MySQL on VPS doin my head in!

Dunno if anyone will be able to help, but I've got some real issues with my VPS and I'm turning to Hexus - you're my only hope!

Basically, a variety of services died on their rear ends yesterday, for no apparent reason. When I phoned support they claimed there was a node out last night, but that is meant to have been resolved now. However, today I couldn't get any websites or email services on my VPS.

Tonight, I've SSHed to the server and managed to get Apache and q-mail started, but MySQL just will not start. I've had a look at the obvious log files and can't see anything useful, but I'm a long way from a linux expert these days.

So, where should I be looking for more assistance? Which log file holds the critical piece of information I'm missing? And what's the best way to go about trying to start the service aside from using the script @ /etc/init.d/mysql (in case it's an issue with the start-up script)?

AFAIK, the VPS runs MySQL 5.0.22 on Ubuntu 6.06, I've had a quck google but couldn't find anything immediately useful (my google-fu is weak :( )...


EDIT
OK, after poking around with Virtuozzo I found that there was an update available for MySQL on my VPS, installed it, and we're all good! No idea what scuppered it in the first place mind you. It's a good job I'm not sitting at my desk though - it'd have a head-shaped impression if I was :embarrassed:

Have a look in /var/log and see if there is anything MySQL related there. Also have a look at /var/log/messages and see if anything shows there when you try to start it.

Are they really using Ubuntu 6.06? That was released in June (I think) 2006, so even if it were the LTS version (Long Term Support) it would be a couple of years out of support.

The server version is still supported until June 2011: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu_...elease_history

So it is - I stand corrected.

Yeah, I've spent most of the evening searching through everything in /var/log, with nothing obviously indicating what the problem was besides MySQL not starting! Sorted now thanks to the pragmatic approach of seeing if there's an update to the software that's failed, but I'm still not happy that I couldn't find anything. /var/log/messages has virtually nothing in it, /var/log/debug had the exact same messages I got from trying to start the service from the command line, and the mysql specific logs had nothing in them *at all* :rolleyes:

As to the age of Ubuntu 6.06, I took out the VPS at least 2, and possibly (more likely!) 3 years ago, and haven't bothered updating the software since then as it was doing everything I needed it to. But I was considering switching hosts this renewal anyway, so I'll probably end up on newer software be default :D

Anyway, it's just another reinforcement of my need to move hosting...

does mysqld start if you attempt to execute it directly?