For no reason I can see, dbus-daemon will suddenly begin taking 17% CPU (100% of one core, swapping cores every few seconds), and during this time any attempt to open an application will fail or will be delayed until it's done with whatever it's doing (usually five to twenty minutes). I have no idea how to find out exactly what that is, nor do I have any idea what it's doing. Anyone? This one's extremely aggravating. Running Kubuntu 11.04 if it makes a difference.

On the off chance it'll help, this is the memory dump. Means nothing to me sadly.

Process 1969 - dbus-daemon

Summary

The process dbus-daemon (with pid 1969) is using approximately 28.3 MB of memory.
It is using 28.1 MB privately, and a further 860.0 KB that is, or could be, shared with other programs.
Dividing up the shared memory between all the processes sharing that memory we get a reduced shared memory usage of 144.0 KB. Adding that to the private usage, we get the above mentioned total memory footprint of 28.3 MB.
Library Usage

The memory usage of a process is found by adding up the memory usage of each of its libraries, plus the process's own heap, stack and any other mappings.
Private
more
28640 KB [heap]
36 KB [stack]
20 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc-2.13.so
12 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libexpat.so.1.5.2
12 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/ld-2.13.so
Shared
more
356 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc-2.13.so
280 KB /bin/dbus-daemon
96 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libexpat.so.1.5.2
56 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpthread-2.13.so
28 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/ld-2.13.so
Totals

Private 28792 KB (= 0 KB clean + 28792 KB dirty)
Shared 860 KB (= 860 KB clean + 0 KB dirty)
Rss 29652 KB (= Private + Shared)
Pss 28936 KB (= Private + Shared/Number of Processes)
Swap 0 KB
Full Details

