Permissions problem with MySQL 4.1.3

[Elie `woe` BLETON]

Hello,
I'd like to ask for some help on a problem which have prevented my mysql 
server to run since I updated it from 4.0 to 4.1
Anyway, even if in the idea it's an update, in the facts it's a fresh install, 
from sources.
Sources were configure'd with "./configure --prefix=/usr/local/mysql".

After doing everything I could find on google, manual, mailing lists and 
stuff, I still have basicly the same problems :

(a) Running "mysql_install_db --user=mysql > /dev/null" prints a lot of 
errors, most of them are Errcode: 13 (Permission denied), and resulting "Table 
'xxx.yyy' doesn't exist" messages. See Annex A for detailed output.

(b) Running "libexec/mysqld --console --user=mysql" prints :
InnoDB: Operating system error number 13 in a file operation.
InnoDB: The error means mysqld does not have the access rights to
InnoDB: the directory.
InnoDB: File name /usr/local/mysql/var/ibdata1
InnoDB: File operation call: 'create'.
InnoDB: Cannot continue operation.
Running both of these programs as root works fine, but I don't really want 
mysql to run as root, even if it's just for testing purposes.

There are some points which seems really strange to me. First point is that 
mysql_install_db is able to create "mysql" and "test" directories in var 
without problem.
Nothing changes if I "chown -R mysql:mysql /usr/local/mysql/var"
Nothing changes if I "chown -R mysql:mysql /usr/local/mysql"
Nothing changes if I "chmod -R 777 /usr/local/mysql"
Nothing changes if these these elements are made altogether.

The other strange point is that if the var directory isn't owned by mysql 
user, InnoDB complaints about not beeing able to create innodb.status.xxxx in 
var. Once var is owned by mysql, it can create the file without problem.
I can't understand why it cannot create ibdata1 if it can create the other one.

I've also tried to install_db as root, then run mysqld as root for one time in 
order to get inno files created properly. Switching back to mysqld 
--user=mysql isn't possible anyway.

I'm open to any suggestion or help, and available to provide any further 
information as needed. Thanks in advance for your time.

Elie `woe` BLETON
#### APPENDIX A ####
Output of "/usr/local/mysql/bin/mysql_install_db --user=mysql"
ERROR: 1  Can't create/write to file '/usr/local/mysql/var/mysql/db.MYI' 
(Errcode: 13)
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.db' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.db' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1  Can't create/write to file '/usr/local/mysql/var/mysql/host.MYI' 
(Errcode: 13)
ERROR: 1  Can't create/write to file '/usr/local/mysql/var/mysql/user.MYI' 
(Errcode: 13)
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.user' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.user' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.user' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.user' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1  Can't create/write to file '/usr/local/mysql/var/mysql/func.MYI' 
(Errcode: 13)
ERROR: 1  Can't create/write to file 
'/usr/local/mysql/var/mysql/tables_priv.MYI' (Errcode: 13)
ERROR: 1  Can't create/write to file 
'/usr/local/mysql/var/mysql/columns_priv.MYI' (Errcode: 13)
ERROR: 1  Can't create/write to file 
'/usr/local/mysql/var/mysql/help_topic.MYI' (Errcode: 13)
ERROR: 1  Can't create/write to file 
'/usr/local/mysql/var/mysql/help_category.MYI' (Errcode: 13)
ERROR: 1  Can't create/write to file 
'/usr/local/mysql/var/mysql/help_relation.MYI' (Errcode: 13)
ERROR: 1  Can't create/write to file 
'/usr/local/mysql/var/mysql/help_keyword.MYI' (Errcode: 13)
ERROR: 1  Can't create/write to file 
'/usr/local/mysql/var/mysql/time_zone_name.MYI' (Errcode: 13)
ERROR: 1  Can't create/write to file 
'/usr/local/mysql/var/mysql/time_zone.MYI' (Errcode: 13)
ERROR: 1  Can't create/write to file 
'/usr/local/mysql/var/mysql/time_zone_transition.MYI' (Errcode: 13)
ERROR: 1  Can't create/write to file 
'/usr/local/mysql/var/mysql/time_zone_transition_type.MYI' (Errcode: 13)
ERROR: 1  Can't create/write to file 
'/usr/local/mysql/var/mysql/time_zone_leap_second.MYI' (Errcode: 13)
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_topic' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_category' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_keyword' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_category' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_category' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_topic' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_topic' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_topic' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_topic' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_topic' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_topic' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_topic' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_topic' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_topic' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_topic' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_topic' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_topic' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_topic' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_topic' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_topic' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_topic' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_topic' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_topic' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_topic' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_topic' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_topic' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_topic' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_topic' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_topic' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_topic' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_topic' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_keyword' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_keyword' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_keyword' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_keyword' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_keyword' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_keyword' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_keyword' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_keyword' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_keyword' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_keyword' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_keyword' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_keyword' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_keyword' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_keyword' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_keyword' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_keyword' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_keyword' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_keyword' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_keyword' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_keyword' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_keyword' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_keyword' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_keyword' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_keyword' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist
ERROR: 1146  Table 'mysql.help_relation' doesn't exist


--
MySQL General Mailing List
For list archives: http://lists.mysql.com/mysql
To unsubscribe:    http://lists.mysql.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]