Can't get MYSQL running

Ubuntu 10.04, linux 2.6.32-27-generic, 2G mem, intel duo T5250 1.5 ghz
dual boot with Vista

Apache2 works fine, PHP info page shows up, mysql -V works
mysql Ver 14.14 Distrib 5.1.41, for debian-linux-gnu (x86_64) using readline 6.1
ha

Error msgs
mysql Ver 14.14 Distrib 5.1.41, for debian-linux-gnu (x86_64) using readline 6.1
hannah@ubuntu:~$ sudo mysql -u root -p
[sudo] password for hannah:
Enter password:
ERROR 2002 (HY000): Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/tmp/mysqld.sock' (2)
hannah@ubuntu:~$

I have chmoded /etc/mysql and /tmp, put a link from /tmp to /var/run/mysqld
Some posts use mysql/mysql.sock, others show myslqd/mysqld.sock, which is correct for Ubuntu?

my.cnf info
hannah@ubuntu:~$ cat /etc/mysql/my.cnf | grep socket
# Remember to edit /etc/mysql/debian.cnf when changing the socket location.
#socket = /var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock
socket = /tmp/mysqld.sock
#socket = /var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock
socket = /tmp/mysqld.sock
#socket = /var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock
socket = /tmp/mysqld.sock
hannah@ubuntu:~$ cat /etc/mysql/my.cnf | grep port
# One can use all long options that the program supports.
# It has been reported that passwords should be enclosed with ticks/quotes
port = 3306
port = 3306
hannah@ubuntu:~$ cat /etc/mysql/my.cnf | grep dir
basedir = /usr
datadir = /var/lib/mysql
tmpdir = /tmp
!includedir /etc/mysql/conf.d/
hannah@ubuntu:~$ cat /etc/mysql/my.cnf | grep addr
#bind-address = 192.168.1.20
bind-address = 127.0.0.1
#bind-address = localhost

I have created a mysql dir in /var/run, but it disappears when i reboot.

Here are the log files msgs
kern.log
-rw-r----- 1 syslog adm 2657550 2010-12-31 15:11 /var/log/kern.log
Dec 31 15:06:54 ubuntu kernel: [ 1954.728774] type=1505 audit(1293836814.701:82): operation="profile_replace" pid=6655 name="/usr/sbin/mysqld"
Dec 31 15:07:24 ubuntu kernel: [ 1985.003696] type=1505 audit(1293836844.981:83): operation="profile_replace" pid=6729 name="/usr/sbin/mysqld"
Dec 31 15:07:55 ubuntu kernel: [ 2015.276972] type=1505 audit(1293836875.251:84): operation="profile_replace" pid=6807 name="/usr/sbin/mysqld"
Dec 31 15:08:25 ubuntu kernel: [ 2045.554549] type=1505 audit(1293836905.531:85): operation="profile_replace" pid=6886 name="/usr/sbin/mysqld"
Dec 31 15:08:55 ubuntu kernel: [ 207

