This section lists the problems you might encounter when attempting to run the mysql_install_db script:

• Doesn't install grant tables

  While attempting to run mysql_install_db, you notice that it doesn't install the grant tables and terminates with the following messages:

    starting mysqld daemon with databases from xxxx
    mysql daemon ended

  In this case, you should examine the log file. The log should be located in the directory xxxx named by the error message, and should indicate why mysqld didn't start.

• There is already a mysqld daemon running

  In this case, you probably don't have to run mysql_install_db at all. You have to run mysql_install_db only once, when you install MySQL for the first time.

• Installing a second mysqld daemon doesn't work when one daemon is running

  This can happen when you already have an existing MySQL installation, but want to put a new installation in a different place (for example, for testing, or perhaps you simply want to run two installations at the same time). Generally the problem that occurs when you try to run the second server is that it tries to use the same socket and port as the old one. In this case you will get the error message: Can't start server: Bind on TCP/IP port: Address already in use or Can't start server: Bind on unix socket...

• You don't have write access to /tmp

  If you don't have write access to create a socket file at the default location (in /tmp) or permission to create temporary files in /tmp, you will get an error when running mysql_install_db or when starting or using mysqld.

  You can specify a different socket and temporary directory as follows:

    % TMPDIR=/some_tmp_dir/
    % MYSQL_UNIX_PORT=/some_tmp_dir/mysqld.sock
    % export TMPDIR MYSQL_UNIX_PORT

• mysqld crashes immediately

  If you are running RedHat 5.0 with a version of glibc older than 2.0.7-5, you should make sure you have installed all glibc patches.

Keep in mind that you can start mysqld manually using the --skip-grant-tables option and add the privilege information yourself using mysql:

  $ BINDIR/safe_mysqld --skip-grant-tables &
  $ BINDIR/mysql -u root mysql

From mysql, manually execute the SQL commands in mysql_install_db. Make sure you run mysqladmin flush-privileges or mysqladmin reload afterward to tell the server to reload the grant tables.