Connect error 2002

both when i telnet and when i am at the server, i get a message :

"ERROR 2002: Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/lib/mysql/mysql.soc' (2)"

I don't have a clue about MySQL, all i know is that it did work, but know it doesn't. i was trying to create a database , and then it started this.

I also don't know how to crate a database, so could you tell me how to do that to.

thanks a lot
zimzim321