root@helium:~# /usr/sbin/mysqld
130115 21:12:06 [Note] Plugin 'FEDERATED' is disabled.
/usr/sbin/mysqld: Incorrect file format 'plugin'
130115 21:12:06 [ERROR] Can't open the mysql.plugin table. Please run mysql_upgrade to create it.
130115 21:12:06 InnoDB: The InnoDB memory heap is disabled
130115 21:12:06 InnoDB: Mutexes and rw_locks use GCC atomic builtins
130115 21:12:06 InnoDB: Compressed tables use zlib 1.2.3.4
130115 21:12:06 InnoDB: Initializing buffer pool, size = 128.0M
130115 21:12:06 InnoDB: Completed initialization of buffer pool
130115 21:12:06 InnoDB: highest supported file format is Barracuda.
InnoDB: The log sequence number in ibdata files does not match
InnoDB: the log sequence number in the ib_logfiles!
130115 21:12:06  InnoDB: Database was not shut down normally!
InnoDB: Starting crash recovery.
InnoDB: Reading tablespace information from the .ibd files...
InnoDB: Restoring possible half-written data pages from the doublewrite
InnoDB: buffer...
130115 21:12:06  InnoDB: Waiting for the background threads to start
130115 21:12:07 InnoDB: 1.1.8 started; log sequence number 1595685
130115 21:12:07 [Note] Server hostname (bind-address): '127.0.0.1'; port: 3306
130115 21:12:07 [Note]   - '127.0.0.1' resolves to '127.0.0.1';
130115 21:12:07 [Note] Server socket created on IP: '127.0.0.1'.
130115 21:12:07 [ERROR] Fatal error: Can't open and lock privilege tables: Incorrect file format 'host'

root@helium:~# /usr/sbin/mysqld --skip-grant-tables &
[1] 2030
root@helium:~# 130115 21:13:28 [Note] Plugin 'FEDERATED' is disabled.
130115 21:13:28 InnoDB: The InnoDB memory heap is disabled
130115 21:13:28 InnoDB: Mutexes and rw_locks use GCC atomic builtins
130115 21:13:28 InnoDB: Compressed tables use zlib 1.2.3.4
130115 21:13:28 InnoDB: Initializing buffer pool, size = 128.0M
130115 21:13:28 InnoDB: Completed initialization of buffer pool
130115 21:13:28 InnoDB: highest supported file format is Barracuda.
InnoDB: The log sequence number in ibdata files does not match
InnoDB: the log sequence number in the ib_logfiles!
130115 21:13:28  InnoDB: Database was not shut down normally!
InnoDB: Starting crash recovery.
InnoDB: Reading tablespace information from the .ibd files...
InnoDB: Restoring possible half-written data pages from the doublewrite
InnoDB: buffer...
130115 21:13:28  InnoDB: Waiting for the background threads to start
130115 21:13:29 InnoDB: 1.1.8 started; log sequence number 1595685
130115 21:13:29 [Note] Server hostname (bind-address): '127.0.0.1'; port: 3306
130115 21:13:29 [Note]   - '127.0.0.1' resolves to '127.0.0.1';
130115 21:13:29 [Note] Server socket created on IP: '127.0.0.1'.
130115 21:13:29 [Note] /usr/sbin/mysqld: ready for connections.
Version: '5.5.28-0ubuntu0.12.04.3'  socket: '/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock'  port: 3306  (Ubuntu)

root@helium:~# mysql -u root -p
Enter password:
Welcome to the MySQL monitor.  Commands end with ; or \g.
Your MySQL connection id is 1
Server version: 5.5.28-0ubuntu0.12.04.3 (Ubuntu)

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Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its
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owners.

Type 'help;' or '\h' for help. Type '\c' to clear the current input statement.

mysql> use mysql;
Reading table information for completion of table and column names
You can turn off this feature to get a quicker startup with -A

Database changed
mysql> select User, Password, Host from user;
ERROR 130 (HY000): Incorrect file format 'user'
mysql>