Version: 1.9.6 (using KDE KDE 3.5.8) Installed from: Ubuntu Packages the moment you open by double click or right click menu an url the konqueror icon starts flickering intensly. konqueror is not opened. opening kde system guard shows that konqueror is opened constantly (kind of loop). This is the case in Gutsy . Was not the case in Feisty. In system guard it is impossible to close all the konqueror applications, so fast new ones are added. only solution is to restart your system.
Wrongly kfmclient was set as default webbrowser application in kde. Placing this setting back in default solved the problem.