My SQL Database error please help!

I was running a successful (drupal) site using Mysql until I suddenly started to get the following error: "PDOException: SQLSTATE[HY000] [2002] Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/tmp/mysql.sock' (2) in db_table_exists()"

I don't know what this means or how to fix it, but when I visit phpmyadmin I get the following message: "#2013 - Lost connection to MySQL server at 'reading initial communication packet', system error: 61"

Can someone please help, I spent hours developing this site and really need to fix these errors.

 

It sounds like MySQL isn't started or in some inconsistent state. Have you tried restarting the MySQL service yet?

 

Thanks for responding. How would I restart the service?

 

It depends, what operating system are you running on this server?

 

If you have access to the command line try service mysqld restart

 

Mac 10.6, I have MAMP and acquia dev desktop running my stack.

 

I'm not familiar with that myself, but Ruddo's suggestion may still apply, but I imagine that since this is Mac there is an easy way to restart the whole MAMP package.