I'm stuck with installing sql...

I get this error in the log:

050906 17:42:50 mysqld started
/usr/sbin/mysqld: Can't create/write to file '/root/tmp/ibvjpUoe' (Errcode: 13)
050906 17:42:50 InnoDB: Error: unable to create temporary file; errno: 13
050906 17:42:50 [ERROR] Can't init databases
050906 17:42:50 [ERROR] Aborting

050906 17:42:50 [Note] /usr/sbin/mysqld: Shutdown complete

050906 17:42:50 mysqld ended

and when I try:
/usr/sbin/mysqld --skip-grant &

050906 17:51:32 [Warning] Can't create test file /var/lib/mysql/SDF-3.lower-test
050906 17:51:32 [ERROR] Can't start server : Bind on unix socket: Address already in use
050906 17:51:32 [ERROR] Do you already have another mysqld server running on socket: /var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock ?
050906 17:51:32 [ERROR] Aborting

050906 17:51:32 [Note] /usr/sbin/mysqld: Shutdown complete

[1] 7734
[1] Exit 1 /usr/sbin/mysqld --skip-grant


If I try to start or stop the service with the mandrake control center it says failed.

I'm using mandriva LE 2005

help please!

make sure that whatever user MySQL is using is owner of the database directory

UnderDark is correct - "errno 13" means "Permission denied":

less /usr/include/asm/errno.h =>
#define EACCES 13 /* Permission denied */

thanks.

now though, I've got this error:

/usr/sbin/mysqld
050906 21:15:49 InnoDB: Database was not shut down normally!
InnoDB: Starting crash recovery.
InnoDB: Reading tablespace information from the .ibd files...
InnoDB: Restoring possible half-written data pages from the doublewrite
InnoDB: buffer...
050906 21:15:49 InnoDB: Starting log scan based on checkpoint at
InnoDB: log sequence number 0 43634.
InnoDB: Doing recovery: scanned up to log sequence number 0 43634
050906 21:15:49 InnoDB: Flushing modified pages from the buffer pool...
050906 21:15:49 InnoDB: Started; log sequence number 0 43634
050906 21:15:49 [ERROR] Fatal error: Can't open privilege tables: Table 'mysql.host' doesn't exist

I haven't any tables or databases created yet though, so I'm not sure what it's looking for...

Moving to Linux - Software. Not programming related.

Sound's like it's got confused because of your orig problems.
Try going in as root and completely un-installing MySQL, then start agin.
Quicker that trying to untangle it I'd expect.
BTW, When it installs, it create some internal tables for it's own management; aka meta-data tables.