Another thing to try is to ktrace abiword with output to a remote file
system (NFS); if it is abiword trashing your system, that might provide
enough clues.

Heck, you could even ktrace the X server.

-- 
==John Kohl <jtk@kolvir.arlington.ma.us>, <john_kohl@alum.mit.edu>
Home page: <http://people.ne.mediaone.net/jtk/>
Bicycled across the USA in 2001!