cannot visit directories in emacs21

[deja8501]

In GNU Emacs 21.1.1 (i686-pc-linux-gnu, X toolkit, Xaw3d scroll bars)
 of 2001-10-26 on frigoris
configured using `configure 
--prefix=/export/lab/Public/IPOAM/ToolsLinux/opt/emacs21'
Important settings:
  value of $LC_ALL: nil
  value of $LC_COLLATE: nil
  value of $LC_CTYPE: nil
  value of $LC_MESSAGES: nil
  value of $LC_MONETARY: nil
  value of $LC_NUMERIC: nil
  value of $LC_TIME: nil
  value of $LANG: en_US
  locale-coding-system: iso-latin-1
  default-enable-multibyte-characters: t

Please describe exactly what actions triggered the bug
and the precise symptoms of the bug:

When I visit directories then an hourglass is displayed and nothing
happens, the directory is not displayed. It worked for me before with
emacs21 and it still works with emacs20.

It also occurs with emacs21 -q --no-site-file.

I straced the process. These messages are displayed continuously:


     --- SIGALRM (Alarm clock) ---
     gettimeofday({1006168407, 22131}, NULL) = 0
     gettimeofday({1006168407, 22174}, NULL) = 0
     setitimer(ITIMER_REAL, {it_interval={0, 0}, it_value={0, 48}},
NULL) = 0
     sigreturn()                             = ? (mask now [])
     read(5, 0xbfffa508, 16384)              = ? ERESTARTSYS (To be
restarted)
     --- SIGALRM (Alarm clock) ---
     gettimeofday({1006168407, 32240}, NULL) = 0
     gettimeofday({1006168407, 32284}, NULL) = 0
     gettimeofday({1006168407, 32318}, NULL) = 0
     setitimer(ITIMER_REAL, {it_interval={0, 0}, it_value={0, 99922}},
NULL) = 0
     sigreturn()                             = ? (mask now [])
     read(5, 0xbfffa508, 16384)              = ? ERESTARTSYS (To be
restarted)
     --- SIGALRM (Alarm clock) ---
     gettimeofday({1006168407, 132268}, NULL) = 0
     gettimeofday({1006168407, 132312}, NULL) = 0
     gettimeofday({1006168407, 132345}, NULL) = 0
     setitimer(ITIMER_REAL, {it_interval={0, 0}, it_value={0, 99923}},
NULL) = 0
     sigreturn()                             = ? (mask now [])
     read(5, 0xbfffa508, 16384)              = ? ERESTARTSYS (To be
restarted)
     --- SIGALRM (Alarm clock) ---
     gettimeofday({1006168407, 232238}, NULL) = 0
     gettimeofday({1006168407, 232279}, NULL) = 0
     setitimer(ITIMER_REAL, {it_interval={0, 0}, it_value={0, 1000}},
NULL) = 0
     sigreturn()                             = ? (mask now [])
     read(5, ^G0xbfffa508, 16384)              = ? ERESTARTSYS (To be
restarted)
     --- SIGALRM (Alarm clock) ---
     gettimeofday({1006168407, 242170}, NULL) = 0
     gettimeofday({1006168407, 242211}, NULL) = 0
     gettimeofday({1006168407, 242245}, NULL) = 0
     setitimer(ITIMER_REAL, {it_interval={0, 0}, it_value={0, 99925}},
NULL) = 0
     sigreturn()                             = ? (mask now [])
     read(5, 0xbfffa508, 16384)              = ? ERESTARTSYS (To be
restarted)
     --- SIGALRM (Alarm clock) ---
     gettimeofday({1006168407, 342194}, NULL) = 0
     gettimeofday({1006168407, 342237}, NULL) = 0
     gettimeofday({1006168407, 342271}, NULL) = 0
     setitimer(ITIMER_REAL, {it_interval={0, 0}, it_value={0, 99923}},
NULL) = 0
     sigreturn()                             = ? (mask now [])
     read(5, 0xbfffa508, 16384)              = ? ERESTARTSYS (To be
restarted)



Recent input:
M-x r e p r t <backspace> <backspace> o r t - e m <tab> 
<return>

Recent messages:
(emacs21 -q --no-site-file)
Loading disp-table...done
Loading tool-bar...done
Loading image...done
Loading tooltip...done
For information about the GNU Project and its goals, type C-h C-p.
Loading emacsbug...done