(In reply to comment #1)
> Send the output of "ps aux" when the system is acting slow.  This sounds like
> bug #8659.

USER       PID %CPU %MEM   VSZ  RSS TTY      STAT START   TIME COMMAND
root         1  0.1  0.4  1492  512 ?        S    11:16   0:00 init [2]         
root         2  0.0  0.0     0    0 ?        SN   11:16   0:00 [ksoftirqd/0]
root         3  0.0  0.0     0    0 ?        S<   11:16   0:00 [events/0]
root         4  0.0  0.0     0    0 ?        S<   11:16   0:00 [khelper]
root        20  0.0  0.0     0    0 ?        S<   11:16   0:00 [kblockd/0]
root        44  0.0  0.0     0    0 ?        S    11:16   0:00 [pdflush]
root        45  0.5  0.0     0    0 ?        S    11:16   0:03 [pdflush]
root        47  0.0  0.0     0    0 ?        S<   11:16   0:00 [aio/0]
root        46  0.1  0.0     0    0 ?        S    11:16   0:00 [kswapd0]
root        48  0.0  0.0     0    0 ?        S    11:16   0:00 [kpnpbiosd]
root       189  0.0  0.0     0    0 ?        S    11:16   0:00 [kseriod]
root       289  0.1  0.0     0    0 ?        S<   11:16   0:00 [reiserfs/0]
root       357  0.0  0.2  1472  372 ?        S<s  11:16   0:00 udevd
root      1316  0.0  0.0     0    0 ?        S    11:17   0:00 [kapmd]
root      1913  0.0  0.0     0    0 ?        S    11:17   0:00 [pccardd]
root      1922  0.0  0.0     0    0 ?        S    11:17   0:00 [pccardd]
root      2049  0.0  0.0     0    0 ?        S    11:17   0:00 [khubd]
daemon    2373  0.0  0.3  1596  444 ?        Ss   11:18   0:00 /sbin/portmap
root      2686  0.3  0.4  1664  604 ?        Ss   11:18   0:01 /sbin/syslogd
root      2697  0.7  1.1  2488 1476 ?        Ss   11:18   0:03 /sbin/klogd
root      2737  0.0  0.4  1492  524 ?        Ss   11:19   0:00 /usr/sbin/apmd -P
/etc/apm/apmd_proxy --proxy-timeout 30
cupsys    2761  1.7  1.9  5428 2452 ?        Ss   11:19   0:09 /usr/sbin/cupsd
message   2781  0.0  0.7  2040  944 ?        Ss   11:19   0:00
/usr/bin/dbus-daemon-1 --system
hal       2785  1.6  2.8  5068 3596 ?        Ss   11:19   0:08 /usr/sbin/hald
--drop-privileges
christb1  2809  0.1  1.0  2728 1348 ?        Ss   11:19   0:00 /usr/sbin/famd -T 0
root      2825  0.0  0.3  1484  420 ?        Ss   11:19   0:00 /usr/sbin/inetd
root      2869  0.0  0.5  1512  684 ?        Ss   11:19   0:00 /sbin/cardmgr
root      3030  0.1  0.8  2900 1120 ?        Ss   11:20   0:00
/usr/lib/postfix/master
postfix   3046  0.0  0.8  2908 1060 ?        S    11:20   0:00 pickup -l -t fifo
-u -c
postfix   3047  0.0  0.9  2936 1172 ?        S    11:20   0:00 qmgr -l -t fifo -u -c
root      3116  0.0  0.2  1540  360 ?        Ss   11:20   0:00 /sbin/mdadm -F -m
root -s
daemon    3127  0.0  0.4  1792  616 ?        Ss   11:20   0:00 /usr/sbin/atd
root      3138  0.0  0.5  1860  700 ?        Ss   11:20   0:00 /usr/sbin/cron
root      3161  0.0  1.8  8876 2348 ?        Ss   11:20   0:00 /usr/bin/gdm
root      3367  0.0  0.3  1488  452 tty1     Ss+  11:20   0:00 /sbin/getty 38400
tty1
root      3368  0.0  0.3  1488  452 tty2     Ss+  11:20   0:00 /sbin/getty 38400
tty2
root      3369  0.0  0.3  1488  452 tty3     Ss+  11:20   0:00 /sbin/getty 38400
tty3
root      3370  0.0  0.3  1488  452 tty4     Ss+  11:20   0:00 /sbin/getty 38400
tty4
root      3371  0.0  0.3  1488  452 tty5     Ss+  11:20   0:00 /sbin/getty 38400
tty5
root      3387  0.0  0.3  1488  452 tty6     Ss+  11:20   0:00 /sbin/getty 38400
tty6
root      3441  0.1  2.2  9220 2808 ?        S    11:20   0:00 /usr/bin/gdm
root      3524  9.8 11.6 23428 14860 ?       S    11:20   0:39 /usr/X11R6/bin/X
:0 -audit 0 -auth /var/lib/gdm/:0.Xauth -nolisten tcp vt7
christb1  3582  3.6  7.3 16560 9348 ?        Ss   11:21   0:11 x-session-manager
christb1  3628  0.0  0.6  2920  868 ?        Ss   11:22   0:00
/usr/bin/ssh-agent /usr/bin/dbus-launch --exit-with-session x-session-manager
christb1  3632  0.0  0.5  1936  708 ?        Ss   11:22   0:00 dbus-daemon-1
