I've tried installing the latest code from source for both erlang and ejabberd but still no go. I suspect erl doesn't like something in my network setup.
When I try "erl -sname qqq" I get
{error_logger,{{2013,6,22},{2,44,59}},"Protocol: ~p: register error: ~p~n",["inet_tcp",{{badmatch,{error,epmd_close}},[{inet_tcp_dist,listen,1,[{file,"inet_tcp_dist.erl"},{line,70}]},{net_kernel,start_protos,4,[{file,"net_kernel.erl"},{line,1314}]},{net_kernel,start_protos,3,[{file,"net_kernel.erl"},{line,1307}]},{net_kernel,init_node,2,[{file,"net_kernel.erl"},{line,1197}]},{net_kernel,init,1,[{file,"net_kernel.erl"},{line,357}]},{gen_server,init_it,6,[{file,"gen_server.erl"},{line,304}]},{proc_lib,init_p_do_apply,3,[{file,"proc_lib.erl"},{line,227}]}]}]}
{error_logger,{{2013,6,22},{2,44,59}},crash_report,[[{initial_call,{net_kernel,init,['Argument__1']}},{pid,<0.19.0>},{registered_name,[]},{error_info,{exit,{error,badarg},[{gen_server,init_it,6,[{file,"gen_server.erl"},{line,320}]},{proc_lib,init_p_do_apply,3,[{file,"proc_lib.erl"},{line,227}]}]}},{ancestors,[net_sup,kernel_sup,<0.9.0>]},{messages,[]},{links,[#Port<0.52>,<0.16.0>]},{dictionary,[{longnames,false}]},{trap_exit,true},{status,running},{heap_size,610},{stack_size,24},{reductions,485}],[]]}
{error_logger,{{2013,6,22},{2,44,59}},supervisor_report,[{supervisor,{local,net_sup}},{errorContext,start_error},{reason,{'EXIT',nodistribution}},{offender,[{pid,undefined},{name,net_kernel},{mfargs,{net_kernel,start_link,[[qqq,shortnames]]}},{restart_type,permanent},{shutdown,2000},{child_type,worker}]}]}
{error_logger,{{2013,6,22},{2,44,59}},supervisor_report,[{supervisor,{local,kernel_sup}},{errorContext,start_error},{reason,shutdown},{offender,[{pid,undefined},{name,net_sup},{mfargs,{erl_distribution,start_link,[]}},{restart_type,permanent},{shutdown,infinity},{child_type,supervisor}]}]}
{error_logger,{{2013,6,22},{2,44,59}},std_info,[{application,kernel},{exited,{shutdown,{kernel,start,[normal,[]]}}},{type,permanent}]}
{"Kernel pid terminated",application_controller,"{application_start_failure,kernel,{shutdown,{kernel,start,[normal,[]]}}}"}
Ejabberd Crash dump:
=erl_crash_dump:0.1
Sun Jun 16 15:16:30 2013
Slogan: Kernel pid terminated (application_controller) ({application_start_failure,kernel,{shutdown,{kernel,start,[normal,[]]}}})
System version: Erlang R15B03 (erts-5.9.3.1) [source] [smp:8:4] [async-threads:0] [hipe] [kernel-poll:true]
