as a result, user cannot login.
here's an example.

# strace su user
.
.
.

setuid32(1000) = 0
close(3) = 0
execve("/bin/sh", ["sh"], [/* 23 vars */]) = -1 EACCES (Permission denied)
open("/usr/share/locale/locale.alias", O_RDONLY) = -1 EACCES (Permission denied)
open("/usr/share/locale/en_GB/LC_MESSAGES/shadow.mo", O_RDONLY) = -1 EACCES (Permiss
ion denied)
open("/usr/share/locale/en/LC_MESSAGES/shadow.mo", O_RDONLY) = -1 EACCES (Permission
denied)
open("/usr/share/locale-langpack/en_GB/LC_MESSAGES/shadow.mo", O_RDONLY) = -1 EACCES
(Permission denied)
open("/usr/share/locale-langpack/en/LC_MESSAGES/shadow.mo", O_RDONLY) = -1 EACCES (P
ermission denied)
open("/usr/share/locale/en_US/LC_MESSAGES/shadow.mo", O_RDONLY) = -1 EACCES (Permiss
ion denied)
open("/usr/share/locale-langpack/en_US/LC_MESSAGES/shadow.mo", O_RDONLY) = -1 EACCES
(Permission denied)
write(2, "No shell\n", 9No shell
) = 9

this is true if also if i try to login as user (cant cd home, permission denied)
this is true if i write a setuid program
and so on

i have checked /etc/passwd and permissions of folders.

this is not kernel dependant and indeed is the case even if i chroot from a liveCD.

i first noticed this when i was messing with CPAN, trying to remove Tk. i dont think it has anything to do with the problem

i have fscked...
please help...

odd. What groups is the user in? What do the executables in question look like? (permissions, ownership, group)

nevremind,
it seems i chmod'ed / whithout realising it. hate script bugs..