user authentication crash

Operating system: SuSE 7.2 Professional with postgres v7.1 installed
manually.
(I prefer to manually set up software)
Directory: /postgres
Data Directory: /var/lib/pgsql/data
Options: ODBC emabled
Server startup line: postmaster -i -D /var/lib/pgsql/data > logfile.txt &
Port: 9427
System: AMD Athalon 1.4 Ghz, 512 MB Ram, D-Link network card

Upon trying to connect to the postgres backend by psql (with password
authentication enabled), postgres crashes saying "FATAL 1: Bad abstime
external representation ' '". I have also gotten '@!' and '/g!' in addition
to the ' '. The Postgres backend then terminates abnormally.

The '' was reported at debug_level 0, the '@!' was reported at debug_level
5, and the '/g!' was reported at debug_level 9. The psql string used to
connect was simply psql (database name). Adding additional paramaters, such
as -U have resulted in the same problem. When trying to channel the info
into a logfile, I did not have any luck, as the output file was empty.
Installation instructions were followed exactly.

Thanks

Erik Luke
eluke(at)cs(dot)montana(dot)edu