I'm running tramp 2.2.3-24.1 on Ubuntu 13.04, x86_64. I routinely connect to 4 other machines. With one of them, "g", running Ubuntu 12.04, I get frequent hangs in dired, file reading, and file writing. If I interrupt with C-g and try again, the action typically succeeds. Multiple tries are occasionally required, but it never fails permanently. I routinely have an ssh terminal open to g and have no problems, even for multi-day sessions.
The behavior of the failure is intriguing. When reading a file, tramp says "Inserting local temp file `/tmp/tramp.3272uUA'... done", but never shows the buffer. The X cursor keeps spinning. If I C-g, I can switch to the newly created buffer and it appears intact. Alternatively, if I C-g and attempt to load the file again, the buffer appears. Generally, the first attempt always fails and the second usually succeeds.
A similar behavior occurs with writing: tramp says "Wrote /sshx:g:...", but the cursor spins indefinitely. The file is successfully written.
What I've tried:
0) searching and reading the tramp manual and FAQ. These particular symptoms don't seem to be covered.
1) various connection methods, including scpc, ssh, sshx.
2) ssh controlmaster connections
3) /bin/sh and /bin/bash remote shells
4) removing ~/.bash* and ~/.profile on the remote side temporarily
Thanks for all suggestions!
-Reece