> It is a textbased POS system and is running for ten plus years.

hmmmmmm...

first, since i don't know what a "textbased POS" is i'm probably not
qualified to give you any answers..

second, if it has been running 10+ years i now wonder just what
version of SuSE or SUSE or openSUSE or SLES it is running....and, if
it is being updated and having security patches applied..


> The filesystem is reiserfs

there was (within the last six months or so) a kernel update to fix a
problem with reiserfs...i think i'd start by researched that..

and, i guess you are aware that reiserfs has fallen out of favor with
openSUSE (and, i guess Novell, but i'm not certain)...well, i mean
reiserfs was the default install about three (or five?) years
ago...now the default is ext3, again..

and, if the box happens to be running SLES (SUSE Linux Enterprise
Server) i think i'd seek a more competent authority on that over in
the Novell forum:
http://forums.novell.com/novell-prod...e-server-sles/


>> has it been fsck'ed ...
> Since it is in the root I will gave to bring the system down and check
> - will come back to you on that one.

might be good to do that along with the kernel upgrade's reboot needs..

hmmmmmmmmmm...i just had another thought: individual file permissions
are just another bit of data saved on the disk somewhere...if the
drive is gettin' flakey it could as easily 'forget' the permission of
a file as it could corrupt data--therefore, i think i'd do good backup
and check the health of that/those drives...(and, if forced to replace
them i'd seriously consider changing the file system--i understand
that reiserfs progress has been lagging since Mr. Reiser went to prison)

CAVEAT: i'm not a real guru...i'm not qualified to give advice...if
you do as i muse here, and your machine catches on fire and your house
burns down, do NOT come crying to me for what you did to your
system...always seek competent authority.

--
.~.
/V\
/( )\
natural^^-^^pilot