What version of drupal are you installing, what issues are you having?
I setup a mysql database for drupal with an associated user, then loaded the files into the relevant web folder and then ran through the setup procedure.
I set up the latest stable version of Drupal on my OS X 10.6.4 Mini server and it went like a dream.
I followed the installation guide on the Drupal website.
You do need MySQL running as a service though - best you do that before you start. You'll need to provide the Drupal installer with the location (localhost), username and password of a MySQL user with suitable priviladges. You'll also need to create a MySQL database ready for the Drupal Installer to populate with the suitable tables.
The only other tip I'd give is to check "Allow all overides" in Server Admin for the relevant website. This allows Clean (SEO) URLs to work with .htaccess
What I normally do is make a directory for the name of your site in the web server directory.
drupaltest (for example)
Then unzip the Drupal source files into that directory.
So you'll have
drupaltest/drupal_6xx (or similar)
I then rename the drupal_6xx folder to wwwroot, change the permissions so at least _www is the group.
Then set that wwwroot directory as the home directory in server admin. You can then runthe Drupal installer by going to the relevant website.
It's a good idea to turn off wiki, calendar, address book in server admin for the relevant site. Not sure about Drupal, but I know it mucks up Joomla installations.