backslash D in psql fails

Here is an odd one...

> psql lu # talk to database 'lu'
Welcome to the POSTGRESQL interactive sql monitor:
Please read the file COPYRIGHT for copyright terms of POSTGRESQL

type \? for help on slash commands
type \q to quit
type \g or terminate with semicolon to execute query
You are currently connected to the database: lu

lu=> select count(*) from inventory; # how many records?
count
-----
5457 # works fine!
(1 row)

lu=> \d # what tables have we?
Couldn't find any tables, sequences or indices! # bizarre!!!
lu=> select version(); # Hmmm... what version?
ERROR: function version() does not exist # how rude!!
lu=> \q # I can't take this anymore
>

-----------

Looking at one of the PG_VERSION files it says '6.3'.

Functionally, the database works fine via DBI/DBD perl modules.

In my environment:

> env | grep '^PG'
PGDATA=/usr/local/pgsql/data
PGLIB=/usr/local/pgsql/lib
>

Any ideas?

Thanks-

Lee Roth
leer(at)enterprise-engineering(dot)com