Connecting to postgres from a romote machhine

Hi, I've just installed postgres on the Linux server. It is supposed
to start automatically which I think it does since I can run an sql
stmt right away. When I'm trying to connect from a remote machine I
get a message that the remote machine IP address is not specified in
pg_hba.conf, that there is no record of that machine there.
ph_hba.conf is set up correctly, because when I run the following:
postmaster -i -D /var/lib/pgsql/data
from the command line, I'm able to easily connect to postgre from the
remote machine.
What's the deal here? It's probably how postgres is started.

here is my startup script:

#! /bin/sh
# postgresql This is the init script for starting up the PostgreSQL
# server
#
# chkconfig: - 85 15
# description: Starts and stops the PostgreSQL backend daemon that
handles \
# all database requests.
# processname: postmaster
# pidfile: /var/run/postmaster.pid

# Version 6.5.3-2 Lamar Owen
# Added code to determine if PGDATA exists, whether it is current
version
# or not, and initdb if no PGDATA (initdb will not overwrite a
database).

# Version 7.0 Lamar Owen
# Added logging code
# Changed PGDATA.
#

# Version 7.0.2 Trond Eivind Glomsrød <teg(at)redhat(dot)com>
# use functions, add conditional restart

# Version 7.0.3 Lamar Owen <lamar(at)postgresql(dot)org>
# Check for the existence of functions before blindly using them
# in particular -- check for success () and failure () before using.
# More Cross-distribution support -- PGVERSION variable, and docdir
checks.

# Version 7.1 Release Candidate Lamar Owen <lamar(at)postgresql(dot)org>
# initdb parameters have changed.

# Version 7.1.2 Trond Eivind Glomsrød <teg(at)redhat(dot)com>
# Specify shell for su
# Handle stop better - kill unwanted output, make it wait until the
database is ready
# Handle locales slightly differently - always using "C" isn't a valid
option
# Kill output from database initialization
# Mark messages for translation

# Version 7.1.2-2.PGDG Lamar Owen <lamar(dot)owen(at)wgcr(dot)org>
# sync up.
# Karl's fixes for some quoting issues.

# Version 7.2b2 Lamar Owen <lamar(dot)owen(at)wgcr(dot)org>
# version change.

# Version 7.2 final. Lamar Owen <lamar(dot)owen(at)wgcr(dot)org>
# reload from Peter E.
# Eliminate the pidof postmaster test in stop -- we're using pg_ctl so
we don't need pidof.
# Tested the $? return for the stop script -- it does in fact
propagate.
# TODO: multiple postmasters.

# PGVERSION is:
PGVERSION=7.2

# Source function library.
INITD=/etc/rc.d/init.d
. $INITD/functions

# Get function listing for cross-distribution logic.
TYPESET=`typeset -f|grep "declare"`

# Get config.
. /etc/sysconfig/network

# Check that networking is up.
# Pretty much need it for postmaster.
[ "${NETWORKING}" = "no" ] && exit 0

[ -f /usr/bin/postmaster ] || exit 0

start(){
PSQL_START=$"Starting postgresql service: "

# Check for older PGDATA location.
if [ -f /var/lib/pgsql/PG_VERSION ] && [ -d
/var/lib/pgsql/base/template1 ]
then
export PGDATA=/var/lib/pgsql
else
export PGDATA=/var/lib/pgsql/data
fi

# Check for the PGDATA structure
if [ -f $PGDATA/PG_VERSION ] && [ -d $PGDATA/base ]
then
# Check version of existing PGDATA

if [ `cat $PGDATA/PG_VERSION` != '7.2' ]
then
SYSDOCDIR="(Your System's documentation directory)"
if [ -d /usr/doc/postgresql-$PGVERSION ]
then
SYSDOCDIR=/usr/doc
fi
if [ -d /usr/share/doc/postgresql-$PGVERSION ]
then
SYSDOCDIR=/usr/share/doc
fi
if [ -d /usr/doc/packages/postgresql-$PGVERSION ]
then
SYSDOCDIR=/usr/doc/packages
fi
if [ -d /usr/share/doc/packages/postgresql-$PGVERSION ]
then
SYSDOCDIR=/usr/share/doc/packages
fi
echo
echo -e $"An old version of the database format was found.\nYou
need to upgrade the data format before using PostgreSQL.\nSee
$SYSDOCDIR/postgresql-$PGVERSION/README.rpm-dist for more
information."
exit 1
# This doesn't seem to do anything useful...
# else
# if echo "$TYPESET"|grep "declare -f success ()" >/dev/null
# then
# success "$PSQL_CHECK"
# else
# echo " [ OK ]"
# fi
# echo
fi

