CentOS下配置MySQL的编码：

0.安装mysql：sudo yum install mysql mysql-server mysql-devel
1.启动服务: /etc/rc.d/init.d/mysqld start
2.修改root密码: mysqladmin -uroot password 'yourpassword'
3.修改启动文件: /etc/rc.d/init.d/mysqld ：

CentOS 5 自带的 Mysql5.0.22里是此处，添加 --default-character-set=utf8  :
/usr/bin/mysqld_safe  --defaults-file=/etc/my.cnf --pid-file="$mypidfile" --log-error="$errlogfile" >/dev/null --default-character-set=utf8 2>&1 &

CentOS5.2里自带的Mysql5.0.45里是此处， 添加 --default-character-set=utf8  :
/usr/bin/mysqld_safe   --datadir="$datadir" --socket="$socketfile" \
                --log-error="$errlogfile" --pid-file="$mypidfile" \
                >/dev/null --default-character-set=utf8 2>&1 &

OpenSuse11.3的Mysql-5.1.46-log SUSE MySQL RPM是在大约259行，添加default_character_set=utf8 :
        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 "$log_error" | sed 's|\.log$||'`"

CentOS 6.0 自带的MySQL 5.1.52,是在大约 第99行，添加 --character-set-server=utf8 :
    $exec   --datadir="$datadir" --socket="$socketfile" \
                --pid-file="$mypidfile" \
                --basedir=/usr --user=mysql >/dev/null --character-set-server=utf8 2>&1 &
  注意这里用的是 --character-set-server=utf8 。

4.修改my.conf
[ 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

5.重启服务：/etc/init.d/mysqld restart
6.测试结果：
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)

7.以上在
   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 
  CentOS 6.0, mysql-5.1.52 上均测试通过.