Cannot install MYSQL using aptitude...can anyone tell me why?

Question

It just stops and freezes after this.

 The following packages will be upgraded:
      libmysqlclient15off mysql-client mysql-client-5.0 mysql-common
    4 packages upgraded, 4 newly installed, 0 to remove and 49 not upgraded.
    Need to get 38.0MB of archives. After unpacking 91.1MB will be used.
    Do you want to continue? [Y/n/?] y
    Writing extended state information... Done
    Get:1 http://archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/main mysql-common 5.1.30really5.0                                                       .75-0ubuntu10.2 [62.9kB]
    Get:2 http://archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/main mysql-client 5.1.30really5.0                                                       .75-0ubuntu10.2 [55.0kB]
    Get:3 http://archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/main libmysqlclient15off 5.1.30re                                                       ally5.0.75-0ubuntu10.2 [1878kB]
    Get:4 http://archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/main mysql-client-5.0 5.1.30reall                                                       y5.0.75-0ubuntu10.2 [8292kB]
    Get:5 http://archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/main mysql-server-core-5.0 5.1.30                                                       really5.0.75-0ubuntu10.2 [3534kB]
    Get:6 http://archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/main mysql-server-5.0 5.1.30reall                                                       y5.0.75-0ubuntu10.2 [24.0MB]
    Get:7 http://archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/main libhtml-template-perl 2.9-1 [65.8kB]
    Get:8 http://archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/main mysql-server 5.1.30really5.0                                                       .75-0ubuntu10.2 [57.2kB]
    Fetched 38.0MB in 3s (10.8MB/s)
    Preconfiguring packages ...
    (Reading database ... 17211 files and directories currently installed.)
    Preparing to replace mysql-common 5.1.30really5.0.75-0ubuntu10 (using .../mysql-                                                       common_5.1.30really5.0.75-0ubuntu10.2_all.deb) ...
    Unpacking replacement mysql-common ...
    Preparing to replace mysql-client 5.1.30really5.0.75-0ubuntu10 (using .../mysql-                                                       client_5.1.30really5.0.75-0ubuntu10.2_all.deb) ...
    Unpacking replacement mysql-client ...
    Preparing to replace libmysqlclient15off 5.1.30really5.0.75-0ubuntu10 (using ...                                                       /libmysqlclient15off_5.1.30really5.0.75-0ubuntu10.2_amd64.deb) ...
    Unpacking replacement libmysqlclient15off ...
    Preparing to replace mysql-client-5.0 5.1.30really5.0.75-0ubuntu10 (using .../my                                                       sql-client-5.0_5.1.30really5.0.75-0ubuntu10.2_amd64.deb) ...
    Unpacking replacement mysql-client-5.0 ...
    Selecting previously deselected package mysql-server-core-5.0.
    Unpacking mysql-server-core-5.0 (from .../mysql-server-core-5.0_5.1.30really5.0.                                                       75-0ubuntu10.2_amd64.deb) ...
    Setting up mysql-common (5.1.30really5.0.75-0ubuntu10.2) ...
    Selecting previously deselected package mysql-server-5.0.
    (Reading database ... 17290 files and directories currently installed.)
    Unpacking mysql-server-5.0 (from .../mysql-server-5.0_5.1.30really5.0.75-0ubuntu                                                       10.2_amd64.deb) ...
     * Stopping MySQL database server mysqld                                 [ OK ]
    Selecting previously deselected package libhtml-template-perl.
    Unpacking libhtml-template-perl (from .../libhtml-template-perl_2.9-1_all.deb) .                                                       ..
    Selecting previously deselected package mysql-server.
    Unpacking mysql-server (from .../mysql-server_5.1.30really5.0.75-0ubuntu10.2_all                                                       .deb) ...
     * Stopping MySQL database server mysqld                                 [ OK ]
    Setting up libmysqlclient15off (5.1.30really5.0.75-0ubuntu10.2) ...

    Setting up mysql-client-5.0 (5.1.30really5.0.75-0ubuntu10.2) ...
    Setting up mysql-client (5.1.30really5.0.75-0ubuntu10.2) ...
    Setting up mysql-server-core-5.0 (5.1.30really5.0.75-0ubuntu10.2) ...
    Setting up mysql-server-5.0 (5.1.30really5.0.75-0ubuntu10.2) ...
     * Stopping MySQL database server mysqld                                 [ OK ]
     * /etc/init.d/mysql: WARNING: /etc/mysql/my.cnf cannot be read. See README.Debi                                                       an.gz
     * Starting MySQL database server mysqld                                 [fail]
    invoke-rc.d: initscript mysql, action "start" failed.
    dpkg: error processing mysql-server-5.0 (--configure):
     subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
    Setting up libhtml-template-perl (2.9-1) ...
    dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of mysql-server:
     mysql-server depends on mysql-server-5.0; however:
      Package mysql-server-5.0 is not configured yet.
    dpkg: error processing mysql-server (--configure):
     dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
    Processing triggers for libc6 ...
    No apport report written because the error message indicates its a followup erro                                                       r from a previous failure.
                              ldconfig deferred processing now taking place
    Errors were encountered while processing:
     mysql-server-5.0
     mysql-server
    E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
    A package failed to install.  Trying to recover:
    Setting up mysql-server-5.0 (5.1.30really5.0.75-0ubuntu10.2) ...
     * Stopping MySQL database server mysqld                                 [ OK ]
     * /etc/init.d/mysql: WARNING: /etc/mysql/my.cnf cannot be read. See README.Debi                                                       an.gz
     * Starting MySQL database server mysqld                                 [ OK ]
    /etc/init.d/mysql: line 115: /etc/mysql/debian-start: No such file or directory
    invoke-rc.d: initscript mysql, action "start" failed.

Answer 1

Because when you removed the packages last time, you only removed them, not purged them, and then you deleted the config files by hand. So dpkg thinks you don't want a default config file (because you deleted it), so it doesn't install a new one, and MySQL has a cry.

Purge all mysql-related packages and try again.

Answer 2

1. Remove the package completely
2. Clean up apt-get.
3. Delete everything on your system that's still left over from your botched install.
4. apt-get install libmysqlclient15off mysql-client mysql-client-5.0 mysql-common

Answer 3

Check the permissions on /etc/mysql/my.cnf, make sure that it's readable. Otherwise, as suggested, check out README.Debian (probably found in /usr/share/doc/mysql-server).