Version:            (using KDE 4.2.96)
OS:                Linux
Installed from:    Debian testing/unstable Packages

When starting KDE4, the panel & desktop take ages to show up (upwards from 20+ minutes).

I've attached strace to the "kdeinit4: plasma-desktop" process, which seems to be doing continuous loops of:

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writev(12, [{"l\1\0\1\31\0\0\0\264\2\0\0\267\0\0\0\1\1o\0E\0\0\0/org/fre"..., 200}, {"\24\0\0\0storage.hotpluggable\0", 25}], 2) = 225
poll([{fd=12, events=POLLIN}], 1, 25000) = 1 ([{fd=12, revents=POLLIN}])
read(12, "l\2\1\1\4\0\0\0L\6\0\0-\0\0\0\6\1s\0\5\0\0\0:1.22\0\0\0"..., 2048) = 68
read(12, 0x1ff9720, 2048)               = -1 EAGAIN (Resource temporarily unavailable)
writev(12, [{"l\1\0\1\20\0\0\0\265\2\0\0\277\0\0\0\1\1o\0L\0\0\0/org/fre"..., 208}, {"\v\0\0\0volume.disc\0", 16}], 2) = 224
poll([{fd=12, events=POLLIN}], 1, 25000) = 1 ([{fd=12, revents=POLLIN}])
read(12, "l\2\1\1\4\0\0\0M\6\0\0-\0\0\0\6\1s\0\5\0\0\0:1.22\0\0\0"..., 2048) = 68
read(12, 0x1ff9720, 2048)               = -1 EAGAIN (Resource temporarily unavailable)
writev(12, [{"l\1\0\1\30\0\0\0\266\2\0\0\177\0\0\0\1\1o\0\25\0\0\0/org/fre"..., 144}, {"\23\0\0\0org.freedesktop.Hal\0", 24}], 2) = 168
poll([{fd=12, events=POLLIN}], 1, 25000) = 1 ([{fd=12, revents=POLLIN}])
read(12, "l\2\1\1\t\0\0\0009\1\0\0=\0\0\0\6\1s\0\5\0\0\0:1.22\0\0\0"..., 2048) = 89
read(12, 0x1ff9720, 2048)               = -1 EAGAIN (Resource temporarily unavailable)
writev(12, [{"l\1\0\1\30\0\0\0\267\2\0\0\177\0\0\0\1\1o\0\25\0\0\0/org/fre"..., 144}, {"\23\0\0\0org.freedesktop.Hal\0", 24}], 2) = 168
poll([{fd=12, events=POLLIN}], 1, 25000) = 1 ([{fd=12, revents=POLLIN}])
read(12, "l\2\1\1\t\0\0\0:\1\0\0=\0\0\0\6\1s\0\5\0\0\0:1.22\0\0\0"..., 2048) = 89
read(12, 0x1ff9720, 2048)               = -1 EAGAIN (Resource temporarily unavailable)
writev(12, [{"l\1\0\1\30\0\0\0\270\2\0\0\177\0\0\0\1\1o\0\25\0\0\0/org/fre"..., 144}, {"\23\0\0\0org.freedesktop.Hal\0", 24}], 2) = 168
poll([{fd=12, events=POLLIN}], 1, 25000) = 1 ([{fd=12, revents=POLLIN}])
read(12, "l\2\1\1\t\0\0\0;\1\0\0=\0\0\0\6\1s\0\5\0\0\0:1.22\0\0\0"..., 2048) = 89
read(12, 0x1ff9720, 2048)               = -1 EAGAIN (Resource temporarily unavailable)
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=1067, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/localtime", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=1067, ...}) = 0
open("/etc/fstab", O_RDONLY)            = 13
fstat(13, {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=1960, ...}) = 0
fcntl(13, F_SETFD, FD_CLOEXEC)          = 0
