Cannot find passwd file?

[mcmi0037@tc.umn.edu]

When trying to change the password of a user on my system, with
"passwd <user>", I get the error "Cannot open the password file."

I have no idea how this happened, but I am logged in as root,
and /etc/passwd is mod 644... I have shadow passwords installed,
and /etc/shadow is mod 640.

I can cat < /etc/shadow and cat < /etc/passwd just fine.

The pwck command gives an error of "cannot open file /etc/passwd".

Ideas, anyone?

Colin McMillen
-- 
Debian GNU/Linux 2.1: 3 hours, 39 minutes without a reboot...
The revolution will be complete when the operating system is perfect.
(www.debian.org, www.enlightenment.org, www.opensource.org)