Information about the complete virtual space for the process is available, with sortable columns. An empty filename means that it is an anonymous mapping.
Both the MMU page size and the kernel page size are 4 KB.
Address Perm Size Rss Pss Shared Clean Shared Dirty Private Clean Private Dirty Referenced Anonymous Swap Locked Filename
7f9314e75000-7f9314e81000 r-xp 48 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libnss_files-2.13.so
7f9314e81000-7f9315080000 ---p 2044 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libnss_files-2.13.so
7f9315080000-7f9315081000 r--p 4 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libnss_files-2.13.so
7f9315081000-7f9315082000 rw-p 4 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libnss_files-2.13.so
7f9315082000-7f931508d000 r-xp 44 KB 8 KB 0 KB 8 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 8 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libnss_nis-2.13.so
7f931508d000-7f931528c000 ---p 2044 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libnss_nis-2.13.so
7f931528c000-7f931528d000 r--p 4 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libnss_nis-2.13.so
7f931528d000-7f931528e000 rw-p 4 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libnss_nis-2.13.so
7f931528e000-7f93152a5000 r-xp 92 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libnsl-2.13.so
7f93152a5000-7f93154a4000 ---p 2044 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libnsl-2.13.so
7f93154a4000-7f93154a5000 r--p 4 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libnsl-2.13.so
7f93154a5000-7f93154a6000 rw-p 4 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libnsl-2.13.so
7f93154a6000-7f93154a8000 rw-p 8 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB
7f93154a8000-7f93154b0000 r-xp 32 KB 20 KB 0 KB 20 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 20 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libnss_compat-2.13.so
7f93154b0000-7f93156af000 ---p 2044 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libnss_compat-2.13.so
7f93156af000-7f93156b0000 r--p 4 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libnss_compat-2.13.so
7f93156b0000-7f93156b1000 rw-p 4 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libnss_compat-2.13.so
7f93156b1000-7f93156b3000 r-xp 8 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libdl-2.13.so
7f93156b3000-7f93158b3000 ---p 2048 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libdl-2.13.so
7f93158b3000-7f93158b4000 r--p 4 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libdl-2.13.so
7f93158b4000-7f93158b5000 rw-p 4 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libdl-2.13.so
7f93158b5000-7f9315a3f000 r-xp 1576 KB 356 KB 3 KB 356 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 356 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc-2.13.so
7f9315a3f000-7f9315c3e000 ---p 2044 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc-2.13.so
7f9315c3e000-7f9315c42000 r--p 16 KB 16 KB 16 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 16 KB 12 KB 16 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc-2.13.so
7f9315c42000-7f9315c43000 rw-p 4 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 4 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc-2.13.so
7f9315c43000-7f9315c49000 rw-p 24 KB 24 KB 24 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 24 KB 20 KB 24 KB 0 KB 0 KB
7f9315c49000-7f9315c50000 r-xp 28 KB 8 KB 0 KB 8 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 8 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/librt-2.13.so
7f9315c50000-7f9315e4f000 ---p 2044 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/librt-2.13.so
7f9315e4f000-7f9315e50000 r--p 4 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 4 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/librt-2.13.so
7f9315e50000-7f9315e51000 rw-p 4 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/librt-2.13.so
7f9315e51000-7f9315e69000 r-xp 96 KB 56 KB 0 KB 56 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 56 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpthread-2.13.so
7f9315e69000-7f9316069000 ---p 2048 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpthread-2.13.so
7f9316069000-7f931606a000 r--p 4 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 4 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpthread-2.13.so
7f931606a000-7f931606b000 rw-p 4 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpthread-2.13.so
7f931606b000-7f931606f000 rw-p 16 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 4 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB
7f931606f000-7f931608b000 r-xp 112 KB 4 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libselinux.so.1
7f931608b000-7f931628a000 ---p 2044 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libselinux.so.1
7f931628a000-7f931628b000 r--p 4 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libselinux.so.1
7f931628b000-7f931628c000 rw-p 4 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libselinux.so.1
7f931628c000-7f931628d000 rw-p 4 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB
7f931628d000-7f93162b4000 r-xp 156 KB 96 KB 1 KB 96 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 96 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libexpat.so.1.5.2
7f93162b4000-7f93164b4000 ---p 2048 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libexpat.so.1.5.2
7f93164b4000-7f93164b6000 r--p 8 KB 8 KB 8 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 8 KB 0 KB 8 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libexpat.so.1.5.2
7f93164b6000-7f93164b7000 rw-p 4 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libexpat.so.1.5.2
7f93164b7000-7f93164d8000 r-xp 132 KB 28 KB 0 KB 28 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 28 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/ld-2.13.so
7f93164e1000-7f93164e2000 rw-p 4 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 4 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB
7f93166a5000-7f93166aa000 rw-p 20 KB 20 KB 20 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 20 KB 4 KB 20 KB 0 KB 0 KB
7f93166d5000-7f93166d7000 rw-p 8 KB 8 KB 8 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 8 KB 0 KB 8 KB 0 KB 0 KB
7f93166d7000-7f93166d8000 r--p 4 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 4 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/ld-2.13.so
7f93166d8000-7f93166da000 rw-p 8 KB 8 KB 8 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 8 KB 0 KB 8 KB 0 KB 0 KB /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/ld-2.13.so
7f93166da000-7f931672f000 r-xp 340 KB 280 KB 140 KB 280 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 268 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB /bin/dbus-daemon
7f931692e000-7f931692f000 r--p 4 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 4 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB /bin/dbus-daemon
7f931692f000-7f9316930000 rw-p 4 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 4 KB 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB /bin/dbus-daemon
7f93186cc000-7f931a3d5000 rw-p 29732 KB 28576 KB 28576 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 28576 KB 28464 KB 28576 KB 0 KB 0 KB [heap]
7fff09831000-7fff09852000 rw-p 136 KB 36 KB 36 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 36 KB 36 KB 36 KB 0 KB 0 KB [stack]
7fff099b0000-7fff099b1000 r-xp 4 KB 4 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB [vdso]
ffffffffff600000-ffffffffff601000 r-xp 4 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB 0 KB [vsyscall]