I tried adding open-files-limit=4096 in /etc/my.cnf and restart mysql. Then executed automysqlbackup again, this time got something else.

Errors reported during AutoMySQLBackup execution.. Backup failed
Error log below..
-- Warning: Skipping the data of table mysql.event. Specify the --events option explicitly.
mysqldump: Got error: 1142: SELECT,LOCK TABL command denied to user 'root'@'localhost' for table 'cond_instances' when using LOCK TABLES

Checking for fixes

With many things on ML, it comes out to semantics and asking the right original question.

But often people don't know what original question they really want to ask!

Ah I think that I knew that. Although I don't feel like I've seen his alter ego much either.