[SL] can't connect to mysql

[Honest to G. <h2...@sy...>]

I fought all day against mysql and was thrown back in defeat. I tried
installing from source, from rpm and through red-carpet, I have
configured everything a dozen times and I still can't connect to port
3306.

I get this error:
Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/tmp/mysql.sock' (2)

Yet mysql put that file there when the daemon started, and removes it
when it's stopped. The error log never shows any errors, just ok
startups and shutdowns. I always see the errors on the command line.

I try to telnet to 3306 and the connection is refused. My firewall
allows 3306 and even with firewall disabled I get the same thing. I see
files created and deleted in /var/lib/mysql as I start and stop the
server, it looks ok.

Webmin can't connect and neither can mysqlgui nor can root at the
command line. Everything looks fine but I just can't connect.

After install I ran mysql_install_db and it seemed to work but I don't
see any databases. I think that's where the problem is, no databases. 

What do database tables look like? Where? How big? What extension? I
really need to get sql-ledger up and running. Can I use a different
database? How about postgres? Maybe I can get that one to work. Any help
will save my life ...