I installed MySQL 3.23.54 on Win98se. The installation ran smoothly ; but when trying to start MySQL, from the DOS window, as the manual stated, this appeared at the window:

****************************************** C:\> C:\mysql\bin\mysqld *(enter)

C:\> ******************************************

As everybody knows, even a whitespace or a character more or less in these command line windows is sufficient to cause a malfunction or result in nothing. After attempting and failing to start the server, I closed the window and tried again later, and the result was "ERROR 2003...." Sometimes MySQL concedes to start, sometimes not.... Why is this capricious behavior?

However, when doing this, the server starts (but only after a system reboot): ********************************************************************** C:\> cd\mysql

C:\mysql\bin> mysql -uroot Welcome to the MySQL monitor. Commands end with ; or \g. Your MySQL connection id is 31 to server version: 3.23.54-max-debug

Type 'help;' or '\h' for help. Type '\c' to clear the buffer. ******************************************************************* This was not in the manual

After this, the only way to shut down the server is using MySQLAdmin. Any “-shutdown” commands (the manual) end with the dreaded and recurrent “ERROR 2003...”

Even though I am a newbie in MySQL, I expected that the simplest commands would be accessible. The section “2.6.2.1 Starting MySQL on Windows 95, 98 or Me” is all wrong. Either the manual is wrong, or it is posted only for experts.