sendmail/aliases.db error

[Gary D <joker@akula.com>]

Hey, everytime I try run sendmail, I get this error ->

May 17 15:39:22 skynet sendmail[8272]: NOQUEUE: SYSERR(root): Cannot open hash database /etc/aliases.db: Invalid argument


If tried removing aliases.db, aliases, putting in new ones, simpler ones,
leaving them blank.  I tried running makedb, tried newalaises, always get
the same error --

newaliases gives this error
Cannot open hash database /etc/aliases.db: Invalid argument
WARNING: cannot open alias database /etc/aliases
Cannot create database for alias file /etc/aliases


please help
-gary