Re: gnu-latest.tar.gz

["Alfred M. Szmidt" <ams@kemisten.nu>]

   sh-2.05a# su USER
   bash-2.05a$ ps xa
   the password server isn't loaded again, and the system automatically 
   load /hurd/pflocal /hurd/magic tty

Because su (the one from coreutils) does not use the password
translator (atleast directly, don't recall the details); compared to
login, which does.

Try using the x command (an Hurdish su, but I don'r remeber if it is
installed by default), you should be able to get the lovely
authentication failure message there. =) To find the bug though you
should compile things with debugging symbols and run the evil programs
in gdb.