"Can't connect to local MySQL server"

I am trying to follow the Ubuntu LAMP for Newbies tutorial (http://www.howtoforge.com/ubuntu_lamp_for_newbies). I got to the step where you enter this command:

Code:

sudo apt-get install mysql-server

It asked me to set a password, so I did. That was my mistake. (I do know what the password was.) When I then entered the next command:

Code:

mysql -u root

I got the error that the password was wrong. I did not know how to enter my password into that command, so I went into Synaptic and marked mysql-server for complete removal then went back to the command line and reinstalled mysql-server.
That worked, but it did not ask me for a password. Now when I try mysql -u root, I get this:

Code:

ERROR 2002 (HY000): Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock' (2)

Now what do I do?

Thanks so much!

 

make sure the server is running

 

Thanks! Just before I saw your response I was looking around the web and tried starting the server, but I am glad for confirmation that I did the right thing. Anyway, it worked - sort of. Now I get a different error, though.

Code:

ERROR 1045 (28000): Access denied for user 'root'@'localhost' (using password: NO)

I know what the password is, but I don't know what syntax I would use to put the password into the command (mysql -u root).

Thanks very much!

 

Nevermind. Thanks! I figured it out.

For anyone else with the same problem. The code to start the server is:

Code:

sudo /etc/init.d/mysql start

And I changed this command:

Code:

mysql -u root

Into this command to get it to ask for a password

Code:

mysql -u root -p

Thanks very much!