unable to write/create new files using gnome editor..

["bruce" <bedouglas earthlink net>]

hi...

i'm running into a problem where i'm unable to write/create files under the
root '/' dir structure.. i'm not sure what has happened to cause this
behavior... everything was working ok earlier... i can only assume that i
somehow did something to screw something up... i'm logged in as root.. but
get the same behavior as other users..


when i do a df -haT i get:
[test lserver4 /]$ df -haT
Filesystem    Type    Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/mapper/VolGroup00-LogVol00
              ext3     18G  2.3G   15G  14% /
none          proc       0     0     0   -  /proc
none         sysfs       0     0     0   -  /sys
none        devpts       0     0     0   -  /dev/pts
usbfs        usbfs       0     0     0   -  /proc/bus/usb
/dev/hda1     ext3     99M  8.8M   85M  10% /boot
none         tmpfs    188M     0  188M   0% /dev/shm
none   binfmt_misc       0     0     0   -  /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc
sunrpc  rpc_pipefs       0     0     0   -  /var/lib/nfs/rpc_pipefs

if i take an existing file, and i change it to chmod 777 foo, then i can
open/write the file using 'vi'. however, i can't seem to create a new file,
or open up any existing file for write, using gnome/edit...

any idea/pointers in what may have caused this behavior, or what i can do to
get back the ability to create new files, edit/write files..???

the system is kind of useless if i can't do basic file edit!!

thanks

-bruce
bedouglas earthlink net