Hi Paradox:
OK, so its something to do with processing color text.

I wrote the files test.txt and test.cc in KATE. I can edit, save and load these files just fine. They had the exact same contents (a simple hello world program in c++). KATE color codes test.cc on screen when saved, but not test.txt. I can print test.txt directly to a named printer from KATE, but printing test.cc locks-up KATE.

BTW, printing color coded text from KATE to any color device freezes too! If I print test.cc (color coded on screen) to a *.ps or *.pdf file, KATE freezes.

If I then open test.cc in VIM, the color coding is preserved and I can print to a color device, but some lines are missing (those that were not color coded, ie: remained black) when I create test.ps or test.pdf. I can then print test.ps from KONQUEROR or KGhostView and test.pdf from ACROBAT (acroread). In ACROBAT, I cannot specify the named printer, instead I enter lp as the Print To Print Command.

Also, I can print test.cc directly to a named printer from VIM with all the color coding intact and no missing lines. The colors are different than in KATE, but consistent with c++ syntax (comments are a certain color, strings are a different color, types are yet another color, etc.). If I open test.txt with VIM and print to the named printer, I get the expected plain text hardcopy too, but only if I highlight the desired text with the mouse (it also prints all those "~" symbols). Doing the same with gvim, I can print without naming the printer and without highlighting the text (and none of the "~" symbols print out). Using GVIM is odd in that you cannot specify a printer so it prints to the default CUPS printer. However, then you can't print to the *.ps or *.pdf file formats as you can in VIM.

BTW, when I open test.txt, test.ps or test.pdf in MOZILLA, I can print to the named printer. The file test.txt prints as plain text and the other files print in color (black lines are missing). MOZILLA uses gv for test.ps and acroread for test.pdf but prints to lpr from acroread.

I suppose it goes without saying that I configured my printer using <K><KONQUEROR><CONFIGURE><CONFIGURE PRINTERS> (http://localhost:631 works fine too) and I can print using lp just fine. When I print test.cc or test.txt using lp I get plain text (no color). When I print test.ps or test.pdf using lp I get the color coding, but the black lines are lost. If I cat /var/log/cups/error_log after I send each print job, it is evident that CUPS set up a filter for text, ps and pdf (texttops, pstops and pdftops respectively).

Regarding the kill command. I tried to isolate the frozen process (KATE after printing color coded text to a color device) with the shell command ps. I get a list of processes, but none specifying KATE. How do I isolate KATE's process number so I can kill it alone, and leave all other processes running?

EDIT: OOPS, sorry, I forgot about ps -A -F.

I find the root cause of all this very baffling. I don't see a pattern to these errors. Do you have any more ideas? Is it a problem with kdelib?

EDIT: BTW, I just entered this thread into BugZilla as bug #217.

TIA,