I downloaded mysql-5.1.44.tar.gz and installed it by issuing the following commands:
$ ./configure
$ make
$ make install
Everything installed without any error. Next, I tried to start the mysql server by issuing the following command:
$ mysqld_safe --user=mysql &
100310 13:25:56 mysqld_safe Logging to '/usr/local/var/perfportal2.err'.
100310 13:25:56 mysqld_safe Starting mysqld daemon with databases from /usr/local/var
100310 13:25:56 mysqld_safe mysqld from pid file /usr/local/var/perfportal2.pid ended
$ cat /usr/local/var/myserver.err
100310 13:25:56 mysqld_safe Starting mysqld daemon with databases from /usr/local/var
/usr/local/libexec/mysqld: Table 'mysql.plugin' doesn't exist
100310 13:25:56 [ERROR] Can't open the mysql.plugin table. Please run mysql_upgrade to create it.
100310 13:25:56 [ERROR] Fatal error: Can't open and lock privilege tables: Table 'mysql.host' doesn't exist
100310 13:25:56 mysqld_safe mysqld from pid file /usr/local/var/perfportal2.pid ended
My guess is the installation process did not create the data directory.
Any suggestions about what I should do?