> ar rv /soft/lib/readline.a 
> ar: /soft/lib/readline.a: Permission denied
> make[2]: *** [/soft/lib/readline.a] Error 1

But that's not libreadline.a, it looks like you've changed the definition for 
LIBREADLINE in configs/Makeconf.linux to /soft/lib/readline.a while it should 
be /soft/lib/libreadline.a

As there probably is no readline.a, the Makefile tries to `create' one,
and the %.a rule in configs/Makerules triggers make into believing it
actually is capable of creating the missing archive.

Succes,
	Jan Harkes <jaharkes_at_cs.cmu.edu>