Merge neptunus.(none):/home/msvensson/mysql/work/my50-work

into  neptunus.(none):/home/msvensson/mysql/mysql-5.0-maint

mysql-test/mysql-test-run.pl

@@ -1275,26 +1275,15 @@ sub datadir_list_setup () {
 
 
 sub collect_mysqld_features () {
-  #
-  # Execute "mysqld --no-defaults --help --verbose", that will
-  # print out version and a list of all features and settings
-  #
   my $found_variable_list_start= 0;
-  my $spec_file= "$glob_mysql_test_dir/mysqld.spec.$$";
-  if ( mtr_run($exe_mysqld,
-	       ["--no-defaults",
-	        "--verbose",
-	        "--help"],
-	       "", "$spec_file", "$spec_file", "") != 0 )
-  {
-    mtr_error("Failed to get version and list of features from %s",
-	      $exe_mysqld);
-  }
 
-  my $F= IO::File->new($spec_file) or
-    mtr_error("can't open file \"$spec_file\": $!");
+  #
+  # Execute "mysqld --no-defaults --help --verbose" to get a
+  # of all features and settings
+  #
+  my $list= `$exe_mysqld --no-defaults --verbose --help`;
 
-  while ( my $line= <$F> )
+  foreach my $line (split('\n', $list))
   {
     # First look for version
     if ( !$mysql_version_id )
@@ -1347,7 +1336,7 @@ sub collect_mysqld_features () {
       }
     }
   }
-  unlink($spec_file);
+
   mtr_error("Could not find version of MySQL") unless $mysql_version_id;
   mtr_error("Could not find variabes list") unless $found_variable_list_start;
 
@@ -2010,7 +1999,6 @@ sub kill_running_servers () {
    }
 }
 
-
 #
 # Remove var and any directories in var/ created by previous
 # tests
@@ -2062,7 +2050,6 @@ sub remove_stale_vardir () {
 	mtr_error("The destination for symlink $opt_vardir does not exist")
 	  if ! -d readlink($opt_vardir);
 
-	my $dir=       shift;
 	foreach my $bin ( glob("$opt_vardir/*") )
 	{
 	  mtr_verbose("Removing bin $bin");
@@ -2124,6 +2111,19 @@ sub setup_vardir() {
     }
   }
 
+  if ( ! -d $opt_vardir )
+  {
+    mtr_verbose("Creating $opt_vardir");
+    mkpath($opt_vardir);
+  }
+
+  # Ensure a proper error message if vardir couldn't be created
+  unless ( -d $opt_vardir and -w $opt_vardir )
+  {
+    mtr_error("Writable 'var' directory is needed, use the " .
+	      "'--vardir=<path>' option");
+  }
+
   mkpath("$opt_vardir/log");
   mkpath("$opt_vardir/run");
   mkpath("$opt_vardir/tmp");