[marcmac]

Kill your mysql process, and restart it with mysql.server - if the mysqladmin returns an errror after that, we'll have to reset your password:

zmcontrol stop
zmlocalconfig -e zimbra_mysql_password=newpasswd
zmlocalconfig -e mysql_root_password=newrootpasswd

edit /opt/zimbra/bin/mysql.server

Change
'start')
# --defaults-file must be first argument
cd ${mysql_directory}; \
${mysql_directory}/bin/mysqld_safe \
--defaults-file=${mysql_mycnf} \
--ledir=${mysql_directory}/bin &
;;

to
'start')
# --defaults-file must be first argument
cd ${mysql_directory}; \
${mysql_directory}/bin/mysqld_safe \
--defaults-file=${mysql_mycnf} \
--skip-grant-tables \
--ledir=${mysql_directory}/bin &
;;

su - zimbra
mysql.server start

mysql mysql
update user set password=PASSWORD('newpasswd') where user='zimbra';
update user set password=PASSWORD('newrootpasswd') where user='root';
flush privileges
exit

mysql.server stop
Change mysql.server back (remove --skip-grant-tables)
mysql.server start
mysqladmin status