If it is the UI that causing the problem, how would that explain the intermittent nature of the
servent "going to sleep" and then going back to normal again later? Wouldn't the 100% CPU usage be a problem which persisted, once initiated?

I don't think that CPU horsepower is really the problem. As I said earlier, I also run Mutella in the terminal mode (direct, without Screen). This should be a low bandwidth User Interface. Less bandwidth than the daemon mode...?..

In order to be sure, I am now running Mutella in the daemon mode, and checking the CPU usage with the "top" utility. The summation of all my user processes - including the Mutella threads - has not exceeded 16%. (Most machines on my LAN network are mostly shut down, my CPU is fast and the Internet connection - handled by my Firewall machine - is via 56K modem).

Seems that I've got lots of horsepower to spare...



For a while, I thought that my Firewall machine might be messin' with me. But, I ran a copy of Shareaza on a windoze box for several days and the problem of the servent "going to sleep" never occurred. Gotta be either something in my Linux box and/or in Mutella..??...
Drat!

If Mutella would connect & up/download like Shareaza, I would be one heck of a happy camper!!!

cheers,
johnd