Upgraded to mysql 5 and now it would not start?

Moderator please Sticky this for a long time!!

Upgraded to mysql 5 and now it would not start with error like:

Starting MySQLCouldn't find MySQL manager or server[FAILED]

This may or may not be a bug, but for the thousands of webmasters with customised my.cnf files it needs to be a STICKY reminder please Moderator (have the problem confirmed from others first if you like, but I bet most just revert to downgrading because mysql would not start and it's a very simple solution that is hard to figure.)
I had that problem, that was because I have customized the my.cnf file, OK it seems before mysql 5, but for mysql 5, it would not start if you have:

######
[mysql.server]

user=mysql

basedir=/var/lib
############

For Mysql 5 to start, change it to:
#############
[mysql.server]

user=mysql

#basedir=/var/lib
##############
I commented out the basedir line as you can see above with # in my.cnf (/etc/my.cnf), for some reason mysql 5 does not need patronising , then it'll starts OK.

What I did also is follow the tweak settings recommendation for upgrading to mysql, I did not tick the use password for 4.0 (that depends on what you have as scripts..). I changed the root password for none, gracefully rebooted the whole server twice after updating software, apache and executing this command: /scripts/perlinstaller --force Bundle::DBD::mysql (to update the Perl DBD TO MYSQL 5).

I have a lot of other customised statement in that file, mysql 5 seems to be OK with that.
We use Linux CentOS 4.3 / cpanel latest default Apache 1.xx ., but the above problem may be OS independent, I don't know for sure!

 

I had to comment out that one because it has to do with the server itself. I was lucky to hit a lucky note there after a while wondering, trying and testing other avenues. I was close to downgrading again when I thought mysql usually comes with default my.cnf let's have it as it comes and commented out what should not be there as I have a test server, although a windows box, it gave me a hint in the my.ini (windows), I went and changed the Linux server accordingly, commenting out one at a time (starting a restarting) utill it worked.

I wish someone will point that out on the mysql website or at least on the commercial and open source server admin software and control panel's websites (Cpanel, Plesk, Webmin etc), although this could only be a cpanel problem. I WISHED SOMEONE also would sticky this as you said there is nowhere this "bug" is highlighted and probably thousands of webmasters just downgrade and go to a lot of trouble for nothing.