Input/output error on 'cat'?

[pushback]

I just installed Fedora 3 core and am running into a problem. On many system binaries (not all) I am getting 'Input/output error'.

[root@athena etc]# vim inittab
-bash: /usr/bin/vim: Input/output error
[root@athena etc]# find / -name vim -print
/usr/bin/vim
/usr/share/vim
[root@athena etc]# echo $PATH
/bin:/usr/kerberos/sbin:/usr/kerberos/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin:/root/bin
[root@athena etc]# cat inittab
cat: inittab: Input/output error
[root@athena etc]# find / -name cat -print
/bin/cat

What am I missing?

[JohnT]

You could try supplying the complete path to your objective, such as "cat /etc/inittab"....if I'm reading you right.

[pushback]

Yeah, that doesn't do it. A lot of commands (not all) are doing it. Weirdest thing.

[root@athena bin]# ls *sh
ash bash bsh csh ksh sh tcsh zsh
[root@athena bin]# ./ksh
-bash: ./ksh: Input/output error
[root@athena bin]# ./sh
sh-3.00# file ksh
sh: /usr/bin/file: Input/output error
sh-3.00# ping localhost
sh: /bin/ping: Input/output error
sh-3.00# cat /etc/inittab
cat: /etc/inittab: Input/output error
sh-3.00# ls /root
anaconda-ks.cfg install.log install.log.syslog
sh-3.00# cat /root/install.log
cat: /root/install.log: Input/output error
sh-3.00# cd
sh-3.00# ls -a
. .bashrc .gnome2 install.log.syslog
.. .cshrc .gnome2_private .tcshrc
anaconda-ks.cfg .gconf .gstreamer-0.8 .Xauthority
.bash_logout .gconfd .gtkrc
.bash_profile .gnome install.log
sh-3.00# cat .bash_logout
cat: .bash_logout: Input/output error
sh-3.00# cat ./.bash_logout
cat: ./.bash_logout: Input/output error
sh-3.00# cat .bash_profile
# .bash_profile

# Get the aliases and functions
if [ -f ~/.bashrc ]; then
. ~/.bashrc
fi

# User specific environment and startup programs

PATH=$PATH:$HOME/bin

export PATH
unset USERNAME
sh-3.00#



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Totally bizarre

[bwkaz]

Anything in the kernel logs after you get one of these I/O errors? Perhaps something related to your disk returning errors? (These would be due to either a failing disk, a failing IDE controller, or a bad IDE cable.)