--basedir=path      The path to the MySQL installation directory.
 --cross-bootstrap   For internal use.  Used when building the MySQLsystem
                      tables on a different host than the target.
 --datadir=path      The path to the MySQL data directory.
 --force             Causes mysql_install_db to run even if DNS does not
                      work.  In that case, grant table entries thatnormally
                      use hostnames will use IP addresses.
 --ldata=path        The path to the MySQL data directory.
 --rpm               For internal use.  This option is used by RPMfiles
                      during the MySQL installation process.
  --skip-name-resolve  Use IPaddresses rather than hostnames when creating
                      grant table entries.  This option can be usefulif
                      your DNS does not work.
 --srcdir=path       For internal use.  The directory under which
                      mysql_install_db looks for support files such as the
                      error message file and the file for popoulating the
                      help tables.
 --user=user_name    The login username to use for running mysqld. Files
                      and directories created by mysqld will be owned by this
                      user.  You must be root to use thisoption.  By default
                      mysqld runs using your current login name and files and
                      directories that it creates will be owned by you.

All other options are passed to the mysqld program
除了支持以上的参数，还支持mysqld的参数。

二、举例：
  本文以新加一个mysql实例为例。例如服务器上已经安装了3306端口的mysql服务，需要再启一个3308端口的mysql服务。
  假设mysql安装在/usr/local/mysql路径下，找一个磁盘空间剩余比较大的盘，如/data1，把3308端口的mysql的数据保存在/data1下
#mkdir /data1/mysql_3308
#mkdir /data1/mysql_3308/data
#chown -R mysql:mysql /data1/mysql_3308
 
  复制一个mysql配置文件my.cnf到/data1/mysql_3308目录下
#vi /data1/mysql_3308/my.cnf
修改配置文件，将端口和相关目录的都改为新的设置，如下：
[client]
character-set-server = utf8
port    =3308
socket  = /tmp/mysql_3308.sock

[mysqld]
user    =mysql
port    =3308
socket  = /tmp/mysql_3308.sock
basedir = /usr/local/mysql
datadir = /data1/mysql_3308/data
log-error = /data1/mysql_3308/mysql_error.log
pid-file = /data1/mysql_3308/mysql.pid
......其他略

确保配置文件无误。
运行下面命令进行数据库的初始化：
#/usr/local/mysql/bin/mysql_install_db--defaults-file=/data1/mysql_3308/my.cnf--datadir=/data1/mysql_3308/data

完成后新的3308数据库就初始化好了，如果有报错，则按照报错的提示查看报错日志，一般情况下都是my.cnf配置文件的问题，修正后即可。

三、启动新mysql
启动3308端口的mysql服务
#/usr/local/mysql/bin/mysqld_safe--defaults-file=/data1/mysql_3309/my.cnf &
检查是否启动
#ps aux|grep mysql
如果有3308字样说明已经启动成功
可将启动命令加入/etc/rc.local随服务器启动

新加的mysql没有设置root密码，可以通过下面命令设置root密码：
#/usr/local/mysql/bin/mysqladmin -S /tmp/mysql_3308.sock -u rootpassword 'new-password'