Re: file

[Tom Cosgrove <tom.cosgrove@arches-consulting.com>]

> >>> christer solstrand johannessen 6-Jun-02 18:57 >>>
>
> first, thanks for answering this fast :)

No problem.

> > when i run file (with or without any arguments), i get this output:
> > # file
> > file: offset head       1.1; invalid
> > file: type head 1.1; invalid
> > file: offset access; invalid
> > file: type access; invalid
> >         [snip]
> > ...and it repeats itself for a couple thousand lines... anybody
> > have a clue what causes this? i recon the file program is busted
> > in one or more ways; should i compile userland again?
> > It sounds like /etc/magic, which file reads, is a raw RCS
> > file instead of the proper version.
>
> just checked the /etc/magic, and it is, unfortunately, a plain
> text file as you specified. darn. :/

Better make sure that /etc/magic is the file that file(1) is
reading.

    # mv /etc/magic /etc/magic.save
    # file
    file: couldn't find any magic files!

And then put it back:

    # mv /etc/magic.save /etc/magic

And also try

    # file -m /etc/magic

to specify the "magic" file to use.

Could you also try a

    # ls -l /etc/magic

and what does

    # head /etc/magic

say?

The other check to make, as posted by someone else, is to make
sure you're running the right file(1):

    # whence file
    /usr/bin/file

    # head `whence file`
    (garbage)

> > Don't know how you managed to do that, though.
>
> me neither... i built a "custom" generic kernel (reboot) and new
> userland (reboot again), made a /home/newroot and applied the
> appropriate changes to /etc, /var and /dev, and had another reboot.

It does sound like something strange has happened with /etc.

> then i tried to exchange the power supply with one that didn't
> make as much noise as the old one; the box is soon to be a shell-/
> mail-/web-/dns server, so i need a reliable power unit. i also
> tried to install two case fans. all of this led to a series of
> rather weird happenings; first, the box wouldn't boot. at all.
> then i swapped the video card, and the box booted, only to hang
> 30 seconds or so after finishing booting. i then tried to switch
> back to the old power unit; same result. disconnecting the fans
> led to "BIOS Bootblock does not exist" and "BIOS ROM Checksum Error",
> then probing for a floppy drive and prompting me to insert a bootable
> floppy, preferrably with a bios flash upgrade on it. problem was,
> i had the wrong bios flash, so i dared not flash it.
>
> then i went on holidays for a weekend, leaving the machine off
> while i was away. no need for power consumption when the machine
> can't be used. when i got back i left the fans disconnected, and 
> hit the on switch, monitor and keyboard attached, and the machine
> beep'ed its joyful "I'M ALIVE!" boot beep. then i just turned it
> off again, installed the new power unit, removed the fans from the
> case and booted it again. it's been up for almost a week now, no
> problems, except the file incident.
>
> do you see any clues here that i might have missed out of frustration?
>
> dmesg available if necessary.

I don't see that it could be a hardware related problem, except...
is there a problem with your / partition?  How about fsck-ing /?

Tom