users can't login & other weirdities

[bhogan@bedlam.rahul.net (Bill Hogan)]

  Somehow I have managed to screw things up in such a way that users
cannot log in!

  For example, here is what happens if I try to log in as `gonzo':

------------------------- quote ----------------------------------
Debian GNU/Linux 0.93
Copyright (C) 1994, 1995 Debian Association, Inc. and others
bedlam login: gonzo
Password:
Last login: Sun Oct 29 13:16:58 on tty3
Linux bedlam 1.2.13 #2 Tue Oct 10 21:55:46 PDT 1995 i486
Copyright (C) 1994, 1995 Debian Association, Inc. and others

Everything included with the Debian GNU/Linux system is freely
redistributable; the exact distribution terms for each program
are described in the individual files in /usr/doc/copyright/.

Debian GNU/Linux comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY.
You have mail.
No directory /home/gonzo!

Debian GNU/Linux 0.93
Copyright (C) 1994, 1995 Debian Association, Inc. and others
bedlam login:
--------------------------- unquote ------------------------------

   Also, I can't use `man'!

   For example, if I try `man man', I get this:

--------------------------- quote ---------------------------------
man: can't load dynamic linker '/lib/ld.so nor /usr/i486-debian-linux/lib/ld.so'
---------------------------- unquote -------------------------------


   As `root', everything seems ok.

   I hate to ask vague questions but in this case I really don't know
where to begin to look.

   Thank you.

   Bill