Weird KDE problem - Konqueror will not start on Mandrake 10.1
 

I posted this in the General Forum, but did not get much interest or results. Hopefully, there is more interest here.

I am running Mandrake 10.1 (brand new distribution). After I setup a user, I login and try to double-click on the "Home" icon. It comes up in the task-bar and the hour-glass spins for a while and about a minute later, it disappears, but nothing shows up.

If I do a ps aux I see:
ppk 7084 0.0 1.7 22448 9064 ? S 15:50 0:00 kdeinit: kfmclient openProfile filemanagement

Also, nothing shows up if I type "kfmclient openProfile filemanagement" in a console window, but I get the following error:

bash-2.05b$ kfmclient openProfile filemanagement
DCOPReply<>: cast to 'QCString' error


Okay, more details on this problem. It seems to be related to my USB CompactFlash reader. I re-installed the system from DVD-ROM and if I don't have a CF card in the reader, everything seems to go fine and I don't have this error. However, I my compact flash reader no longer has an entry in fstab and it doesn't seem to work anymore.

If I re-install the system with this card installed, then I have this symptom of the "kfmclient openProfile filemanagement" hanging.

Since, I would like my CompactFlash reader and my KDE Home icon to work, I tried to do more diagnosing. There is nothing in the /var/log/messages file, but there is an entry in my .xsession-errors file:

kdecore (KAction): WARNING: KActionCollection::KActionCollection( QObject *parent, const char *name, KInstance *instance )
X Error: BadWindow (invalid Window parameter) 3
Major opcode: 20
Minor opcode: 0
Resource id: 0x1c01a86
ALSA lib pcm_hw.c:549:(snd_pcm_hw_start) SNDRV_PCM_IOCTL_START failed: Broken pipe
DCOP aborting while waiting for answer from 'kded'
DCOP aborting while waiting for answer from 'konqueror-10187'

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

DO NOT plug in the USB reader during the installation.

There are a few readers which give Mandrake heartaches and can cause it to freeze up.

Make sure your reader is externally powered and connected either directly to the computer or via a SUPPORTED USB power hub.

Plug a card into the read, then plug the reader into the computer.

Check the output of DMESG

If things are working you will see an entry at the end about finding the new "drive" when you do this.

Then log out and back in.

In all likelyhood you will then see an icon for your flash card.

I´ve had USB headaches with 10.1 which I didn´t have with 10.0.

External USB hard drive is detected (hot plug) and can initially be opened but can´t write to it. Konqueror then locks up. System monitor shows CPU red lining at 100% even after USB disconnected.

If I boot with USB connected then KDE desktop comes up with no device shortcuts at all. Konqueror is locked up as you described.

Sorry no suggestions...but you are not alone.

It's a difference in the kernels and support drivers.

Mandrake seems to load ALL of the interface drivers even when they are not needed.

This can cause conflicts and hangups.

The best thing to do is to avoid their load, and then load them as needed.