What I'm using:
firebird 2.1.1 (superserver), downloaded from apple's downloads (says it's from
IBphoenix)
MacOS X 10.5.5, on an Intel Core 2 Duo (2GHz) Mac Mini, with 3GB RAM.

Demo of problem:
...English.lproj/var/help> qli -u SYSDBA -p xxxxxxxxx
Welcome to QLI
Query Language Interpreter
QLI> help
** QLI error from database **
Your user name and password are not defined. Ask your database administrator to set up
a Firebird login.

QLI> ready help.fdb
QLI> show relations
Database "help.fdb" readied as QLI_0
TOPICS


The firebird account was created as part of installation, and I've stopped/restarted
(correctly) the database server processes since then. I can obviously access the
help database if I do so explicitly, but not implicitly with the qli help command, nor
without the -u and -p arguments. This is the first time I've tried firebird on the Mac,
or indeed a recent version at all, but I don't recall anything like this sort of trouble
with it on e.g. Solaris.

I do have an old "interbas" account still kicking around, being picked up by the Mac
via NIS from my Sun server/workstation, but the UID is different, and I'd hope that
isn't interfering with anything. I have my own Mac port of "getent", and although
the firebird account was created locally, it's properly visible on the Mac; for example,
I can su to firebird just fine.

What am I doing wrong, or what's broke? What's the point of the firebird account
anyway (remember, it's been many years since I've used firebird or interbase)?