ok... to run configure for glibc it tell me to create a new directory in order to configure glibc (i'm using version 2.3.2 by the way) and so I follow the instructions and create a new directory, but low and behold i get the following error message:
mkdir ../glibc-build &&
cd ../glibc-build

../glibc-2.3.2/configure --prefix=/usr \
--disable-profile --enable-add-ons \
--libexecdir=/usr/bin

../glibc-2.3.2/configure: line 1: /bin/pwd: No such file or directory
../glibc-2.3.2/configure: line 1: /bin/pwd: No such file or directory
configure: error: you must configure in a separate build directory

I thought I was in a new directory, and what is with /bin/pwd ? if i manually make that file it complains just like it does when I don't, except saying that it exsists!

This also created a config.log in the directory with the following information:
Invocation command line was

$ ../glibc-2.3.2/configure --prefix=/usr --disable-profile --enable-add-ons --libexecdir=/usr/bin

## --------- ##
## Platform. ##
## --------- ##

hostname = localhost
uname -m = i686
uname -r = 2.4.21-0.13mdk
uname -s = Linux
uname -v = #1 Fri Mar 14 15:08:06 EST 2003

/usr/bin/uname -p = unknown
/bin/uname -X = unknown

/bin/arch = unknown
/usr/bin/arch -k = unknown
/usr/convex/getsysinfo = unknown
hostinfo = unknown
/bin/machine = unknown
/usr/bin/oslevel = unknown
/bin/universe = unknown

PATH: /bin
PATH: /usr/bin
PATH: /sbin
PATH: /usr/sbin
PATH: /static/bin


## ----------- ##
## Core tests. ##
## ----------- ##

configure:1350: error: you must configure in a separate build directory

## ---------------- ##
## Cache variables. ##
## ---------------- ##

ac_cv_env_CC_set=
ac_cv_env_CC_value=
ac_cv_env_CFLAGS_set=
ac_cv_env_CFLAGS_value=
ac_cv_env_CPPFLAGS_set=
ac_cv_env_CPPFLAGS_value=
ac_cv_env_CPP_set=
ac_cv_env_CPP_value=
ac_cv_env_LDFLAGS_set=
ac_cv_env_LDFLAGS_value=
ac_cv_env_build_alias_set=
ac_cv_env_build_alias_value=
ac_cv_env_host_alias_set=
ac_cv_env_host_alias_value=
ac_cv_env_target_alias_set=
ac_cv_env_target_alias_value=

## ----------------- ##
## Output variables. ##
## ----------------- ##

AR=''
AS=''
AUTOCONF=''
AWK=''
BASH='/bin/sh'
BISON=''
BUILD_CC=''
CC=''
CCVERSION=''
CFLAGS=''
CPP=''
CPPFLAGS=''
DEFINES=''
DEFS=''
ECHO_C=''
ECHO_N='-n'
ECHO_T=''
EGREP=''
INSTALL_DATA=''
INSTALL_INFO=''
INSTALL_PROGRAM=''
INSTALL_SCRIPT=''
KSH=''
LD=''
LDFLAGS=''
LIBGD=''
LIBOBJS=''
LIBS=''
LN_S=''
LTLIBOBJS=''
MAKE=''
MAKEINFO=''
MIG=''
MSGFMT=''
OBJDUMP=''
OBJEXT=''
OLD_DEBIAN_INSTALL_INFO=''
PACKAGE_BUGREPORT='glibc'
PACKAGE_NAME='GNU C Library'
PACKAGE_STRING='GNU C Library (see version.h)'
PACKAGE_TARNAME='c-library'
PACKAGE_VERSION='(see version.h)'
PATH_SEPARATOR=':'
PERL=''
PWD_P=''
RANLIB=''
RELEASE=''
SED=''
SHELL='/bin/sh'
SYSINCLUDES=''
VERSION=''
VERSIONING=''
ac_ct_CC=''
ac_ct_RANLIB=''
all_warnings=''
base_machine=''
bindir='${exec_prefix}/bin'
bounded=''
build=''
build_alias=''
build_cpu=''
build_os=''
build_vendor=''
cross_compiling='no'
datadir='${prefix}/share'
elf=''
exceptions=''
exec_prefix='NONE'
force_install=''
gnu_as=''
gnu_ld=''
host=''
host_alias=''
host_cpu=''
host_os=''
host_vendor=''
includedir='${prefix}/include'
infodir='${prefix}/info'
ldd_rewrite_script=''
libc_cv_Bgroup=''
libc_cv_asm_protected_directive=''
libc_cv_gcc_static_libgcc=''
libc_cv_gcc_unwind_find_fde=''
libc_cv_have_bash2=''
libc_cv_have_initfini=''
libc_cv_have_ksh=''
libc_cv_initfinit_array=''
libc_cv_localedir=''
libc_cv_rootsbindir=''
libc_cv_slibdir=''
libc_cv_sysconfdir=''
libc_cv_z_combreloc=''
libc_cv_z_initfirst=''
libc_cv_z_nodelete=''
libc_cv_z_nodlopen=''
libdir='${exec_prefix}/lib'
libexecdir='/usr/bin'
linux_doors=''
localstatedir='${prefix}/var'
mach_interface_list=''
mandir='${prefix}/man'
no_whole_archive=''
nopic_initfini=''
old_glibc_headers=''
oldest_abi=''
oldincludedir='/usr/include'
omitfp=''
pic_default=''
prefix='/usr'
profile=''
program_transform_name='s,x,x,'
sbindir='${exec_prefix}/sbin'
shared=''
sharedstatedir='${prefix}/com'
sizeof_long_double=''
static=''
static_nss=''
subdirs=''
sysconfdir='${prefix}/etc'
sysnames=''
target_alias=''
uname_release=''
uname_sysname=''
uname_version=''
use_ldconfig=''
with_cvs=''
with_fp=''
xcoff=''

## ----------- ##
## confdefs.h. ##
## ----------- ##

#define PACKAGE_BUGREPORT "glibc"
#define PACKAGE_NAME "GNU C Library"
#define PACKAGE_STRING "GNU C Library (see version.h)"
#define PACKAGE_TARNAME "c-library"
#define PACKAGE_VERSION "(see version.h)"

configure: exit 1


Man someone please help me, this isn't the first problem I've run into, but the most perplexing one yet.

ok scratch that, i decided to go with the previous version of glibc the one outlined in the book. version 2.3.1 but now i get a whole new set of errors:

configure: warning: --libexecdir=/usr/bin/: invalid host type
loading cache ./config.cache
checking host system type... config.sub: invalid option --libexecdir=/usr/bin/
Try `config.sub --help' for more information.
*** The GNU C library is currently not available for this platform.
*** So far nobody cared to port it and if there is no volunteer it
*** might never happen. So, if you have interest to see glibc on
*** this platform visit
*** http://www.gnu.org/software/libc/porting.html
*** and join the group of porters
<glibc-build# ../glibc-2.3.1/./config.sub --help
bash: ../glibc-2.3.1/./config.sub: No such file or directory

Hmmm, weird...
But actually, this may go with the other problems you had before. what were that problems and have you installed the sh-utils correctly? and are you in the chrooted environment?