Make sure you have an entry for localhost in /etc/network/interfaces. Should look like this:
auto lo iface lo inet loopback If you do not have a loopback device you will bring Ekiga, Gaim, the logout button, and various other random functions to a screeching halt -- with no apparent problem other than that they are "slow to start". -- ekiga is unusably slow https://launchpad.net/bugs/67652 -- desktop-bugs mailing list desktop-bugs@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/desktop-bugs
