Here is my console output on a fresh install of Ubuntu 12.04 dedicated server with 1and1 libdbd-mysql-perl{a} libdbi-perl{a} libhtml-template-perl{a} libmysqlclient18{a} libnet-daemon-perl{a} libplrpc-perl{a} mysql-client-5.5{a} mysql-client-core-5.5{a} mysql-common{a} mysql-server mysql-server-5.5{a} mysql-server-core-5.5{a} 0 packages upgraded, 12 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded. Need to get 27.1 MB of archives. After unpacking 97.1 MB will be used. Do you want to continue? [Y/n/?] Y Get: 1 http://mirror.us.oneandone.net/ubuntu/ubuntu/ precise/main mysql-common all 5.5.22-0ubuntu1 [13.7 kB] Get: 2 http://mirror.us.oneandone.net/ubuntu/ubuntu/ precise/main libmysqlclient18 amd64 5.5.22-0ubuntu1 [946 kB] Get: 3 http://mirror.us.oneandone.net/ubuntu/ubuntu/ precise/main libnet-daemon-perl all 0.48-1 [43.1 kB] Get: 4 http://mirror.us.oneandone.net/ubuntu/ubuntu/ precise/main libplrpc-perl all 0.2020-2 [36.0 kB] Get: 5 http://mirror.us.oneandone.net/ubuntu/ubuntu/ precise/main libdbi-perl amd64 1.616-1build2 [849 kB] Get: 6 http://mirror.us.oneandone.net/ubuntu/ubuntu/ precise/main libdbd-mysql-perl amd64 4.020-1build2 [106 kB] Get: 7 http://mirror.us.oneandone.net/ubuntu/ubuntu/ precise/main mysql-client-core-5.5 amd64 5.5.22-0ubuntu1 [1,926 kB] Get: 8 http://mirror.us.oneandone.net/ubuntu/ubuntu/ precise/main mysql-client-5.5 amd64 5.5.22-0ubuntu1 [8,298 kB] Get: 9 http://mirror.us.oneandone.net/ubuntu/ubuntu/ precise/main mysql-server-core-5.5 amd64 5.5.22-0ubuntu1 [6,022 kB] Get: 10 http://mirror.us.oneandone.net/ubuntu/ubuntu/ precise/main mysql-server-5.5 amd64 5.5.22-0ubuntu1 [8,816 kB] Get: 11 http://mirror.us.oneandone.net/ubuntu/ubuntu/ precise/main libhtml-template-perl all 2.10-1 [65.0 kB] Get: 12 http://mirror.us.oneandone.net/ubuntu/ubuntu/ precise/main mysql-server all 5.5.22-0ubuntu1 [11.8 kB] Fetched 27.1 MB in 2s (10.7 MB/s) Preconfiguring packages ... Selecting previously unselected package mysql-common. (Reading database ... 57680 files and directories currently installed.) Unpacking mysql-common (from .../mysql-common_5.5.22-0ubuntu1_all.deb) ... Selecting previously unselected package libmysqlclient18. Unpacking libmysqlclient18 (from .../libmysqlclient18_5.5.22-0ubuntu1_amd64.deb) ... Selecting previously unselected package libnet-daemon-perl. Unpacking libnet-daemon-perl (from .../libnet-daemon-perl_0.48-1_all.deb) ... Selecting previously unselected package libplrpc-perl. Unpacking libplrpc-perl (from .../libplrpc-perl_0.2020-2_all.deb) ... Selecting previously unselected package libdbi-perl. Unpacking libdbi-perl (from .../libdbi-perl_1.616-1build2_amd64.deb) ... Selecting previously unselected package libdbd-mysql-perl. Unpacking libdbd-mysql-perl (from .../libdbd-mysql-perl_4.020-1build2_amd64.deb) ... Selecting previously unselected package mysql-client-core-5.5. Unpacking mysql-client-core-5.5 (from .../mysql-client-core-5.5_5.5.22-0ubuntu1_amd64.deb) ... Selecting previously unselected package mysql-client-5.5. Unpacking mysql-client-5.5 (from .../mysql-client-5.5_5.5.22-0ubuntu1_amd64.deb) ... Selecting previously unselected package mysql-server-core-5.5. Unpacking mysql-server-core-5.5 (from .../mysql-server-core-5.5_5.5.22-0ubuntu1_amd64.deb) ... Processing triggers for man-db ... Setting up mysql-common (5.5.22-0ubuntu1) ... Selecting previously unselected package mysql-server-5.5. (Reading database ... 58046 files and directories currently installed.) Unpacking mysql-server-5.5 (from .../mysql-server-5.5_5.5.22-0ubuntu1_amd64.deb) ... Selecting previously unselected package libhtml-template-perl. Unpacking libhtml-template-perl (from .../libhtml-template-perl_2.10-1_all.deb) ... Selecting previously unselected package mysql-server. Unpacking mysql-server (from .../mysql-server_5.5.22-0ubuntu1_all.deb) ... Processing triggers for ureadahead ... Processing triggers for man-db ... Setting up libmysqlclient18 (5.5.22-0ubuntu1) ... Setting up libnet-daemon-perl (0.48-1) ... Setting up libplrpc-perl (0.2020-2) ... Setting up libdbi-perl (1.616-1build2) ... Setting up libdbd-mysql-perl (4.020-1build2) ... Setting up mysql-client-core-5.5 (5.5.22-0ubuntu1) ... Setting up mysql-client-5.5 (5.5.22-0ubuntu1) ... Setting up mysql-server-core-5.5 (5.5.22-0ubuntu1) ... Setting up mysql-server-5.5 (5.5.22-0ubuntu1) ... 120608 21:09:08 [Note] Plugin 'FEDERATED' is disabled. 120608 21:09:08 InnoDB: The InnoDB memory heap is disabled 120608 21:09:08 InnoDB: Mutexes and rw_locks use GCC atomic builtins 120608 21:09:08 InnoDB: Compressed tables use zlib 1.2.3.4 120608 21:09:08 InnoDB: Initializing buffer pool, size = 128.0M 120608 21:09:08 InnoDB: Completed initialization of buffer pool 120608 21:09:08 InnoDB: highest supported file format is Barracuda. 120608 21:09:08 InnoDB: Waiting for the background threads to start 120608 21:09:09 InnoDB: 1.1.8 started; log sequence number 1595675 120608 21:09:09 InnoDB: Starting shutdown... 120608 21:09:10 InnoDB: Shutdown completed; log sequence number 1595675 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 No apport report written because MaxReports is reached already Setting up libhtml-template-perl (2.10-1) ... 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 MaxReports is reached already Processing triggers for libc-bin ... ldconfig deferred processing now taking place Errors were encountered while processing: mysql-server-5.5 mysql-server E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1) A package failed to install. Trying to recover: Setting up mysql-server-5.5 (5.5.22-0ubuntu1) ... 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 Errors were encountered while processing: mysql-server-5.5 mysql-server