FreeBSD does not automatically include a default my.cnf for MySQL. Instead, a set of sample configuration files can be found under /usr/local/share/mysql. These configuration files include my-small.cnf, my-medium.cnf, my-large.cnf, my-innodb-heavy-4G, and my-huge.cnf. The appropriate file can be copied and used as a template configuration by performing the following actions:
cd /usr/local/share/mysql/
cp /usr/local/share/mysq/mysql-large.cnf /etc/my.cnf
/usr/local/etc/rc.d/mysql-server restart

thanks to http://www.barik.net/archive/2008/05/26/114616/ for the tip.

To tell mysql to pick up the messy pieces and throw up whats left of your data, edit or create /etc/my.cnf and add this little line to the “[mysqld]” section:

innodb_force_recovery = 3


The command is talked aboot here the number is btw 1 and 6. bigger the number, the more drastic and desperate it is. I tried 4, and it pulled the tables with no data. 1 gave me nothing. but 3 let me start and mysqldump my database.

mysqldump -u root -p <dbname > /path/to/.sql/file


so once the dump was completed, i moved the db data directory, commented out the “innodb_force_recovery” line, and restarted the computer. At restart the db data dir was re-created by mysql. fresh and clean. this deletes EVERYTHING. even users. re-import the data with

mysql -u root <dbname> < /path/to/.sql/file


go ahead and create the users needed, and set root password again. There you go.