Any clues? My program (read_data.py) is using matplotlib to do plot(); show(). When the plot appears, and I hit the 'save' button, a dialog window _starts_ to appear (it's partially transparant and rather screwed up), and I get this: python read_data.py (9217) KSycocaPrivate::openDatabase: Trying to open ksycoca from "/var/tmp/kdecache-nbecker/ksycoca4" kfilemodule(9217): couldn't create slave: "Unable to create io-slave: klauncher said: Unknown protocol ''. " kfilemodule(9217): couldn't create slave: "Unable to create io-slave: klauncher said: Unknown protocol ''. " Segmentation fault (core dumped)