I'll answer my own question now that I've figured it out.  The problem 
was that root of my cygwin file system was not mounted in binary mode.  
Since DCOP uses /tmp and /tmp was mounted in textmode (because it's 
under the root mount), this apparently causes a problem.  Recall from my 
first message what my mount table was:

e:\cygwin\usr\X11R6\lib\X11\fonts on /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts type 
system (binmode)
e:\cygwin\opt\kde3 on /opt/kde3 type system (binmode)
e:\cygwin\bin on /usr/bin type system (binmode)
e:\cygwin\lib on /usr/lib type system (binmode)
e:\cygwin on / type system (textmode)

Although most of cygwin was mounted in binary mode, root wasn't.  
Remounting root in binary mode solved the problem.

Ken Roser wrote:

> I've been trying to start KDE 3.1 with the startkde.bat file and it 
> gets as far as starting services and then hangs with kconf_update 
> consuming almost all of my free CPU time.  I've attached a log of the 
> start up hoping someone can help diagnose the problem.  An error that 
> repeats multiple times is:
>
> Error reading from /home/KenRoser/.DCOPserver_dellgx1_127.0.0.1_0, 
> didn't read the expected 56 bytes
>
> Perhaps this is the root of the problem.  This happens on two 
> different machines.
>
>
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>rem @echo off
>
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>REM
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>REM KDE/Cygwin Desktop starter script
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>REM (c) 2003 Ralf Habacker
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>REM
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>REM $Id:$
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>REM
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>REM check kdedir and set to default installation path
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>if exist e:\cygwin\opt\kde3 goto NO_SET_KDEDIR
>
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>SET 
> PATH=.;e:\cygwin\opt\kde3\bin;e:\cygwin\opt\kde3\lib;e:\cygwin\opt\kde3\lib\kde3;e:\cygwin\bin;e:\cygwin\usr\X11R6\bin;e:\cygwin\usr\local\bin;e:\cygwin\bin;e:\cygwin\bin;c:\WINDOWS\system32;c:\WINDOWS;c:\WINDOWS\System32\Wbem;c:\Program 
> Files\Perforce;g:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual 
> Studio\Common\Tools\WinNT;g:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual 
> Studio\Common\MSDev98\Bin;g:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual 
> Studio\Common\Tools;g:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual 
> Studio\VC98\bin;e:\cygwin\usr\X11R6\bin
>
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>if NOT "e:\cygwin\home\KenRoser" == "" goto 
> CHECK_HOME_DIR
>
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>if exist e:\cygwin\home\KenRoser goto NO_SET_KDEHOME
>
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>if exist e:\cygwin\home\KenRoser\.mcoprc goto 
> NO_COPY_MCOPRC
>
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>copy e:\cygwin\opt\kde3\home\.mcoprc 
> e:\cygwin\home\KenRoser        1 file(s) copied.
>
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>SET KDEHOME=/home/KenRoser/.kde31
>
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>REM set misc vars
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>SET DISPLAY=127.0.0.1:0.0
>
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>SET SHELL=/bin/bash
>
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>REM clean previous X11 session
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>if not exist e:\cygwin\tmp\.X11-unix\X0 goto CLEAN_END
>
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>attrib -s e:\cygwin\tmp\.X11-unix\X0
>
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>del e:\cygwin\tmp\.X11-unix\X0
>
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>if exist e:\cygwin\tmp\.X11-unix rmdir 
> e:\cygwin\tmp\.X11-unix
>
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>REM start ipc-daemon
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>run bin\ipc-daemon
>
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>REM start x server
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>start XWin -noreset -ac -nowinkill
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>REM Set a background color.
>
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>xsetroot -cursor_name left_ptr -solid #396dad
>
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>REM start dcopserver (ksplash need this)
