Primero tuve el error dpkg que indicaba que no se puede limpiar el paquete mysql, pero lo solucioné. luego reinstalé mysql y lo inicié pero no puede iniciarse debido a este error:
> ● mysql.service - MySQL Community Server
> Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/mysql.service; disabled; vendor preset: enabled)
> Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Tue 2020-08-25 10:22:15 +08; 1min 55s ago
> Process: 1250 ExecStartPre=/usr/share/mysql/mysql-systemd-start pre (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)
>
> Aug 25 10:22:15 vps-9be2a25b systemd[1]: mysql.service: Control
> process exited, code=exited, status=1/FAILURE Aug 25 10:22:15
> vps-9be2a25b systemd[1]: mysql.service: Failed with result
> 'exit-code'. Aug 25 10:22:15 vps-9be2a25b systemd[1]: Failed to start
> MySQL Community Server. Aug 25 10:22:15 vps-9be2a25b systemd[1]:
> mysql.service: Scheduled restart job, restart counter is at 5. Aug 25
> 10:22:15 vps-9be2a25b systemd[1]: Stopped MySQL Community Server. Aug
> 25 10:22:15 vps-9be2a25b systemd[1]: mysql.service: Start request
> repeated too quickly. Aug 25 10:22:15 vps-9be2a25b systemd[1]:
> mysql.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'. Aug 25 10:22:15
> vps-9be2a25b systemd[1]: Failed to start MySQL Community Server.