Problem compiling gdb-5 on Linux

[Michael Schwingen]

Hello,

since some days ago, I am not able to compile gdb-5 anymore, but can't
really tell what is happening.

I am running on an i386-Linux system (Debian/testing), and configure gdb using
../gdb-5.0/configure --target=sh-elf
or
../gdb-5.0/configure

The compilation runs fine, but when I run the generated gdb, I get one of
the following behaviors:

 - a segmentation fault during the startup of the i386 gdb, in i386-tdep.c at
    i386_register_virtual_size[i] = TYPE_LENGTH (REGISTER_VIRTUAL_TYPE (i));

 - strange error messages from sh-elf-gdb like
$ gdb/gdb
GNU gdb 5.0
Copyright 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
GDB is free software, covered by the GNU General Public License, and you are
welcome to change it and/or distribute copies of it under certain conditions.
Type "show copying" to see the conditions.
There is absolutely no warranty for GDB.  Type "show warranty" for details.
This GDB was configured as "--host=i686-pc-linux-gnu --target=sh-elf".
(gdb) set processor auto
Undefined command: "set".  Try "help".
No display number 0.
Disabling display 0 to avoid infinite recursion.
(gdb) load /tmp/lc3a_ld.elf
Undefined command: "load".  Try "help".

It seems like gdb is parsing the commands wrong - however, i am a bit lost
where to look - it looks a bit like the bug is not in gdb (as it worked
before several times), but somewhere in my runtime environment. However, I
can compile other programs just fine.

Any Ideas?

cu
Michael