# No existing PGDATA! Initdb it.

else
echo -n $"Initializing database: "
if [ ! -d $PGDATA ]
then
mkdir -p $PGDATA
chown postgres.postgres $PGDATA
fi
# Make sure the locale from the initdb is preserved for later
startups...
[ -f /etc/sysconfig/i18n ] && cp /etc/sysconfig/i18n
$PGDATA/../initdb.i18n
# Just in case no locale was set, use en_US
[ ! -f /etc/sysconfig/i18n ] && echo "LANG=en_US" >
$PGDATA/../initdb.i18n
# Is expanded this early to be used in the command su runs
echo "export LANG LC_ALL LC_CTYPE LC_COLLATE LC_NUMERIC LC_CTYPE
LC_TIME" >> $PGDATA/../initdb.i18n
# Initialize the database
su -l postgres -s /bin/sh -c "/usr/bin/initdb
--pgdata=/var/lib/pgsql/data > /dev/null 2>&1" < /dev/null
[ -f $PGDATA/PG_VERSION ] && echo_success
[ ! -f $PGDATA/PG_VERSION ] && echo_failure
echo
fi

# Check for postmaster already running...
pid=`pidof -s postmaster`
if [ $pid ]
then
echo $"Postmaster already running."
else
#all systems go -- remove any stale lock files
rm -f /tmp/.s.PGSQL.* > /dev/null
echo -n "$PSQL_START"
su -l postgres -s /bin/sh -c "/usr/bin/pg_ctl -D $PGDATA -o '-i' -p
/usr/bin/postmaster start > /dev/null 2>&1" < /dev/null
sleep 1
pid=`pidof -s postmaster`
if [ $pid ]
then
if echo "$TYPESET"|grep "declare -f success ()" >/dev/null
then
success "$PSQL_START"
else
echo " [ OK ]"
fi
touch /var/lock/subsys/postgresql
echo $pid > /var/run/postmaster.pid
echo
else
if echo "$TYPESET"|grep "declare -f failure ()" >/dev/null
then
failure "$PSQL_START"
else
echo " [ FAILED ]"
fi
echo
fi
fi
}

stop(){
echo -n $"Stopping postgresql service: "
# Check for older PGDATA location.
if [ -f /var/lib/pgsql/PG_VERSION ] && [ -d
/var/lib/pgsql/base/template1 ]
then
export PGDATA=/var/lib/pgsql
else
export PGDATA=/var/lib/pgsql/data
fi
su -l postgres -s /bin/sh -c "/usr/bin/pg_ctl stop -D $PGDATA -s -m
fast" > /dev/null 2>&1
ret=$?
if [ $ret -eq 0 ]; then
echo_success
else
echo_failure
fi
echo
rm -f /var/run/postmaster.pid
rm -f /var/lock/subsys/postgresql
}

restart(){
stop
start
}

condrestart(){
[ -e /var/lock/subsys/postgresql ] && restart || :
}

reload(){
su -l postgres -s /bin/sh -c "/usr/bin/pg_ctl reload -D $PGDATA
-s" > /dev/null 2>&1
}

# This script is slightly unusual in that the name of the daemon
(postmaster)
# is not the same as the name of the subsystem (postgresql)

# See how we were called.
case "$1" in
start)
start
;;
stop)
stop
;;
status)
status postmaster
;;
restart)
restart
;;
condrestart)
condrestart
;;
reload|force-reload)
reload
;;
*)
echo $"Usage: $0 {start|stop|status|restart|condrestart|reload|force-reload}"
exit 1
esac

exit 0

Please, let me know what should I do.
N.K.