/usr/bin/mysqld_safe  --defaults-file=/etc/my.cnf --pid-file="$mypidfile" --log-error="$errlogfile" >/dev/null --default-character-set=utf8 2>&1 &

/usr/bin/mysqld_safe   --datadir="$datadir" --socket="$socketfile" \
--log-error="$errlogfile" --pid-file="$mypidfile" \
>/dev/null --default-character-set=utf8 2>&1 &

 pid_file=/var/run/mysql/mysqld.pid
socket=/var/run/mysql/mysql.sock
print_defaults=/usr/bin/my_print_defaults
log_error=/var/log/mysql/mysqld.log
default_character_set=utf8
mode=$1 # start or stop
log_base="`echo "$log_error" | sed 's|\.log$||'`"

 $exec   --datadir="$datadir" --socket="$socketfile" \
--pid-file="$mypidfile" \
--basedir=/usr --user=mysql >/dev/null --character-set-server=utf8 2>&1 &

[ mysqld]
max_allowed_packet = 2M
max_connections = 1000
default-character-set=utf8 (注意:在CentOS6里， 这里 应该是 character-set-server =utf8)
init_connect='SET NAMES utf8'
[client]
default-character-set=utf8

mysql -u root -p
Enter password:
Welcome to the MySQL monitor.  Commands end with ; or \g.
Your MySQL connection id is 2
Server version: 5.0.45 Source distribution
Type 'help;' or '\h' for help. Type '\c' to clear the buffer.
smysql> status;
--------------
mysql  Ver 14.12 Distrib 5.0.45, for redhat-linux-gnu (i686) using readline 5.0
Connection id:          2
Current database:
Current user:           root@localhost
SSL:                    Not in use
Current pager:          stdout
Using outfile:          ''
Using delimiter:        ;
Server version:         5.0.45 Source distribution
Protocol version:       10
Connection:             Localhost via UNIX socket
Server characterset:    utf8
Db     characterset:    utf8
Client characterset:    utf8
Conn.  characterset:    utf8
UNIX socket:            /var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock
Uptime:                 15 sec
Threads: 1  Questions: 4  Slow queries: 0  Opens: 12  Flush tables: 1  Open tables: 6  Queries per second avg: 0.267
--------------
mysql> show variables like '%character%' ;
+--------------------------+----------------------------+
| Variable_name            | Value                      |
+--------------------------+----------------------------+
| character_set_client     | utf8                       |
| character_set_connection | utf8                       |
| character_set_database   | utf8                        |
| character_set_filesystem | binary                     |
| character_set_results    | utf8                       |
| character_set_server     | utf8                       |
| character_set_system     | utf8                        |
| character_sets_dir       | /usr/share/mysql/charsets/ |
+--------------------------+----------------------------+
8 rows in set (0.01 sec)

 OpenSuse11.3, Server version: 5.1.46-log SUSE MySQL RPM;
CentOS5.4, mysql 5.0.77;
CentOS5.2, mysql-5.0.45;
CentOS5.0, mysql-5.0.22;
CentOS4.6, mysql-5.0.27