WHID=What have I done?
In another thread I posted on getting libpthreads.so errors after upgrading glibc, I discussed the errors being mitigated by deleting the libpthreads.so.0 file (hmm, wish I knew how to easily link to another thread here).

Here's the question (a new subject, thus the new thread) -- I have done away with the following files: Libpthreads.so.0, libpthreads.so, librt.so.1, and librt.so. All of my problems have vanished, and everything works as I want it to. What are the (unknown to me) consequences of this VERY STUPID IN MY OPINION solution. I mean, I can probably get things back to the way they were if necessary (when things didn't do as I wanted) and replace the files, but exactly what functions have I removed -- I don't know what these files really did, other than a vague inkling having to do with threads.

Anyone have an idea of the specific uses for these files?

Ahh, sorry for the waste of space...found other solutions, and have reverted this thread back to the original query elsewhere.