stat("/etc/fstab", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=1960, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/fstab", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=1960, ...}) = 0
fstat(13, {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=1960, ...}) = 0
mmap(NULL, 4096, PROT_READ|PROT_WRITE, MAP_PRIVATE|MAP_ANONYMOUS, -1, 0) = 0x7f8113d00000
read(13, "# /etc/fstab: static file system"..., 4096) = 1960
read(13, "", 4096)                      = 0
lstat("proc", 0x7fffef9e4430)           = -1 ENOENT (No such file or directory)
lstat("/proc", {st_mode=S_IFDIR|0555, st_size=0, ...}) = 0
lstat("usbfs", 0x7fffef9e4430)          = -1 ENOENT (No such file or directory)
lstat("/proc/bus/usb", {st_mode=S_IFDIR|0755, st_size=0, ...}) = 0
lstat("/dev/md0", {st_mode=S_IFBLK|0660, st_rdev=makedev(9, 0), ...}) = 0
lstat("/boot", {st_mode=S_IFDIR|0755, st_size=1024, ...}) = 0
lstat("/dev/md1", {st_mode=S_IFBLK|0660, st_rdev=makedev(9, 1), ...}) = 0
lstat("/", {st_mode=S_IFDIR|0755, st_size=4096, ...}) = 0
lstat("/dev/vg/usr", {st_mode=S_IFLNK|0777, st_size=18, ...}) = 0
readlink("/dev/vg/usr", "/dev/mapper/vg-usr"..., 4096) = 18
stat("/dev/vg/usr", {st_mode=S_IFBLK|0660, st_rdev=makedev(253, 2), ...}) = 0
lstat("/dev/mapper/vg-usr", {st_mode=S_IFBLK|0660, st_rdev=makedev(253, 2), ...}) = 0
lstat("/usr", {st_mode=S_IFDIR|0755, st_size=143, ...}) = 0
lstat("/dev/vg/tmp", {st_mode=S_IFLNK|0777, st_size=18, ...}) = 0
readlink("/dev/vg/tmp", "/dev/mapper/vg-tmp", 4096) = 18
stat("/dev/vg/tmp", {st_mode=S_IFBLK|0660, st_rdev=makedev(253, 0), ...}) = 0
lstat("/dev/mapper/vg-tmp", {st_mode=S_IFBLK|0660, st_rdev=makedev(253, 0), ...}) = 0
lstat("/tmp", {st_mode=S_IFDIR|S_ISVTX|0777, st_size=4096, ...}) = 0
lstat("/dev/vg/data", {st_mode=S_IFLNK|0777, st_size=19, ...}) = 0
readlink("/dev/vg/data", "/dev/mapper/vg-data"..., 4096) = 19
stat("/dev/vg/data", {st_mode=S_IFBLK|0660, st_rdev=makedev(253, 1), ...}) = 0
lstat("/dev/mapper/vg-data", {st_mode=S_IFBLK|0660, st_rdev=makedev(253, 1), ...}) = 0
lstat("/mnt/data", {st_mode=S_IFDIR|0755, st_size=120, ...}) = 0
lstat("/dev/vg/var", {st_mode=S_IFLNK|0777, st_size=18, ...}) = 0
readlink("/dev/vg/var", "/dev/mapper/vg-var"..., 4096) = 18
stat("/dev/vg/var", {st_mode=S_IFBLK|0660, st_rdev=makedev(253, 4), ...}) = 0
lstat("/dev/mapper/vg-var", {st_mode=S_IFBLK|0660, st_rdev=makedev(253, 4), ...}) = 0
lstat("/var", {st_mode=S_IFDIR|0755, st_size=4096, ...}) = 0
lstat("/dev/vg/home", {st_mode=S_IFLNK|0777, st_size=19, ...}) = 0
readlink("/dev/vg/home", "/dev/mapper/vg-home", 4096) = 19
stat("/dev/vg/home", {st_mode=S_IFBLK|0660, st_rdev=makedev(253, 3), ...}) = 0
