Compiling MySQL mysql-5.0.45 fails on mysql_install_db

Hi,

I'm trying to install mysql-5.0.45 on a Debian server.

I can compile fine with the commands:

./configure \
--with-plugins=innobase,innodb_plugin \
--prefix=/home/stephane/programs/install \
--localstatedir=/home/stephane/programs/mysql/data

make

make install

But when running the command:

scripts/mysql_install_db --basedir=/home/stephane/programs/install/ --ldata=/home/stephane/programs/mysql/data;

I get the following output:

scripts/mysql_install_db --basedir=/home/stephane/programs/install/ --ldata=/home/stephane/programs/mysql/data; --verbose
Installing MySQL system tables...
Installation of system tables failed!
Examine the logs in /home/stephane/programs/mysql/data for more information.

The log file /home/stephane/programs/mysql/data/server1.err shows nothing at all.

The log file only shows:
[stephane@server1 install]$ tail -f ./mysql.error.log
ERROR: 1109 Unknown table 'engines' in information_schema
130414 21:28:01 [ERROR] Aborting
130414 21:28:02 [Note] /home/stephane/programs/install//libexec/mysqld: Shutdown complete

Two other things to note: I have been able to install that very same MySQL source code package on the very same server at the very same directory location some 2 months ago. And I also get the same error when trying to install the latest MySQL mysql-5.6.10 source code package.