[Evolution] Evolution freezes with 99% cpu...

[Robert Burcham <rob_burcham yahoo com>]

I have been an evolution user for over 4 years, and
only recently (past month or so) have encountered this
problem with 2.6.1:

For reasons unknown, regularly and out of the blue,
evo functions will "freeze" up and the evo process
will consume all cpu.  This seizure lasts for a minute
or so, and then clears.  Any events (clicks, typing,
etc) sent to evo during this time are all executed
immediately upon clearing.  Evo can be doing anything,
or nothing, and it will seize up in this fashion.  The
seizures come every couple minutes.

When this happens, all other system functions and
applications will respond and behave.  It's just evo
that freezes up.  If I move another window to the
foreground and then try to raise evo, the evo window
will not repaint until the seizure is over.

I googled this.  A lot.  I have run across similar
sounding complaints from users of past versions, years
ago.  One complaint seemed to suggest a root cause
involving a missing entry from /etc/hosts.  I assure
you this is not the case with me.

I found another fellow who had the EXACT same problem,
and he posted its description and his solution (!) on
his blog.  He indicated that a setting in mail
Preferences that sync'd his contacts regularly was the
culprit.  Unchecking it fixed it for him.  I looked -
I do not and never have had that setting checked.

I also ran across a thread where attempts to
troubleshoot a similar sounding problem involved
attaching gdb and collecting thread back traces.  This
thread died in the archives with no description of a
resolution.

I'd be happy to provide thread bts if someone thinks
they will help.

I am using gentoo, using a 2.6.17 kernel.  I have a
single exchange account configured.

Incidentals:

# emerge --info
Portage 2.1.1_pre1-r1 (default-linux/x86/2005.1,
gcc-3.4.6/vanilla, glibc-2.4-r3, 2.6.17-gentoo i686)

# emerge -s evolution

*  gnome-extra/evolution-data-server
      Latest version available: 1.6.1
      Latest version installed: 1.6.1
      Size of files: 6,991 kB
      Homepage:      http://www.ximian.com/
      Description:   Evolution groupware backend
      License:       LGPL-2 Sleepycat

*  gnome-extra/evolution-exchange
      Latest version available: 2.6.0
      Latest version installed: 2.6.0
      Size of files: 947 kB
      Homepage:     
http://www.novell.com/products/desktop/features/evolution.html
      Description:   Evolution module for connecting
to Microsoft Exchange
      License:       GPL-2

*  gnome-extra/evolution-webcal
      Latest version available: 2.5.90
      Latest version installed: 2.5.90
      Size of files: 151 kB
      Homepage:      http://www.gnome.org/
      Description:   A GNOME URL handler for
web-published ical calendar files
      License:       GPL-2

*  mail-client/evolution
      Latest version available: 2.6.1
      Latest version installed: 2.6.1
      Size of files: 12,014 kB
      Homepage:     
http://www.gnome.org/projects/evolution/
      Description:   Integrated mail, addressbook and
calendaring functionality
      License:       GPL-2 FDL-1.1


Insights appreciated!

Rob

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