mysql-server and dpkg problems

[rob@bigpond.com (Robert Martinovic)]

I tried to install mysql-server and got into all sorts of problems for reasons that escape me.  Here is the output:
incursion:/usr/share/enlightenment/themes# apt-get install mysql-server
Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
Sorry, mysql-server is already the newest version
0 packages upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 43 not upgraded.
6 packages not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0B/2751kB of archives. After unpacking 0B will be used.
(Reading database ... 44876 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace mysql-server 3.23.25-4 (using .../mysql-server_3.23.25-4_alpha.deb) ...
dpkg: warning - old pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
dpkg - trying script from the new package instead ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/mysql-server_3.23.25-4_alpha.deb (--unpack):
 subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
/usr/bin/mysql_install_db: line 369:  3404 Segmentation fault      (core dumped) $execdir/mysqld $defaults --bootstrap --skip-grant-tables --basedir=/usr --datadir=$ldata "$@"  <<END_OF_DATA
use mysql;
$c_d
$i_d

$c_h
$i_h

$c_u
$i_u

$c_f
$i_f

$c_t
$c_c
END_OF_DATA

dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/mysql-server_3.23.25-4_alpha.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)


Does someone know how to fix bith mysql and apt?

Regards,

Robert