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>run dcopserver --nofork
>
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>REM start splashscreen
>
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>ksplash
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>REM Startup kde base services
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3>kdeinit --no-dcop +kcminit +ksmserver
> kdeinit: entering main
> Creating link /home/KenRoser/.kde31/socket-dellgx1.
> Created link from "/home/KenRoser/.kde31/socket-dellgx1" to 
> "/tmp/ksocket-KenRoser"
> _name=klauncher launcher=1 is_lib=0
> Error reading from /home/KenRoser/.DCOPserver_dellgx1_127.0.0.1_0, 
> didn't read the expected 56 bytes
> kdeinit: Launched KLauncher, pid = 3140 result = 0
> Error reading from /home/KenRoser/.DCOPserver_dellgx1_127.0.0.1_0, 
> didn't read the expected 56 bytes
> kdecore (KSocket): Trying to listen on Unix 
> /tmp/ksocket-KenRoser/klaunchergUzSvb.slave-socket
> _name=kded launcher=0 is_lib=0
> kdeinit: Launched KDED, pid = 984 result = 0
> Error reading from /home/KenRoser/.DCOPserver_dellgx1_127.0.0.1_0, 
> didn't read the expected 56 bytes
> Creating link /home/KenRoser/.kde31/tmp-dellgx1.
> Created link from "/home/KenRoser/.kde31/tmp-dellgx1" to 
> "/tmp/kde-KenRoser"
> kio (KDirWatch): Available methods: Stat
> kded: Does not exist! (/home/KenRoser/.kde31/share/servicetypes/)
> kio (KDirWatch): Added Dir /opt/kde3/share/servicetypes/ [KDirWatch-1]
> kded: Does not exist! (/home/KenRoser/.kde31/share/mimelnk/)
> kio (KDirWatch): Added Dir /opt/kde3/share/mimelnk/ [KDirWatch-1]
> kded: Does not exist! (/home/KenRoser/.kde31/share/applnk/)
> kio (KDirWatch): Added Dir /opt/kde3/share/applnk/ [KDirWatch-1]
> kded: Does not exist! (/home/KenRoser/.kde31/share/services/)
> kio (KDirWatch): Added Dir /opt/kde3/share/services/ [KDirWatch-1]
> kio (KLauncher): KLauncher: Got kdeinit_exec_wait('kbuildsycoca', ...)
> kdeinit: Got EXEC_NEW 'kbuildsycoca' from launcher.
> _name=kbuildsycoca launcher=0 is_lib=0
> Error reading from /home/KenRoser/.DCOPserver_dellgx1_127.0.0.1_0, 
> didn't read the expected 56 bytes
> kbuildsycoca running...
> kbuildsycoca: Recreating ksycoca file (/tmp/kde-KenRoser/ksycoca, 
> version 60)
> kdeinit: PID 3696 terminated.
> kio (KDirWatch): Added Dir /opt/kde3/share/apps/kconf_update 
> [KDirWatch-2]
> kdeinit: Got EXEC_NEW 'kconf_update' from launcher.
> _name=kconf_update launcher=0 is_lib=0
> File dummy, id favicons.upd:kde3
> File kdeglobals, id kaccel.upd:kde3.1/r3
> File kcmdisplayrc, id kcmdisplayrc.upd:kde3
> File kcookiejarrc, id kcookiescfg.upd:kde2.2/b1
> File kcookiejarrc, id kcookiescfg.upd:kde3.1/cvs
>
> (It locks up at this point.  I've even waited 12 hours to see if it 
> continues)
>
>
> Here are the processes running at the time of lockup:
>      PID    PPID    PGID     WINPID  TTY  UID    STIME COMMAND
>     3908       1    3908       3908  con 1003 00:37:31 /usr/bin/rxvt
>     3924    3908    3924       3940    0 1003 00:37:32 /usr/bin/bash
>     3284       1    3284       3284    ? 1003 00:41:52 
> /opt/kde3/bin/ipc-daemon
>     3472       1    3472       3472    ? 1003 00:41:52 /opt/kde3/bin/XWin
>     4060       1    4060       4060  con 1003 00:41:54 
> /opt/kde3/bin/dcopserver
> I     980       1     980        980  con 1003 00:41:58 
> /opt/kde3/bin/kdeinit
>     2808     980    2808       2808    ? 1003 00:41:59 
> /opt/kde3/bin/kdeinit
>     2792       1    2808       2792    ? 1003 00:42:04 
> /opt/kde3/bin/kdeinit
> I     984    2808    2808       2892    ? 1003 00:42:10 
> /opt/kde3/bin/kded
> I    2820     984    2808       2820    ? 1003 00:42:13 
> /opt/kde3/bin/kded
>     3572    2808    2808       3152    ? 1003 00:42:44 
> /opt/kde3/bin/kconf_update
>      316    3924     316        240    0 1003 00:50:50 /usr/bin/ps
>
> Here's my mount table:
> e:\cygwin\usr\X11R6\lib\X11\fonts on /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts type 
> system (binmode)
> e:\cygwin\opt\kde3 on /opt/kde3 type system (binmode)
> e:\cygwin\bin on /usr/bin type system (binmode)
> e:\cygwin\lib on /usr/lib type system (binmode)
> e:\cygwin on / type system (textmode)
> c: on /cygdrive/c type user (textmode,noumount)
> d: on /cygdrive/d type user (textmode,noumount)
> e: on /cygdrive/e type user (textmode,noumount)
> g: on /cygdrive/g type user (textmode,noumount)
> t: on /cygdrive/t type user (textmode,noumount)
>
>
>
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>
>


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