No "cannot execute binary file" for x86 binaries?

[bob@proulx.com (Bob Proulx)]

On an ia64 machine running Bdale's ia64 kernel build of linux 2.4.19
and bash 2.05b-2woody3:

  $ ./hppa/executable ; echo $?
  -bash: ./hppa/executable: cannot execute binary file
  126

All well and good and expected.  But the following is different:

  $ ./ia32/executable ; echo $?
  127

There is no message.  Shouldn't this produce a similar error to the
one above?  Note that I do not have an emulation layer installed.

  ls -ld /emul
  ls: /emul: No such file or directory

Any hints on how to improve this situation?  An error message in
addition to the return code would be good.  Yes there is an error
code.  But lack of a message from bash is definitely confusing to the
typical user.

Of course if the emulation layer is installed then things run fine.
But that is not always appropriate.

Thanks
Bob

Attachment: pgpZYQDC0_u9c.pgp
Description: PGP signature