package mysql-server-5.1 5.1.63-0ubuntu0.10.04.1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 1

[Darryl]

when installing it got stuck at 73% and wouldn't go any futher so I had to reboot. All down hill from there.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: mysql-server-5.1 5.1.63-0ubuntu0.10.04.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-41.94-generic 2.6.32.59+drm33.24
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-41-generic i686
Architecture: i386
Date: Fri Jul 27 23:52:05 2012
ErrorMessage: subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 1
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04 LTS "Lucid Lynx" - Release i386 (20100429)
Logs.var.log.kern.log:
 Jul 28 00:07:45 darryl-desktop kernel: [ 2439.371021] type=1505 audit(1343452065.187:15): operation="profile_load" pid=4257 name="/usr/sbin/mysqld"
 Jul 28 10:23:55 darryl-desktop kernel: [ 16.811882] type=1505 audit(1343489035.638:18): operation="profile_load" pid=736 name="/usr/sbin/mysqld"
MySQLConf.etc.mysql.conf.d.mysqld.safe.syslog.cnf:
 [mysqld_safe]
 syslog
MySQLConf.etc.mysql.my.cnf: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/etc/mysql/my.cnf'
MySQLVarLibDirListing: ['ib_logfile1', 'ib_logfile0', 'debian-5.1.flag', 'darryl-desktop.err', 'mysql', 'debian-5.0.flag', 'ibdata1']
SourcePackage: mysql-dfsg-5.1
Title: package mysql-server-5.1 5.1.63-0ubuntu0.10.04.1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 1

[Clint Byrum (clint-fewbar)]

Hi Darryl, it looks like you removed the main mysql config file, /etc/mysql/my.cnf. That may be the cause of your problems.

Also:

Unpacking mysql-server-5.1 (from .../mysql-server-5.1_5.1.63-0ubuntu0.10.04.1_i386.deb) ...
 * Stopping MySQL database server mysqld
   ...fail!
invoke-rc.d: initscript mysql, action "stop" failed.
invoke-rc.d returned 1
There is a MySQL server running, but we failed in our attempts to stop it.
Stop it yourself and try again!

This probably means your system is somewhat broken since the regular mechanisms for controlling the mysql service are not working. I would suggest restoring the config file and trying again. You can get it back by doing

dpkg -i --force-confmiss /var/cache/apt/archives/mysql-common_*5.1.63-0ubuntu0.10.04.1*.deb