package mysql-server-5.1 5.1.54-1ubuntu4 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1

[kagaku]

Using apt-get from terminal input: updated; then installed; apache2; then mysql-server. This is where the error occured resulting in this screen output-

Unpacking mysql-server (from .../mysql-server_5.1.54-1ubuntu4_all.deb) ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Processing triggers for ureadahead ...
ureadahead will be reprofiled on next reboot
Setting up libdbd-mysql-perl (4.016-1) ...
Setting up mysql-client-core-5.1 (5.1.54-1ubuntu4) ...
Setting up mysql-client-5.1 (5.1.54-1ubuntu4) ...
Setting up mysql-server-core-5.1 (5.1.54-1ubuntu4) ...
Setting up mysql-server-5.1 (5.1.54-1ubuntu4) ...
120107 14:42:35 [Note] Plugin 'FEDERATED' is disabled.
120107 14:42:35 InnoDB: Initializing buffer pool, size = 8.0M
120107 14:42:35 InnoDB: Completed initialization of buffer pool
120107 14:42:35 InnoDB: Started; log sequence number 0 44233
120107 14:42:35 InnoDB: Starting shutdown...
120107 14:42:40 InnoDB: Shutdown completed; log sequence number 0 44233
start: Job failed to start
invoke-rc.d: initscript mysql, action "start" failed.
dpkg: error processing mysql-server-5.1 (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Setting up libhtml-template-perl (2.9-2) ...
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of mysql-server:
 mysql-server depends on mysql-server-5.1; however:
  Package mysql-server-5.1 is not configured yet.
dpkg: error processing mysql-server (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
No apport report written because the error message indicates its a followup error from a previous failure.
                          Errors were encountered while processing:
 mysql-server-5.1
 mysql-server
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
Package: mysql-server-5.1 5.1.54-1ubuntu4
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-13.53-generic 2.6.38.8
Uname: Linux 2.6.38-13-generic i686
Architecture: i386
Date: Sat Jan 7 14:42:57 2012
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release i386 (20110427.1)
SourcePackage: mysql-5.1
Title: package mysql-server-5.1 5.1.54-1ubuntu4 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[James Page (james-page)]

Thanks for taking the time to file this bug report and help us make Ubuntu better!

It would help quite a bit to diagnose and/or reproduce this problem if you could include these two files:

/etc/mysql/my.cnf
/var/log/mysql/error.log

Without those its impossible to determine why mysql is failing to start.

Marking Importance Medium as it does not affect all users (able to install mysql on 11.04 without issues).

Setting status to Incomplete pending response.

[James Page (james-page)]

This is probably a duplicate of bug 817843

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for mysql-5.1 (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]