[debian-mysql] Bug#530787: invoke-rc.d: initscript mysql, action "start" failed after installation

[Andrew Schulman]

> Starting MySQL database server: mysqld . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
> failed!

I also had this problem, after upgrading mysql-server to 5.1.36-3.  I 
downgraded back to 5.0.51a-24+lenny1, but the server still wouldn't start.  
/var/log/daemon.log said:

Jul 26 05:19:01 helium mysqld_safe[3640]: 090726  5:19:01 [ERROR] 
/usr/sbin/mysqld: unknown option '--skip-federated'            
Jul 26 05:19:01 helium mysqld_safe[3640]: Installation of system tables 
failed!

So I removed the 'skip-federated' option from /etc/mysql/my.cnf, and now 
mysqld starts again.