MySQL will not automatically start on startup

Hello to all,
Please forgive me if this issue has been addressed but I can’t get MySQL to auto start when I start my laptop. I am on a MacBook Pro using OS 10.6.4 and can’t only get MySQL to start manually.

I recently purchased “BUILD YOUR OWN DATABASE DRIVEN WEB SITE USING PHP & MYSQL BY KEVIN YANK 4TH EDITION”. I am following along with the installation and installed the MySQLStartupItem.pkg but when I power up my laptop I have to go in Terminal and manually start MySQL. Did a SitePoint and Google search but there is so many different options on what to do I don’t think I am experience enough to find the correct solution.

Please assist I am new to web development and so ready to dig in and learn.

OK now I have a bigger problem. I found an answer to my 1st question and tried it with no results. Now I can’t even get MySQL to connect, the message is as follows:

connect to server at ‘localhost’ failed
error: ‘Can’t connect to local MySQL server through socket ‘/tmp/mysql.sock’ (2)’

Please help. I am about to get upset.

can I just run the install again and hope that will start a clean slate?