I found a missing dependency in mysql-3.23.27-3 whereby it needs glibc >= 
2.1.97-2 to run. I had glibc-2.1.92-5 and it let me install without 
warning.

(I don't understand, cause it *says* it requires libc.so.6(GLIBC_2.2).)

The symptom for this defect was much uglier than the bug itself. I didn't 
look too closely, but safe_mysql went into spin cycle trying to start 
mysql. The whole time, nothing was put in /var/log.

But this newbie eventually killed it and found the clues in /var/lib/mysql/
[hostname].err which was being flooded with:
mysqld restarted
/usr/libexec/mysqld: error while loading shared 
libraries: /usr/libexec/mysqld: symbol __lxstat64, version GLIBC_2.2 not 
defined in file libc.so.6 with link time reference

../C

Work-Around Symptom:
--- /usr/bin/safe_mysqld        Wed Nov  1 09:13:24 2000
+++ safer_mysql Sun Nov 12 15:56:14 2000
@@ -191,6 +191,7 @@
     done
   fi
   echo "`date +'%y%m%d %H:%M:%S  mysqld restarted'`" | tee -a $err_log
+  sleep 1
 done
 
 echo -e "`date +'%y%m%d %H:%M:%S  mysqld ended\n'`" | tee -a $err_log