ejabberdctl status returns the follwing error on a fresh install of Arch Linux:
[shaun@brpc ~]$ ejabberdctl status
{error_logger,{{2013,6,8},{20,18,1}},std_error,"File operation error: eacces. Target: /etc/ejabberd/inetrc. Function: get_file. Process: kernel_sup."}
{error_logger,{{2013,6,8},{20,18,1}},"inet_config: file ~ts not found~n",["/etc/ejabberd/inetrc"]}
{error_logger,{{2013,6,8},{20,18,1}},"Error when reading /var/lib/ejabberd/.erlang.cookie: eacces",[]}
{error_logger,{{2013,6,8},{20,18,1}},crash_report,[[{initial_call,{auth,init,['Argument__1']}},{pid,<0.20.0>},{registered_name,[]},{error_info,{exit,{"Error when reading /var/lib/ejabberd/.erlang.cookie: eacces",[{auth,init_cookie,0,[{file,"auth.erl"},{line,285}]},{auth,init,1,[{file,"auth.erl"},{line,139}]},{gen_server,init_it,6,[{file,"gen_server.erl"},{line,304}]},{proc_lib,init_p_do_apply,3,[{file,"proc_lib.erl"},{line,239}]}]},[{gen_server,init_it,6,[{file,"gen_server.erl"},{line,328}]},{proc_lib,init_p_do_apply,3,[{file,"proc_lib.erl"},{line,239}]}]}},{ancestors,[net_sup,kernel_sup,<0.10.0>]},{messages,[]},{links,[<0.18.0>]},{dictionary,[]},{trap_exit,true},{status,running},{heap_size,610},{stack_size,27},{reductions,643}],[]]}
{error_logger,{{2013,6,8},{20,18,1}},supervisor_report,[{supervisor,{local,net_sup}},{errorContext,start_error},{reason,{"Error when reading /var/lib/ejabberd/.erlang.cookie: eacces",[{auth,init_cookie,0,[{file,"auth.erl"},{line,285}]},{auth,init,1,[{file,"auth.erl"},{line,139}]},{gen_server,init_it,6,[{file,"gen_server.erl"},{line,304}]},{proc_lib,init_p_do_apply,3,[{file,"proc_lib.erl"},{line,239}]}]}},{offender,[{pid,undefined},{name,auth},{mfargs,{auth,start_link,[]}},{restart_type,permanent},{shutdown,2000},{child_type,worker}]}]}
{error_logger,{{2013,6,8},{20,18,1}},supervisor_report,[{supervisor,{local,kernel_sup}},{errorContext,start_error},{reason,{shutdown,{failed_to_start_child,auth,{"Error when reading /var/lib/ejabberd/.erlang.cookie: eacces",[{auth,init_cookie,0,[{file,"auth.erl"},{line,285}]},{auth,init,1,[{file,"auth.erl"},{line,139}]},{gen_server,init_it,6,[{file,"gen_server.erl"},{line,304}]},{proc_lib,init_p_do_apply,3,[{file,"proc_lib.erl"},{line,239}]}]}}}},{offender,[{pid,undefined},{name,net_sup},{mfargs,{erl_distribution,start_link,[]}},{restart_type,permanent},{shutdown,infinity},{child_type,supervisor}]}]}
{error_logger,{{2013,6,8},{20,18,1}},crash_report,[[{initial_call,{application_master,init,['Argument__1','Argument__2','Argument__3','Argument__4']}},{pid,<0.9.0>},{registered_name,[]},{error_info,{exit,{{shutdown,{failed_to_start_child,net_sup,{shutdown,{failed_to_start_child,auth,{"Error when reading /var/lib/ejabberd/.erlang.cookie: eacces",[{auth,init_cookie,0,[{file,"auth.erl"},{line,285}]},{auth,init,1,[{file,"auth.erl"},{line,139}]},{gen_server,init_it,6,[{file,"gen_server.erl"},{line,304}]},{proc_lib,init_p_do_apply,3,[{file,"proc_lib.erl"},{line,239}]}]}}}}},{kernel,start,[normal,[]]}},[{application_master,init,4,[{file,"application_master.erl"},{line,138}]},{proc_lib,init_p_do_apply,3,[{file,"proc_lib.erl"},{line,239}]}]}},{ancestors,[<0.8.0>]},{messages,[{'EXIT',<0.10.0>,normal}]},{links,[<0.8.0>,<0.7.0>]},{dictionary,[]},{trap_exit,true},{status,running},{heap_size,610},{stack_size,27},{reductions,149}],[]]}
{error_logger,{{2013,6,8},{20,18,1}},std_info,[{application,kernel},{exited,{{shutdown,{failed_to_start_child,net_sup,{shutdown,{failed_to_start_child,auth,{"Error when reading /var/lib/ejabberd/.erlang.cookie: eacces",[{auth,init_cookie,0,[{file,"auth.erl"},{line,285}]},{auth,init,1,[{file,"auth.erl"},{line,139}]},{gen_server,init_it,6,[{file,"gen_server.erl"},{line,304}]},{proc_lib,init_p_do_apply,3,[{file,"proc_lib.erl"},{line,239}]}]}}}}},{kernel,start,[normal,[]]}}},{type,permanent}]}
{"Kernel pid terminated",application_controller,"{application_start_failure,kernel,{{shutdown,{failed_to_start_child,net_sup,{shutdown,{failed_to_start_child,auth,{\"Error when reading /var/lib/ejabberd/.erlang.cookie: eacces\",[{auth,init_cookie,0,[{file,\"auth.erl\"},{line,285}]},{auth,init,1,[{file,\"auth.erl\"},{line,139}]},{gen_server,init_it,6,[{file,\"gen_server.erl\"},{line,304}]},{proc_lib,init_p_do_apply,3,[{file,\"proc_lib.erl\"},{line,239}]}]}}}}},{kernel,start,[normal,[]]}}}"}
Kernel pid terminated (application_controller) ({application_start_failure,kernel,{{shutdown,{failed_to_start_child,net_sup,{shutdown,{failed_to_start_child,auth,{"Error when reading /var/lib/ejabbeCan anyone help?
It seems you run that command
It seems you run that command with a system user that doesn't have permission to read the file /etc/ejabberd/inetrc