diff --git a/ghc/lib/posix/PosixProcEnv.lhs b/ghc/lib/posix/PosixProcEnv.lhs
index cd757e7e491d7dc382f9641ed63204bf7fb108b2..c2f0b0f88a38e74349ed847c59ec51105dde18c8 100644
--- a/ghc/lib/posix/PosixProcEnv.lhs
+++ b/ghc/lib/posix/PosixProcEnv.lhs
@@ -111,10 +111,18 @@ getGroups = do
 
 getEffectiveUserName :: IO String
 getEffectiveUserName = do
+ {- cuserid() is deprecated, using getpwuid() instead. -}
+    euid <- getEffectiveUserID
+    ptr  <- _ccall_ getpwuid euid
+    str  <- _casm_ ``%r = ((struct passwd *)%0)->pw_name;'' (ptr::Addr)
+    strcpy str   
+
+{- OLD:
     str <- _ccall_ cuserid (``NULL''::Addr)
     if str == ``NULL''
        then syserr "getEffectiveUserName"
        else strcpy str
+-}
 
 getProcessGroupID :: IO ProcessGroupID
 getProcessGroupID = _ccall_ getpgrp
@@ -222,7 +230,7 @@ getControllingTerminalName :: IO FilePath
 getControllingTerminalName = do
     str <- _ccall_ ctermid (``NULL''::Addr)
     if str == ``NULL''
-       then fail (IOError Nothing NoSuchThing "getControllingTerminalName: no controlling terminal")
+       then fail (IOError Nothing NoSuchThing "getControllingTerminalName" "no controlling terminal")
        else strcpy str
 #endif
 
@@ -234,9 +242,9 @@ getTerminalName fd = do
         err <- try (queryTerminal fd)
         either (\err -> syserr "getTerminalName")
                (\succ -> if succ then fail (IOError Nothing NoSuchThing
-					    "getTerminalName: no name")
+					    "getTerminalName" "no name")
                          else fail (IOError Nothing InappropriateType
-					    "getTerminalName: not a terminal"))
+					    "getTerminalName" "not a terminal"))
            err
        else strcpy str
 
@@ -276,6 +284,7 @@ sysconf n = do
  if rc /= -1
     then return rc
     else fail (IOError Nothing NoSuchThing
-		       "getSysVar: no such system limit or option")
+		       "getSysVar" 
+		       "no such system limit or option")
 
 \end{code}
diff --git a/ghc/lib/posix/PosixProcPrim.lhs b/ghc/lib/posix/PosixProcPrim.lhs
index ab3a40a336031dca3b1de6e624fbdc985e431246..2450a9e0ab652416b34cab60133f0408df5f5e96 100644
--- a/ghc/lib/posix/PosixProcPrim.lhs
+++ b/ghc/lib/posix/PosixProcPrim.lhs
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ getEnvVar name = do
     str <- _ccall_ getenv str
     if str == ``NULL''
        then fail (IOError Nothing NoSuchThing
-		 "getEnvVar: no such environment variable")
+		 "getEnvVar" "no such environment variable")
        else strcpy str
 
 setEnvVar :: String -> String -> IO ()
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ installHandler :: Signal
                -> IO Handler		-- old handler
 
 #ifdef __PARALLEL_HASKELL__
-installHandler = error "installHandler: not available for Parallel Haskell"
+installHandler = fail (userError "installHandler: not available for Parallel Haskell")
 #else
 installHandler int handler maybe_mask = (
     case handler of