5.831692] type=1505 audit(1293836935.811:86): operation="profile_replace" pid=6978 name="/usr/sbin/mysqld"
Dec 31 15:09:26 ubuntu kernel: [ 2106.107412] type=1505 audit(1293836966.081:87): operation="profile_replace" pid=7061 name="/usr/sbin/mysqld"
Dec 31 15:09:56 ubuntu kernel: [ 2136.383562] type=1505 audit(1293836996.361:88): operation="profile_replace" pid=7139 name="/usr/sbin/mysqld"
Dec 31 15:10:26 ubuntu kernel: [ 2166.660813] type=1505 audit(1293837026.633:89): operation="profile_replace" pid=7214 name="/usr/sbin/mysqld"
Dec 31 15:10:56 ubuntu kernel: [ 2196.938785] type=1505 audit(1293837056.913:90): operation="profile_replace" pid=7288 name="/usr/sbin/mysqld"
Dec 31 15:11:27 ubuntu kernel: [ 2227.213716] type=1505 audit(1293837087.191:91): operation="profile_replace" pid=7362 name="/usr/sbin/mysqld"
----------------------------------------------------------------------
sys.log
-rw-r----- 1 syslog adm 392717 2010-12-31 15:11 /var/log/syslog
Dec 31 15:10:26 ubuntu init: mysql main process (7218) terminated with status 1
Dec 31 15:10:26 ubuntu init: mysql main process ended, respawning
Dec 31 15:10:56 ubuntu init: mysql post-start process (7219) terminated with status 1
Dec 31 15:10:56 ubuntu kernel: [ 2196.938785] type=1505 audit(1293837056.913:90): operation="profile_replace" pid=7288 name="/usr/sbin/mysqld"
Dec 31 15:10:56 ubuntu init: mysql main process (7292) terminated with status 1
Dec 31 15:10:56 ubuntu init: mysql main process ended, respawning
Dec 31 15:11:27 ubuntu init: mysql post-start process (7293) terminated with status 1
Dec 31 15:11:27 ubuntu kernel: [ 2227.213716] type=1505 audit(1293837087.191:91): operation="profile_replace" pid=7362 name="/usr/sbin/mysqld"
Dec 31 15:11:27 ubuntu init: mysql main process (7366) terminated with status 1
Dec 31 15:11:27 ubuntu init: mysql main process ended, respawning
----------------------------------------------------------------------
apache2 error.log
-rw-r----- 1 root adm 42847 2010-12-31 14:40 /var/log/apache2/error.log
[Fri Dec 31 14:34:41 2010] [error] mod_log_sql: insufficient configuration info to establish database link
[Fri Dec 31 14:34:41 2010] [error] mod_log_sql: child spawned but unable to open database link
[Fri Dec 31 14:40:37 2010] [error] mod_log_sql: insufficient configuration info to establish database link
[Fri Dec 31 14:40:37 2010] [error] mod_log_sql: child spawned but unable to open database link
[Fri Dec 31 14:40:40 2010] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] File does not exist: /var/www/favicon.ico
[Fri Dec 31 14:40:49 2010] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] File does not exist: /var/www/~user
[Fri Dec 31 14:40:49 2010] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] File does not exist: /var/www/favicon.ico
[Fri Dec 31 14:40:50 2010] [error] mod_log_sql: insufficient configuration info to establish database link
[Fri Dec 31 14:40:50 2010] [error] mod_log_sql: child spawned but unable to open database link
[Fri Dec 31 14:40:52 2010] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] File does not exist: /var/www/favicon.ico
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's the msql error log

101231 15:21:32 [Note] Plugin 'FEDERATED' is disabled.
/usr/sbin/mysqld: Can't find file: './mysql/plugin.frm' (errno: 13)
101231 15:21:32 [ERROR] Can't open the mysql.plugin table. Please run mysql_upgrade to create it.
101231 15:21:32 InnoDB: Operating system error number 13 in a file operation.
InnoDB: The error means mysqld does not have the access rights to
InnoDB: the directory.
InnoDB: File name ./ibdata1
InnoDB: File operation call: 'create'.
InnoDB: Cannot continue operation.
101231 15:22:03 [Note] Plugin 'FEDERATED' is disabled.
/usr/sbin/mysqld: Can't find file: './mysql/plugin.frm' (errno: 13)
101231 15:22:03 [ERROR] Can't open the mysql.plugin table. Please run mysql_upgrade to create it.
101231 15:22:03 InnoDB: Operating system error number 13 in a file operation.
InnoDB: The error means mysqld does not have the access rights to
InnoDB: the directory.
InnoDB: File name ./ibdata1
InnoDB: File operation call: 'create'.
InnoDB: Cannot continue operation.
root@ubuntu:/#

Can someone point me to a detailed description of how mysql and/or php5 create a socket? Thanks.

Disclaimer: I am not a DBA. I know enough about databases to have a large aspirin budget. But here goes . . . .

MySQL creates a file called mysql.sock. That's the "socket" for connecting to MySQL.

In a normal installation, I think it's in /var/mysql. In a XAMPP installation, I know it's in /opt/lampp/var/mysql.

Here's what the MySQL docs have to say:

http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/...ysql-sock.html

I don't know that I've ever seen it in /tmp, as they describe, but I've only dealt with my own servers.

The command whereis mysql.sock as root might turn it up, but I don't think your mysql is getting enough started to actually create a socket.

Are you starting mysql under root privileges? Not doing so might explain the "no access" errors you are getting.