MySQL removal/installation problems

[frist44]

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I preface this post with the fact that I'm new to Debian.

I installed Mysql and everything was fine. I decided to do a new installation after I fouled some things up by messing around. I removed the "/etc/mysql" directory after I removed the application. **this was probably my first mistake

Now I want to reinstall and it's saying that it can't because it can't fine the my.cnf file (because it was in the directory I removed).

I tried:
dpkg-reconfigure mysql-server

and I get a message saying "the installation is bad...."

How can i get those files, or get a completely new installation that will restore that directory?

Thanks!

[daark.child]

Try

apt-get purge mysql-server
apt-get install mysql-server

[jledhead]

or

dpkg -P mysql-server

[frist44]

i've tried all those...

apt-get remove --purge mysql-server
apt-get remove --purge mysql-server-5.0

nothing works. This is what i get when i go to reinstall.

/var/lib/dpkg/info/mysql-server-5.0.postint: line 143 /etc/mysql/conf.d/old)passwords.cnf: No such file or directory
dpkg: error processing mysql-server-5.0 (--configure): subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
dpkg: dependecy problems prevent configuration of mysql-server: mysql-server depends on mysql-server-5.0; however: Package mysql-server-5.0 is not configured yet.
dpkg: error processing mysql-server (--configure): dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Errors were encountered while processing:
mysql-server-5.0
mysql-server
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

ideas?

[jledhead]

apt-get -f remove mysql-server

or

apt-get -f install mysql-server

and then

dpkg -P mysql-server

[frist44]

I ended up just reinstalling. Thanks for the help.