MySQL Max connections?

[Jacob S <stormspotter@6Texans.net>]

Hello list,

I am having a problem with mysql refusing connections intermittently on
a webserver. It acts like an invisible limit has been hit on the maximum
number of connections. Not finding any info in the config files about
the max number of connections allowed, I did some googling. 

This url is the closest I can find, though I notice their syntax seems
to be a lot different from the standard mysql config file in Debian. Not
to mention that the page was last updated 09/2003.

http://www-css.fnal.gov/dsg/external/freeware/mysqlTuning.html

Can anyone tell me if this is the correct way to increase the max number
of connections, or how to do it if it's not? I would try to test it
myself, but it is a bit hard to do on a busy server and when I would
need a huge number of connections. 

TIA,
Jacob