How should the first step of PostgreSQL implementation should be?

Dear my friends...

I've installed postgresql-server on OpenSuSE11.1 successfully but I
can't connect to it from psql.

I did these steps:
"
1. I created a new opensuse11.1-linux login account + its password
(username: ivia) with YaST2;
2. ivia@sussy:~> su postgres -c psql postgres
Passwort:
Dies ist psql 8.3.7, das interaktive PostgreSQL-Terminal.

Geben Sie ein:  \copyright für Urheberrechtsinformationen
                \h für Hilfe über SQL-Anweisungen
                \? für Hilfe über interne Anweisungen
                \g oder Semikolon, um eine Anfrage auszuführen
                \q um zu beenden
3. postgres'# ALTER USER postgres WITH PASSWORD '<<mypassword>>';
ALTER ROLE
postgres=# create user ivia with password '<<mypassword>>';
CREATE ROLE
postgres'#
4. sussy:/etc # cat /var/lib/pgsql/data/pg_hba.conf
# TYPE  DATABASE    USER        CIDR-ADDRESS          METHOD

# "local" is for Unix domain socket connections only
local   all         all                               ident sameuser
# IPv4 local connections:
host    all         all         127.0.0.1/32          ident sameuser
# IPv6 local connections:
host    all         all         ::1/128               ident sameuser
#local all all md5
#host all all 127.0.0.1/32 md5
#host all all ::1/128 md5
#host all all 0.0.0.0/0 md5
5. sussy:/etc # rcpostgresql restart
Shutting down PostgreSQLServer angehalten
                                                done
Starting PostgreSQL                done
sussy:/etc #
6. sussy:/etc # cat /etc/sysconfig/postgresql
POSTGRES_DATADIR="~postgres/data"
POSTGRES_OPTIONS=""
POSTGRES_LANG=""
sussy:/etc #
7. sussy:/etc # psql -h 127.0.0.1 -U ivia -W
Password for user ivia:
psql: FATAL:  Passwort-Authentifizierung für Benutzer »ivia«
fehlgeschlagen (my translation: Password-Authentication for user »ivia«
failed)
sussy:/etc #
".

Look, the change to the table of user previously just dissapear and I
even don't need to supply the password of 'postgres' user although I've
created its password as I mention above:
"
sussy:/var/lib/pgsql/data # su postgres -c psql postgres
Welcome to psql 8.3.7, the PostgreSQL interactive terminal.

Type:  \copyright for distribution terms
       \h for help with SQL commands
       \? for help with psql commands
       \g or terminate with semicolon to execute query
       \q to quit

postgres=# select * from user;
 current_user
--------------
 postgres
(1 row)

postgres=#
".

Please help me for the first step I use this PostgreSQL. This RDBMS
server is far complicated then MySQL.

Thank you very much in advance.How should the first step of PostgreSQL
implementation should be?