It is mysql problem happened during the set up of boinc, did anyone meet this before?

I want to reinstall mysql server in ubuntu and got message below:

kchen3@steppe:~$ sudo apt-get install mysql-server
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
mysql-server is already the newest version.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
2 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0B of archives.
After unpacking 0B of additional disk space will be used.
failed to open configuration file `/osr/users/kchen3/.dpkg.cfg' for reading: Permission denied
Setting up mysql-server-5.0 (5.0.45-1ubuntu3.3) ...
* Stopping MySQL database server mysqld [ OK ]
* Starting MySQL database server mysqld [fail]
invoke-rc.d: initscript mysql, action "start" failed.


Then I try 'sudo dpkg --configure -a' according to the reminder and still:

kchen3@steppe:~$ sudo dpkg --configure -a
failed to open configuration file `/osr/users/kchen3/.dpkg.cfg' for reading: Permission denied
Setting up mysql-server-5.0 (5.0.45-1ubuntu3.3) ...
* Stopping MySQL database server mysqld [ OK ]
* Starting MySQL database server mysqld [fail]
invoke-rc.d: initscript mysql, action "start" failed.



I don't know what this dpkg file do, I think there must be something wrong with it. could anyone help me? Thanks