"Trying to require a method that doesn't exist"

[Harry Putnam <reader@newsguy.com>]

problem that produces this message: "Trying to require a method that
doesn't exit"
This is a recent Redhat Linux 5.1  install on a Toshiba laptop 4005CDS
(pentium II 266)

Running pgnus-0.64, currently.  Each time this problem has cropped up
I've tried going back to gnus-5.6.45 and a few in between, but once I
start getting this message gnus will not start.  Soon after pressing
"M-x gnus" comes the message.

With my poor understanding of gnus functioning the only way I have
gotten around it is to rename .newsrc.eld then let gnus generate
another one.  Add an nnml server and let it regenerate.   Doing it
this way looses track of read and unread in the newsgroups but also
looses the "group parameter" info on nnml groups.  Although the mail
is retained in tact, any special marks etc are lost.

This hasn't been to big a problem since I haven't run the laptop enough
to have much to lose.

However I'd like to know what is causing the problem.  I only saved
the most recent back-trace which is included below, but the others also
contained a line about a nnml group scan (group "Dan" below") each
time a different group.  It didn't seem to me that nnml scans should
be happening yet, but of course thats just a wild guess.

Back Trace (byte-code long-lines chopped but not changed):

Signaling: (error "Trying to require a method that doesn't exist")
  signal(error ("Trying to require a method that doesn't exist"))
  error("Trying to require a method that doesn't exist")
  gnus-server-opened((nil ""))
  gnus-activate-group("nnml:mail.Dan" scan)
  gnus-get-unread-articles(nil)
  gnus-setup-news(nil nil nil)
  byte-code("\b„\x0e

ˆÓ\x0e\x1a!ˆÔ ˆÕÖ!ˆ× ˆÇØ!ˆÐ‡" [dont-connect 
did-connect gnus-startup-file gnus-current-startup-file gnus-slave 
gnus-use-dribble-file gnus-group-quit gnus-run-hooks 
gnus-startup-hook gnus-make-newsrc-file gnus-dribble-read-file 
bbb-login add-hook gnus-summary-mode-hook gnus-grouplens-mode 
gnus-setup-news nil gnus-setup-news-hook gnus-start-draft-setup 
gnus-group-list-groups gnus-group-first-unread-group 
gnus-configure-windows group gnus-group-set-mode-line 
gnus-started-hook gnus-use-grouplens level] 4)
  gnus-1(nil nil nil)
  gnus(nil)
  call-interactively(gnus)
  execute-extended-command(nil)
* call-interactively(execute-extended-command)

Haven't been able to identify specific conditions that obtain when
this happens.

-- 
Harry Putnam <reader@newsguy.com>
Running Redhat Linux 5.1
.