Weird GNOME behaviour (in Dapper and Edgy)

[Christofer C. Bell]

On 11/19/06, Severin Schoepke <severin.schoepke at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> But I have a weird problem with both installations: Sometimes Gnome
> doesn't allow the creation of new windows: When I'm working and want to
> start a new app or open a folder, it happens from time to time that the
> app/folder is not started/opened. There's a new entry in the task bar in
> the likes of 'Mozilla Firefox wird gestartet...' (FF is being started in
> english) that just disappears after a few seconds. I then can't start
> applications, be it via the start menu, a panel launcher, a starter on
> the desktop or from a terminal that is already open... Then suddenly,
> after 10 minutes or so, the apps finally start/the windows get opened...

Is your network providing DHCP services to your system?  If so, it
sounds as if perhaps the hostname is changing.  When that happens,
GNOME applications may either refuse to start or may start after a
long timeout which seems to be your symptom.

When you start up, run 'hostname' and make a note of the name.  Then
keep a terminal open.  When you see the issue again, run 'hostname'
again and see if the name has changed.  You may need to configure your
DHCP client to ignore hostname configuration from your DHCP server.

-- 
Chris

"George 'Macaca' Allen is like the place kicker that blew the winning
field goal at the Super Bowl.  He's why the Republicans lost control
of the Senate."