--fork --print-pid 8 --print-address 6 --session
christb1  3634 13.2  5.5  8664 7060 ?        S    11:22   0:42
/usr/lib/gconf2/gconfd-2 5
christb1  3638  0.0  0.7  2216  972 ?        S    11:22   0:00
/usr/bin/gnome-keyring-daemon
christb1  3642  1.2  3.5  5784 4488 ?        S    11:22   0:03 /usr/bin/esd -nobeeps
christb1  3646  2.8  2.2  5240 2832 ?        Ss   11:22   0:08
/usr/lib/bonobo-activation/bonobo-activation-server --ac-activate --ior-output-fd=19
christb1  3648  0.4  2.1  7644 2684 ?        Ss   11:22   0:01 gnome-smproxy
--sm-client-id default0
christb1  3650  4.5  7.1 18304 9056 ?        S    11:22   0:13
/usr/lib/control-center/gnome-settings-daemon
--oaf-activate-iid=OAFIID:GNOME_SettingsDaemon --oaf-ior-fd=22
christb1  3660  1.4  1.4  3708 1780 ?        S    11:23   0:03 xscreensaver
-nosplash
christb1  3672  2.4  5.1 11252 6600 ?        Ss   11:23   0:06 /usr/bin/metacity
--sm-client-id=default1
christb1  3693 10.8  9.2 18228 11764 ?       Ss   11:23   0:25 gnome-panel
--sm-client-id default2
christb1  3695  6.2  9.7 28736 12344 ?       Ss   11:23   0:14 nautilus
--no-default-window --sm-client-id default3
christb1  3697  1.2  5.0 14412 6452 ?        Ss   11:23   0:02
gnome-volume-manager --sm-client-id default5
christb1  3703  2.6  5.6 31916 7164 ?        Ss   11:23   0:05 gnome-cups-icon
--sm-client-id default4
christb1  3706  0.6  2.8 15456 3592 ?        S    11:23   0:01
/usr/lib/gnome-vfs2/gnome-vfs-daemon
--oaf-activate-iid=OAFIID:GNOME_VFS_Daemon_Factory --oaf-ior-fd=28
christb1  3731  5.3  7.1 16212 9100 ?        S    11:24   0:10
/usr/lib/gnome-panel/wnck-applet --oaf-activate-iid=OAFIID:GNOME_Wncklet_Factory
--oaf-ior-fd=32
christb1  3737  3.7  6.6 25680 8420 ?        S    11:24   0:06
/usr/lib/trashapplet/trashapplet
--oaf-activate-iid=OAFIID:GNOME_Panel_TrashApplet_Factory --oaf-ior-fd=34
christb1  3745  3.8  5.7 14648 7268 ?        S    11:24   0:06
/usr/lib/gnome-applets/multiload-applet-2
--oaf-activate-iid=OAFIID:GNOME_MultiLoadApplet_Factory --oaf-ior-fd=36
christb1  3750  4.6  6.1 15532 7840 ?        S    11:25   0:06
/usr/lib/gnome-netstatus/gnome-netstatus-applet
--oaf-activate-iid=OAFIID:GNOME_NetstatusApplet_Factory --oaf-ior-fd=38
christb1  3754  4.0  6.5 16276 8352 ?        S    11:25   0:05
/usr/lib/gnome-panel/clock-applet
--oaf-activate-iid=OAFIID:GNOME_ClockApplet_Factory --oaf-ior-fd=40
christb1  3759  8.6  7.0 17632 8996 ?        S    11:25   0:10
/usr/lib/gnome-applets/mixer_applet2
--oaf-activate-iid=OAFIID:GNOME_MixerApplet_Factory --oaf-ior-fd=42
christb1  3764  5.5  6.8 15448 8696 ?        S    11:25   0:06
/usr/lib/gnome-applets/battstat-applet-2
--oaf-activate-iid=OAFIID:GNOME_BattstatApplet_Factory --oaf-ior-fd=44
christb1  3768  5.5  6.6 15428 8436 ?        S    11:25   0:05
/usr/lib/gnome-applets/wireless-applet
--oaf-activate-iid=OAFIID:GNOME_Panel_WirelessApplet_Factory --oaf-ior-fd=46
christb1  3772  4.0  5.5 14536 7052 ?        S    11:26   0:03
/usr/lib/gnome-panel/notification-area-applet
--oaf-activate-iid=OAFIID:GNOME_NotificationAreaApplet_Factory --oaf-ior-fd=48
christb1  3775  7.2  5.0 10356 6400 ?        S    11:26   0:06 gksudo
/usr/bin/x-terminal-emulator
root      3778  0.1  0.6  2056  812 ?        S    11:26   0:00 /usr/bin/sudo -H
-S -p GNOME_SUDO_PASS  -u root -- /usr/bin/x-terminal-emulator
root      3783 20.7 10.4 36424 13276 ?       S    11:26   0:13 gnome-terminal
root      3785 16.8  2.6  5040 3396 ?        S    11:26   0:09
/usr/lib/gconf2/gconfd-2 13
root      3789  8.7  2.0  5100 2644 ?        Ss   11:26   0:04
/usr/lib/bonobo-activation/bonobo-activation-server --ac-activate --ior-output-fd=17
root      3794  0.3  0.5  2168  652 ?        S    11:27   0:00 gnome-pty-helper
root      3795  1.6  1.2  2936 1612 pts/0    Ss   11:27   0:00 bash
root      3807  0.0  0.6  2600  836 pts/0    R+   11:27   0:00 ps aux