lstat("/dev/mapper/vg-home", {st_mode=S_IFBLK|0660, st_rdev=makedev(253, 3), ...}) = 0
lstat("/home", {st_mode=S_IFDIR|0755, st_size=61, ...}) = 0
lstat("/dev/sdc1", {st_mode=S_IFBLK|0660, st_rdev=makedev(8, 33), ...}) = 0
lstat("/mnt/dump2", {st_mode=S_IFDIR|0755, st_size=4096, ...}) = 0
lstat("/dev/sdb2", {st_mode=S_IFBLK|0660, st_rdev=makedev(8, 18), ...}) = 0
lstat("none", 0x7fffef9e4430)           = -1 ENOENT (No such file or directory)
lstat("/dev/sdd2", {st_mode=S_IFBLK|0660, st_rdev=makedev(8, 50), ...}) = 0
lstat("none", 0x7fffef9e4430)           = -1 ENOENT (No such file or directory)
lstat("/dev/scd0", {st_mode=S_IFLNK|0777, st_size=3, ...}) = 0
readlink("/dev/scd0", "sr0"..., 4096)   = 3
stat("/dev/scd0", {st_mode=S_IFBLK|0660, st_rdev=makedev(11, 0), ...}) = 0
lstat("/dev/sr0", {st_mode=S_IFBLK|0660, st_rdev=makedev(11, 0), ...}) = 0
lstat("/mnt/cdrom", {st_mode=S_IFLNK|0777, st_size=23, ...}) = 0
readlink("/mnt/cdrom", "/etc/autofs/cdrom/cdrom", 4096) = 23
stat("/mnt/cdrom", 0x2016418)           = -1 ENOENT (No such file or directory)
lstat("/etc/autofs/cdrom/cdrom", 0x7fffef9e4430) = -1 ENOENT (No such file or directory)
lstat("/dev/scd1", {st_mode=S_IFLNK|0777, st_size=3, ...}) = 0
readlink("/dev/scd1", "sr1"..., 4096)   = 3
stat("/dev/scd1", {st_mode=S_IFBLK|0660, st_rdev=makedev(11, 1), ...}) = 0
lstat("/dev/sr1", {st_mode=S_IFBLK|0660, st_rdev=makedev(11, 1), ...}) = 0
lstat("/mnt/cdrom", {st_mode=S_IFLNK|0777, st_size=23, ...}) = 0
readlink("/mnt/cdrom", "/etc/autofs/cdrom/cdrom", 4096) = 23
stat("/mnt/cdrom", 0x2016648)           = -1 ENOENT (No such file or directory)
lstat("/etc/autofs/cdrom/cdrom", 0x7fffef9e4430) = -1 ENOENT (No such file or directory)
lstat("/dev/fd0", {st_mode=S_IFBLK|0660, st_rdev=makedev(2, 0), ...}) = 0
lstat("/mnt/floppy", {st_mode=S_IFDIR|0755, st_size=6, ...}) = 0
lstat("/dev/disk/by-id/usb-Apple_iPod-0:0-part3", 0x7fffef9e4430) = -1 ENOENT (No such file or directory)
lstat("/mnt/ipod", {st_mode=S_IFDIR|0755, st_size=6, ...}) = 0
lstat("/dev/sde1", 0x7fffef9e4430)      = -1 ENOENT (No such file or directory)
lstat("/mnt/sde", {st_mode=S_IFDIR|0755, st_size=6, ...}) = 0
lstat("/dev/sdf1", 0x7fffef9e4430)      = -1 ENOENT (No such file or directory)
lstat("/mnt/sdf", {st_mode=S_IFDIR|0755, st_size=6, ...}) = 0
stat("/etc/fstab", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0644, st_size=1960, ...}) = 0
close(13)                               = 0
munmap(0x7f8113d00000, 4096)            = 0
......
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making the system unusable, since it's 1. dead slow and 2. no desktop, no panel.