Cannot insert a duplicate key into unique index pg_calss_oid_index

I'm running into a few database problems, and having a hard time
solving them. Version() tells me PostgreSQL 7.2.3 on
i686-pc-linux-gnu, compiled by GCC 2.95.2.

The problem: vacuum fails (returns 1) and logs "Cannot insert a
duplicate key into unique index pg_class_oid_index". This is on a new
installation, after a few reboots and a new database having been
created.

I followed the steps to start a standalone backend in the reference
guide under "REINDEX", but it doesn't seem to be working. This is
what I tried:

$ /usr/local/pgsql/bin/postgres -D /usr/local/stuff/data -O -P log
DEBUG: database system was shut down at 2003-01-31 22:10:57 GMT
DEBUG: checkpoint record is at 0/1AF664
DEBUG: redo record is at 0/1AF664; undo record is at 0/0; shutdown
TRUE
DEBUG: next transaction id: 196; next oid: 16632
DEBUG: database system is ready

POSTGRES backend interactive interface
$Revision: 1.245.2.3 $ $Date: 2002/09/30 20:47:22 $

backend> reindex database log force
NOTICE: relation 1247 was reindexed
NOTICE: relation 1249 was reindexed
ERROR: Cannot create unique index. Table contains non-unique values
backend>

What does this mean, and how do I fix it?

Thanks,

Stephane Charette
stephanecharette <nospam> AT telus <nospam> .net