>Perhaps /etc/passwd is brocken? Pointing to a false homedir?
>Try "finger" to verify the homedir for a user 
>
>CU
>   Matthias

After first reading this, I felt a little put off at you suggesting the 
most obvious problem. "Of course the password file is right! See, lemme 
open it up and..." Then it sorta hit me like a freight train speeding at 
around 200MPH. 

Revelation: The simplest answer often is the correct answer.

Okay, the password file *was* broken...but not by the computer, by human 
error. I am really ashamed of admitting this, but in my hurry to get it 
back up and running I quite accidentally switched the shell and home 
directory fields around. I had already checked for this, and for some 
reason when I looked at the passwd file it all looked *right*. Until 
looking after your e-mail :)

So to make a long story short, Matthias was right. So was I in stating in 
the beginning that this is probably a very obvious problem. Oh well. We 
all make mistakes :)

Many thanks to all who helped in the solving of this ridiculously simple 
problem. And many apologies for my ignorance...

Thanks again,

-- Josh Hope