MYSQL not running on Ubuntu OS - Error 2002 - mysql

Question

I am a novice to mysql DB. I am trying to run the MYSQL Server on Ubuntu 10.04. Through Synaptic Package Manager I am have installed the mysql version: mysql-client-5.1
I wonder that how was the database password set for the mysql-client software that I installed through the above way.It would be nice if you could enlighten me on this.
When I tried running this database, I encountered the error given below:
mohnish#mohnish-laptop:/var/lib$ mysql
ERROR 2002 (HY000): Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock' (2)
mohnish#mohnish-laptop:/var/lib$
I referred to a similar question posted by another user. I didn't find a solution through the proposed answers.
For instance when I tried the solutions posted for the similar question I got the following:
mohnish#mohnish-laptop:/var/lib$ service start mysqld
start: unrecognized service
mohnish#mohnish-laptop:/var/lib$ ps -u mysql
ERROR: User name does not exist.
********* simple selection ********* ********* selection by list *********
-A all processes -C by command name
-N negate selection -G by real group ID (supports names)
-a all w/ tty except session leaders -U by real user ID (supports names)
-d all except session leaders -g by session OR by effective group name
-e all processes -p by process ID
T all processes on this terminal -s processes in the sessions given
a all w/ tty, including other users -t by tty
g OBSOLETE -- DO NOT USE -u by effective user ID (supports names)
r only running processes U processes for specified users
x processes w/o controlling ttys t by tty
*********** output format ********** *********** long options ***********
-o,o user-defined -f full --Group --User --pid --cols --ppid
-j,j job control s signal --group --user --sid --rows --info
-O,O preloaded -o v virtual memory --cumulative --format --deselect
-l,l long u user-oriented --sort --tty --forest --version
-F extra full X registers --heading --no-heading --context
********* misc options *********
-V,V show version L list format codes f ASCII art forest
-m,m,-L,-T,H threads S children in sum -y change -l format
-M,Z security data c true command name -c scheduling class
-w,w wide output n numeric WCHAN,UID -H process hierarchy
mohnish#mohnish-laptop:/var/lib$ which mysql
/usr/bin/mysql
mohnish#mohnish-laptop:/var/lib$ mysql
ERROR 2002 (HY000): Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock' (2)
I even tried referring to http://forums.mysql.com/read.php?11,27769,84713#msg-84713 but couldn't find anything useful.
Please let me know how I could tackle this error.
Thank you very much..

Answer 1

mohnish#mohnish-laptop:/var/lib$ service mysqld start
looks like you did not install the mysql server package
sudo apt-get install mysql-server
should help

Answer 2

This really belongs on serverfault.
Anyway, you installed the mysql-client package but what you need is the mysql-server package. The client is just the command-line client, while the server is what runs the server itself.
After installing it on Ubuntu, you can start and stop it as root via:
/etc/init.d/mysql start
/etc/init.d/mysql stop

Answer 3

Use the following commands
dpkg -l mysql* | grep ii | awk '{ print $2 }' | sudo xargs apt-get remove --purge -y
&&
sudo apt-get install mysql-server