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Informix Error -1006: Error number.

Cause and resolution

Error number.

The error code that is shown was returned, but the program could not display the message text for that number, probably because one of the .iem message files is missing from the directory that the INFORMIXDIR environment variable specifies. Look up the number in the finderr utility. Also consult with the person who installed the IBM Informix software to find out why the message files are not available.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-1006 fires when the server returns a valid error number but the client program can't locate the message text for it — per the official guidance, the most likely reason is a missing .iem message file under the directory INFORMIXDIR points to.

  1. A .iem message file missing from $INFORMIXDIR/msg (or the platform-equivalent message directory), per the official guidance — the specific, named likely cause.
  2. INFORMIXDIR itself set incorrectly, pointing away from the actual installation, so every message file lookup under it fails.
  3. An incomplete or corrupted client installation, missing message files that should have been installed alongside the product.
Solutions / Resolution
  1. Verify INFORMIXDIR is set correctly, per the official guidance, and points at the actual installation.
  2. Check that the expected .iem message files are present under that installation's message directory, and reinstall or restore any that are missing.
  3. Look up the raw error number directly with finderr, per the official guidance, as an immediate workaround while the message-file issue is investigated.
Examples
Checking INFORMIXDIR and looking up the raw number
$ echo "$INFORMIXDIR"
/opt/informix
$ find "$INFORMIXDIR/msg" -name '*.iem' | head
$ finderr 1213

.iem files are commonly nested under language/codeset subdirectories rather than directly in msg/, so a recursive search is more reliable than a flat glob.

Diagnostic Checks
  1. Confirm INFORMIXDIR points at a valid, complete installation.
  2. Check for missing .iem files under that installation's message directory.
  3. Use finderr to look up the specific error number directly while the underlying message- file issue is resolved.
Related Errors / Related Topics

No closely related error codes are cross-referenced for -1006 in this set yet.

A missing .iem message file (or a misconfigured INFORMIXDIR) prevented the client from displaying the real error's text — use finderr as an immediate workaround.