mysql.sock missing in action.

[Galactic Zero]

Yes to 1 and Yes to 2.

When done and mysql starts normally run mysqltuner to tweak.

[webfeatus]

I think that I managed to complete everything successfully.
Does this look like a healthy restart sequence?

100630 17:24:36 [Note] /usr/libexec/mysqld: Normal shutdown

100630 17:24:36 [Note] Event Scheduler: Purging the queue. 0 events
100630 17:24:38 InnoDB: Starting shutdown...
100630 17:24:40 InnoDB: Shutdown completed; log sequence number 0 3507925363
100630 17:24:40 [Note] /usr/libexec/mysqld: Shutdown complete

100630 17:24:40 mysqld_safe mysqld from pid file /var/run/mysqld/mysqld.pid ended
100630 17:24:41 mysqld_safe Starting mysqld daemon with databases from /var/lib/mysql
100630 17:24:41 [Note] Plugin 'ndbcluster' is disabled.
100630 17:24:41 InnoDB: Started; log sequence number 0 3507925363
100630 17:24:41 [Note] Event Scheduler: Loaded 0 events
100630 17:24:41 [Note] /usr/libexec/mysqld: ready for connections.
Version: '5.1.48' socket: '/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock' port: 3306 Source distribution

Everything seems to be OK.
Thank you to those involved in this post.