#if Waldo Bastian
> knotify did a system("aplay somefile") and got stuck on that for some reason.
> As a result knotify didn't handle incoming DCOP request any more.
> This caused the DCOP server to lock up on a write() call as part of a 
> ICESendMessage (probably after it's buffer filled up with other requests).
> Result: a total lockup of the desktop.

I would guess that knotify waits for aplay to return. If aplay can't
grab the audio device, I think it blocks. So knotify could just start
aplay and not wait for it to finish, if that's how it works.

Rik