Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock' (2)

I have a mysql database installed on an external hd and when I re-install mysql with the following my.cnf file settings, it reads the database just fine:

user = mysql
pid-file = /var/run/mysqld/mysqld.pid
socket = /var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock
port = 3306
basedir = /usr
datadir = /media/disk/mysql
tmpdir = /media/disk/mysql/tmp
language = /usr/share/mysql/english
skip-external-locking

However, when I restart the cpu I get the following error

Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock' (2)

I can re-install mysql and it will again run just fine??

TIA

scroll down to this page and you'll see a lot of identical threads.

don't reinstall, just probably not actually got the service running. "service mysql start" or whatever that command should be in a gui.

Not sure I understand your post. I don't have "service" if I do a mysql start I get the same error as posted?

mysql is a standard client server architecture. "mysql" is the client, "mysqld" is the server (the daemon). you need mysqld running in order for mysql to have something to connect to. that's what a service script does. you can also run "/etc/init.d/mysql start" or *a variation* thereof, or, as above, a gui equivalent.