"Permission Denied" error for root user when perms are 0775?

[Gordon Messmer]

R. G. Newbury wrote:
> I downloaded an svn version of mythtv, cd'd to the folder, and tried to 
> run './configure --help', Got a 'Permission Denied' error.
> 
> I am root and the permissions were and are 0775...chmod changes nothing, 
> even trying 0777.

Try:

sh -x ./configure --help