Is there any other thing running with that database? If so, I would consider a locking problem. CREATE/ALTER ROLE should never take too much time, unless there is some kind of lock in a global catalog.
I am not so sure this is lock issue? Ctrl C would not complete the command if it were a lock issue?
Pepe can confirm if he sees any locks though ?
Hey Pepe,
Can you let us know
what postgres version?
what psql version?
what OS?
also, is it possible for you to collect stack trace of the hanging process?