wrong number of args to ad-Orig functions plus other, possibly related problems

[mfmorss]

Problems with emacs 21.1.2 on AIX 5.0, rpm'd straightforwardly from
IBM-supplied files.  No extraneous lisp code loaded.  Four symptoms,
seemingly interrelated:

1. '[start emacs] M-x custom RET [position cursor over Convenience, "go to
group"] RET'
works but opens *Compile-Log* with:

  ** ad-Orig-set-process-filter called with 3 arguments, but accepts only 2
  ** ad-Orig-process-filter called with 0 arguments, but requires 1

2. '[start emacs] M-x custom RET [position cursor over Faces, "go to
group"] RET'
works but opens *Compile-Log* with:

 ** ad-Orig-documentation called with 5 arguments, but accepts only 1-2

3. '[start emacs] C-h a emacs-version RET'
instantly kills emacs

4. '[start emacs] C-x C-f ~ RET C-h a emacs-version RET'
fails and opens a backtrace buffer with:

Debugger entered--Lisp error: (error "Invalid data in documentation file --
^A followed by code 00")
  documentation(emacs-version t)
  apropos-command("emacs-version" nil)
* call-interactively(apropos-command)

Further info: although debug-on-error is set to "always," neither (1) nor
(2) opens a backtrace buffer.  After either (1) or (2) occurs during an
emacs session, not before, 'C-h a file RET' fails and opens the backtrace
buffer with:

Debugger entered--Lisp error: (wrong-number-of-arguments #<subr
documentation> 5)
  ad-Orig-documentation(PC-complete-as-file-name t nil nil nil)
  documentation(PC-complete-as-file-name t)
  apropos-command("file" nil)
* call-interactively(apropos-command)

and the same is true of other C-h a commands with predicates, besides
"file," that would otherwise work.

Any help would be most appreciated.

Mark F. Morss
Principal Risk Analyst
American Electric Power
Columbus, Ohio.