Linux – Can’t connect to local MySQL server through socket ‘/var/lib/thesql/thesql.sock’ (2)

This is NOT a duplicate of Can’t connect to local MySQL server through socket ‘/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock’

The issue there was of insufficient disk space. No such problem here.

I have a mysql setup on a Redhat Centos 5.5 system, which was working fine until I restarted it.

The webapplication spits out:

 Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock' (2)

when trying to connect to it.

I'm not able to run:

 root@server [~]# /usr/bin/mysql_secure_installation
 ...
 Enter current password for root (enter for none):
 ERROR 2002 (HY000): Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock' (2)

Irrespective of what I enter (root password, earlier mysql password, or blank), it still says the same thing.

Also:

root@server [~]# cat /var/log/mysqld.log
101021 18:37:34  mysqld ended

Edit1: After doing service mysqld restart

101022 00:43:46  mysqld started
101022  0:43:46  InnoDB: Started; log sequence number 0 2820714
101022  0:43:46 [Note] /usr/libexec/mysqld: ready for connections.
Version: '5.0.77'  socket: '/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock'  port: 3306  Source distribution