minnow2:/# LC_ALL=C dpkg-reconfigure mysql-server
/usr/sbin/dpkg-reconfigure: mysql-server is broken or not fully installed
minnow2:/# LC_ALL=C aptitude reinstall mysql-server
The following packages will be REINSTALLED:
  mysql-server
The following partially installed packages will be configured:
  mysql-server-5.1
0 packages upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 reinstalled, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B of archives. After unpacking 0 B will be used.
Setting up mysql-server-5.1 (5.1.49-3) ...
Stopping MySQL database server: mysqld.
Starting MySQL database server: mysqld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . failed!
invoke-rc.d: initscript mysql, action "start" failed.
dpkg: error processing mysql-server-5.1 (--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-5.1; however:
  Package mysql-server-5.1 is not configured yet.
dpkg: error processing mysql-server (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
configured to not write apport reports
                                      configured to not write apport reports
                                                                            Errors were encountered while processing:
 mysql-server-5.1
 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-5.1 (5.1.49-3) ...
Stopping MySQL database server: mysqld.
Starting MySQL database server: mysqld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . failed!
invoke-rc.d: initscript mysql, action "start" failed.
dpkg: error processing mysql-server-5.1 (--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-5.1; however:
  Package mysql-server-5.1 is not configured yet.
dpkg: error processing mysql-server (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Errors were encountered while processing:
 mysql-server-5.1
 mysql-server

minnow2:/#