Can't start MySQL5.5 on Ubuntu 12.04 - "dpkg: dependency problems"

Question

This appears to be a common problem on 12.04. I've tried everthing in this thread including:

sudo apt-get clean

sudo apt-get autoclean

sudo apt-get remove --purge mysql-client-5.5 mysql-client-core-5.5 mysql-common mysql-server mysql-server-5.5 mysql-server-core-5.5

sudo apt-get install mysql-server

I still get the same old error. Installing/starting MySql5.5 looks like this:

apt-get install -f mysql-server
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
mysql-server is already the newest version.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
2 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? Y
Setting up mysql-server-5.5 (5.5.24-0ubuntu0.12.04.1) ...
120907 21:37:15 [Note] Plugin 'FEDERATED' is disabled.
120907 21:37:15 InnoDB: The InnoDB memory heap is disabled
120907 21:37:15 InnoDB: Mutexes and rw_locks use GCC atomic builtins
120907 21:37:15 InnoDB: Compressed tables use zlib 1.2.3.4
120907 21:37:15 InnoDB: Initializing buffer pool, size = 128.0M
120907 21:37:15 InnoDB: Completed initialization of buffer pool
120907 21:37:15 InnoDB: highest supported file format is Barracuda.
120907 21:37:15  InnoDB: Waiting for the background threads to start
120907 21:37:16 InnoDB: 1.1.8 started; log sequence number 154164236
120907 21:37:16  InnoDB: Starting shutdown...
120907 21:37:16  InnoDB: Shutdown completed; log sequence number 154164236
start: Job failed to start
invoke-rc.d: initscript mysql, action "start" failed.
dpkg: error processing mysql-server-5.5 (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of mysql-server:
 mysql-server depends on mysql-server-5.5; however:
  Package mysql-server-5.5 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-5.5
 mysql-server

In addition, dpkg-reconfigure mysql-server-5.5 returns /usr/sbin/dpkg-reconfigure: mysql-server-5.5 is broken or not fully installed

The ultimate goal here is installing and configuring Gitorious to work with Redmine but I believe the problem is isolated to Ubuntu 12.04 and MySql5.5

Answer 1

I found solution with this step:

WARNING: the following step will DELETE your existing data! please backup first!!!

$ sudo apt-get --yes autoremove --purge mysql-server-5.5

$ sudo apt-get --yes autoremove --purge mysql-client-5.5

$ sudo apt-get --yes autoremove --purge mysql-common

$ sudo rm -rf /var/lib/mysql /etc/mysql ~/.mysql



$ sudo deluser mysql

$ sudo apt-get autoclean

$ sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade

$ sudo apt-get install mysql-server-5.5 mysql-client-5.5

NOTE: when you get 'dpkg: error...' please run step below:

$ sudo dpkg --configure -a

good luck!