Christine Desmuke <cdesmuke(at)kshs(dot)org> writes:
> [postgres(at)zu ~]$ /usr/local/pgsql/bin/psql -U nobody
> psql: [postgres(at)zu ~]$
> [That is, the expected error from psql about the nonexistent user is
> swallowed.]
Try the above under strace, and see what it shows happening to the
writes to stderr (they should be very close to the end of the strace
output).
regards, tom lane