/etc/security produces ci / co "unexpected end of file"

[Mike Bowie <mbowie%buzmo.com@localhost>]

Howdy folks,

Had this one[1] coming up in my daily security logs for a while on one
particular server.  I'm not sure if it was the upgrade from 4.99.xx to
5.0 or the relocation from /dev/sd0 to /dev/sd1... but it sure hasn't
done it "forever".

I found this post[2] which references the same error on raq1 devices
under 1.6.1 and cites fdisk as a factor... sadly the only thing I have
in common with said post is the error message.  (This is a Dell PE 2970
with NetBSD 5.0 and fdisk runs just fine.)

Things I know(tm):
- vi'ing the file in question shows what appears to be a happy and
complete context; with content beyond line 1429
- removing the file only gets me a one day reprieve from "le message"
- running "sh /etc/security" by hand yields the same output
- /etc/security is identical to that of other systems which are managing
not to produce the same message

Suggestions graciously welcomed!

Mike.

[1]
ci: /var/backups/work/device.current,v:1429: unexpected end of file
ci aborted
co: /var/backups/work/device.current,v:1429: unexpected end of file
co aborted
ci: /var/backups/work/device.current,v:1429: unexpected end of file
ci aborted
co: /var/backups/work/device.current,v:1429: unexpected end of file
co aborted

[2] http://mail-index.netbsd.org/port-cobalt/2004/06/29/0001.html