$ /etc/init.d/mysql start
* Starting MariaDB database server mysqld  [fail]

$ tail -f /var/log/mysql.err
120426 11:19:55  InnoDB: Log file ./ib_logfile0 did not exist: new to be created
InnoDB: Setting log file ./ib_logfile0 size to 1024 MB
InnoDB: Database physically writes the file full: wait...
InnoDB: Progress in MB: 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
120426 11:20:07  InnoDB: Log file ./ib_logfile1 did not exist: new to be created
InnoDB: Setting log file ./ib_logfile1 size to 1024 MB
InnoDB: Database physically writes the file full: wait...
InnoDB: Progress in MB: 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
[...]
120426 11:20:24 [Note] /usr/sbin/mysqld: ready for connections.
# Version: '5.5.23-MariaDB-mariadb1~oneiric-log'  socket: '/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock'  port: 3306  mariadb.org binary distribution

MYSQLD_STARTUP_TIMEOUT=900 /etc/init.d/mysql start

sudo MYSQLD_STARTUP_TIMEOUT=900 service mysql start

sudo MYSQLD_STARTUP_TIMEOUT=900 apt-get dist-upgrade

# 900 is the default, 0 won't wait at all
--service-startup-timeout=900

service_startup_timeout=900

# time /etc/init.d/mysql start