I'm using the default installation of MySQL under Linux 7. Unfortunately I get this error when I try to make "any" type of connection to MySQL.

error: 'Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock' (111)'

Can any one help?

At the risk of insulting your intelligence is mysqld running? If it is running your software might be looking for mysql.sock in the wrong place, run in an attempt to located it, mine is in /tmp which is the default location when doing a source install, dunno about Redhat's (I'm assuming you mean Redhat 7 by 'Linux 7' ) RPMs. If you do find it somewhere else then have a go at using to initiate the connection as user root, and using the 'mysql' database, this will prompt you for a password if you have one set. You can set this using /etc/my.cnf if you don't want to type it in every time. Check out the mysql manual for file details.

HTH

Jamie...

there is a bug in the original release that wont allow you to connect check out http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHBA-2000-067.html to get the updated version

Thanks, I'll try that out. I am not insulted at all, I am a complete novice when it comes to Linux.

I ran the command suggested and it gave me this output:
/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock
find: /proc/6/fd: Permission denied

I am logged on as root.

chmod 777 /var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock

you should be all set.

sorry guys but, it keeps giving me the same error, is there something else I may be doing wrong?

The error it gives you is when you run 'find' yeah? What happens when you use the mysql command to connect to it, as mentioned ealier? The 'find' might be trying to stat the file, which is really connected to a process, which is knocking you back in the same way it would with any unauthenticated access...

Jamie...

The find command is actually run with no error, but no other commands work.

did you try updating the packages? also dont forget the command mysql_install_db to install the basic db files.

When I tried to update the packages it gave me an error stating that the updated packages conflicted with the packages that were already installed and did not let me update. Again, I'm a novice with linux and may be doing something wrong. I think I did everything correctly. I'm a novice with Linux but I'm pretty adept in a wide variety of other operating systems and applications I hold certifications in Microsoft, Novell, Cisco, Prosoft, and CompTia. I say this so you know that I'm not a complete dummy, I just do not know a lot about Linux.

i know the problem is witht he packages. i had the exact same problem with them. you may want to check the man page for rpm and force the packages. you can also try unistalling the current mysql packages then installing the new ones.

Thanks, with out sounding too much of a dummy, I wonder if I could ask, How would I uninstall the packages?

$ rpm -qa | grep mysql

$ rpm -e NAME_OF_PACKAGE_TO_REMOVE

it may abort because of depends.. i usually just remove all deps, and do everything over(mysql shouldnt have very many depends.. i have never tried it with the --nodeps option...
but that will ignore all dependencies and just remove it...

I ran into the same problem. I uninstalled and deleted the rpm's and then redownloaded them and everything worked fine the second go round.