BUG #5807: psql fails to launch with "Cannot read termcap database; using dumb terminal settings. Aborted"

The following bug has been logged online:

Bug reference: 5807
Logged by: Gabe Nell
Email address: gabe(at)kikini(dot)com
PostgreSQL version: 9.0.2
Operating system: Linux Ubuntu 10.04
Description: psql fails to launch with "Cannot read termcap database;
using dumb terminal settings. Aborted"
Details:

I am seeing this on fresh installs of Ubuntu 10.04 using the binary
installer downloaded from EnterpriseDB:

sudo ./postgresql-9.0.2-1-linux.bin --mode unattended --superpassword
mypassword

Launching psql fails:

ubuntu(at)host:~$ /opt/PostgreSQL/9.0/bin/psql -Upostgres
Password for user postgres:
psql (9.0.2)
Type "help" for help.

Cannot read termcap database;
using dumb terminal settings.
Aborted
ubuntu(at)host:~$

The above works fine with 9.0.1, suggesting this is a new issue in 9.0.2. I
tried both 32bit and 64bit, same problem. Interestingly, the problem doesn't
repro under byobu (Ubuntu's enhanced 'screen' utility).