I have a server that I can't get MySQL running on, I installed something that killed it and no matter what I remove it still won't start.

So I can't export the databases because I can't get MySQL running.  I sat up a new server and copied the database files from the dead one over but that doesn't seem to work either!  How can I recover my databases?

I also tried starting MySQL in safe mode and that didn't work either.

Ta!

You fixed it all by yourself, clever boy!

Eh, I got lucky is all.

I just misspent hours to update mysql on my ancien powermac g5 development server using macports. It's all kinds of f'd up (the macports install, mysql is now updated and working ok, except I can no longer start it with a .bash_profile alias).

It's frustrating.  Especially when the error messages are vague and cryptic and no help.  I still don't know what happened to cause mine to meltdown.

Can you re-create the old databases using an import? I mostly use phpmyadmin for that stuff.

I was able to do that with my beehive database, but I lost my wordpress database.  Not a big deal but it was 10 years of blog posts.  I don't think humanity will recover if they can't read my insightful posts!

Is tha data lost or just hidden? Maybe Wordpress can help recover it? Check their Help? I used Wordpress for a business website, but I know nowt about what you'd have to try to do.