hostname, mySQL_username, mySQL_password )
    or die( 'Error connecting to mysql<br><br>'.mysql_error() );

//connects to Database
  $db_select = mysql_select_db( mySQL_database, $db_link )
    or die( 'Error connecting to Database<br><br>'.mysql_error() );

//selects desired table
   $chars=mysql_query("SELECT * FROM characters");

//tells how much rows are there (will come helpfull with while loops)
   $rows =mysql_numrows($characters);

   $i=0;
   $x=0;

//while $i is smaller than number of rows repeat the code
   while ($i < $rows) {
    $online=mysql_result($chars,$i,"online"); //looks into characters table, under column online(if player is online its "0" else "1"), at row $i
    if ($online == 1) { $x++; } // if column online at row $i is "1", increase $x
    $i++; //increase $i
    }
   print 'Online players:<em>'.$x.'<em>'; //prints out the $x number of players online
?>

And this one works great, but makes my website go crazy (distorts everything):

<?php
//first you need to define db info
define('server_ip', 'localhost'); //database IP
define('mysql_user', 'asaxczt'); //database name
define('mysql_pass', 'ęčąęčąęą'); //database user
define('database', 'ėęčėęčėčę'); //database password


//connects to mysql
$connect = mysql_connect( server_ip, mysql_user, mysql_pass )
or die( 'Error connecting to mysql<br><br>'.mysql_error() );

//connects to Database
$db_select = mysql_select_db( database, $connect )
or die( 'Error connecting to Database<br><br>'.mysql_error() );

$query = mysql_query("SELECT online FROM characters WHERE online=1") or die(mysql_error());

   $online_chars = mysql_num_rows($query);
   
print 'Players Online:' .$online_chars;
   
mysql_close($connect);
?>

Where is the problem?