Bug #68117 mysql_intall_db does not work in solaris 10 sparse root zones

Description:
The mysql_install_db script reports FATAL ERROR if called in the following environment.
OS=Solaris 10 u9
basdir=/usr/local/mysql

/usr/local/mysql/scripts/mysql_install_db --datadir=/mysql/data
FATAL ERROR:

It does work int he global zone.
Obviously it needs write permission in /usr/local/mysql tow create a my.cnf file. I found no way to direct it to create the my.cnf file under /mysql/data

How to repeat:
in the global zone:
create a spares root zone in Solaris 10
untar the binaries under /usr/local
link /usr/local/mysql to the binaries

In the local zone:
call the mysql_install_db --datadir=/mysql/data

Reproducible with basedir being read-only for the user running mysql_install_db, e.g.:

sudo make install # install as root
cd /usr/local/mysql
sudo mkdir data
sudo chmod a+rwx data
scripts/mysql_install_db

Fails at

454: open (CFG, "> $copy_cfg_file") or error("Could not open config file");

as $copy_cfg_file is in basedir ... and giving the script a different --basedir option makes it fail with

FATAL ERROR: Could not find my-default.cnf

Suggested fix: restore old behavior and make creating a my.cnf from my-default.cnf optional, or at least add an option to fall back to the old "don't write a my.cnf" behavior

The "FATAL ERROR:" without message btw is due to error() taking two arguments ($opt and $text) but being called with just one argument in several places ... separate bug report about that coming soon ...

Verified as described by Hartmut.

Same problem is happening when running mysql_install_db as a non root user. In a RHEL5 installation, it tries to create /usr/my*.cnf files and it can't because /usr is only writaeble by root:

open("/usr/my-new.cnf", O_WRONLY|O_CREAT|O_TRUNC, 0666) = -1 EACCES (Permission denied)
brk(0x3bd5000)                          = 0x3bd5000
write(1, "FATAL ERROR: Could not open conf"..., 40) = 40
close(3)                                = 0
brk(0x3bd4000)                          = 0x3bd4000
exit_group(1)                           = ?

[mysql@localhost ~]$ ls -la /usr/my.cnf
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 943 Feb  6 10:44 /usr/my.cnf

See also Bug #68416

Noted in 5.6.11, 5.7.1 changelogs.

mysql_install_db did not work in Solaris 10 sparse root zones.

See also Bug #71600.