Session support has died

As of this afternoon, any attempt to call a session-related function locks up the httpd. I have rebuilt from scratch (PHP4.0RC2/OCI8, Apache 1.3.12). No other changes were made on the server, so I am somewhat mystified. The same happens with RC1. I observe the following symptoms: 1) Session files in /tmp are all zero-length (there is plenty of disk space and permissions on the directory are normal) 2) The following sorts of log messages appear in great numbers in apache's error_log: string.c(1658) : Freeing 0x0820F5CC (21 bytes), script=/www/live/about.php ./zend_execute.c(340) : Freeing 0x0820BE54 (6 bytes), script=/www/live/about.php zend_variables.c(126) : Actual location (location was relayed) ./zend_execute.c(1591) : Freeing 0x08203F64 (48 bytes), script=/www/live/about.php zend_hash.c(255) : Freeing 0x08216B54 (43 bytes), script=/www/live/firmlist.php Last leak repeated 9 times formatted_print.c(566) : Freeing 0x08216B04 (30 bytes), script=/www/live/firmlist.php Last leak repeated 1 time ./zend_execute.c(1572) : Freeing 0x0820FA64 (12 bytes), script=/www/live/firmlist.php Last leak repeated 3 times ./zend_execute.c(413) : Freeing 0x0820F86C (12 bytes), script=/www/live/firmlist.php zend_execute_API.c(534) : Freeing 0x08222504 (12 bytes), script=/www/live/firmlist.php Last leak repeated 3 times zend_hash.c(425) : Freeing 0x0820F644 (44 bytes), script=/www/live/firmlist.php ./zend_execute.c(340) : Freeing 0x082224CC (9 bytes), script=/www/live/firmlist.php zend_variables.c(126) : Actual location (location was relayed) string.c(153) : Freeing 0x08221004 (7 bytes), script=/www/live/firmlist.php php_variables.c(163) : Freeing 0x08204224 (12 bytes), script=/www/live/firmlist.php string.c(1658) : Freeing 0x0820C904 (27 bytes), script=/www/live/firmlist.php ./zend_execute.c(1591) : Freeing 0x082018B4 (48 bytes), script=/www/live/firmlist.php 3) Here's what lsof has to say, in case that's of any relevance: timbuktu# lsof | grep tmp/sess httpd-ora 25116 root 4u REG 8,1 0 16274 /tmp/sess_3c70db550a6943067bc92c4cebebedf4 (deleted) httpd-ora 25117 root 4u REG 8,1 0 16274 /tmp/sess_3c70db550a6943067bc92c4cebebedf4 (deleted) httpd-ora 25118 root 4u REG 8,1 0 16274 /tmp/sess_3c70db550a6943067bc92c4cebebedf4 (deleted) httpd-ora 25119 root 4u REG 8,1 0 16274 /tmp/sess_3c70db550a6943067bc92c4cebebedf4 (deleted) httpd-ora 25120 root 4u REG 8,1 0 16274 /tmp/sess_3c70db550a6943067bc92c4cebebedf4 (deleted) httpd-ora 25121 root 4u REG 8,1 0 16274 /tmp/sess_3c70db550a6943067bc92c4cebebedf4 (deleted) oracle 25122 root 4u REG 8,1 0 16274 /tmp/sess_3c70db550a6943067bc92c4cebebedf4 (deleted) httpd-ora 25123 root 4u REG 8,1 0 16135 /tmp/sess_3c70db550a6943067bc92c4cebebedf4 oracle 25124 root 4u REG 8,1 0 16274 /tmp/sess_3c70db550a6943067bc92c4cebebedf4 (deleted) httpd-ora 25137 root 4u REG 8,1 0 16274 /tmp/sess_3c70db550a6943067bc92c4cebebedf4 (deleted) oracle 25202 root 4u REG 8,1 0 16135 /tmp/sess_3c70db550a6943067bc92c4cebebedf4 Any ideas? I'm pretty well flummoxed. miguel