Cannot run using pam authenticated user?

Question

Using RHEL 4 on an institutional network in which users are centrally managed. Acroread 8.1.1 will not start with ordinary user as
acroread
(acroread:24638): GLib-WARNING **: getpwuid_r(): failed due to unknown user id (.....)
Basically, this is not going to work.

Answer 1

Hi, thanks for replies
I am indeed able to launch 'firefox', both as local user and as remotely authenticated user. Likewise, 'gedit' is no problem
The authentication method is called LDAP .
Here's the nsswitch.conf ( it seems like the ldap is already included here )
passwd: files ldap
shadow: files ldap
group: files ldap
hosts: files dns
bootparams: files
ethers: files
netmasks: files
networks: files
protocols: files ldap
rpc: files
services: files ldap
netgroup: files ldap
publickey: files
automount: files ldap
aliases: files
The Red-Hat EL4 provided Acroread 7.0.8 5/22/2006 also only works as local user, otherwise it produces a not-terminating stream of syntax error messages. (Package confusingly numbered acroread-7.0.9-1.2.0.EL4)
Using new AdobeReader_enu-8.1.1-1.i486.rpm, as local user, the program runs. but gives some message about missing library. I wish the program place the error message in the stderr or similar, or at very least allowed cut and paste from the error dialog box, as it would be so much easier to tell you exactly what the error message says. It's the 32-bit/64-bit thing.
I have read the mailing list about this issue and see that it may be easily fixed, however unless the reomote authentication issue can be fixed, there is not much point.