cacophony@localhost ~ $ amarok
[amaroK] Connecting to /home/cacophony/.kde/socket-localhost/amarok.loader_socket
[amaroK] Starting amarokapp..
[amaroK] If you want a backtrace, run gdb against amarokapp, not amarok!
amarok: [PluginManager] Plugin trader constraint: [X-KDE-amaroK-framework-version] == 3 and [X-KDE-amaroK-plugintype] == \'engine\' and [X-KDE-amaroK-name] == \'void-engine\' and [X-KDE-amaroK-rank] > 0
amarok: [PluginManager] Trying to load: libamarok_void-engine_plugin
amarok:
amarok: PluginManager Service Info:
amarok: ---------------------------
amarok: name :
amarok: library : libamarok_void-engine_plugin
amarok: desktopEntryPath : amarok_void-engine_plugin.desktop
amarok: X-KDE-amaroK-plugintype : engine
amarok: X-KDE-amaroK-name : void-engine
amarok: X-KDE-amaroK-authors : (Max Howell,Mark Kretschmann)
amarok: X-KDE-amaroK-rank : 1
amarok: X-KDE-amaroK-version : 1
amarok: X-KDE-amaroK-framework-version: 3
amarok:
amarok: ERROR: [QStringList CollectionDB::query(const QString&, DbConnection*)] [CollectionDB] sqlite3_compile error:
amarok: ERROR: no such table: related_artists
amarok: ERROR: on query: DROP TABLE related_artists;
QLayout: Adding KToolBar/playlist_toolbar (child of QVBox/unnamed) to layout for PlaylistWindow/PlaylistWindow
amarok: [PluginManager] Plugin trader constraint: [X-KDE-amaroK-framework-version] == 3 and [X-KDE-amaroK-plugintype] == \'engine\' and [X-KDE-amaroK-name] == \'arts-engine\' and [X-KDE-amaroK-rank] > 0
amarok: [PluginManager] Trying to load: libamarok_artsengine_plugin
amarok:
amarok: PluginManager Service Info:
amarok: ---------------------------
amarok: name : aRts Engine
amarok: library : libamarok_artsengine_plugin
amarok: desktopEntryPath : amarok_artsengine_plugin.desktop
amarok: X-KDE-amaroK-plugintype : engine
amarok: X-KDE-amaroK-name : arts-engine
amarok: X-KDE-amaroK-authors : (Mark Kretschmann)
amarok: X-KDE-amaroK-rank : 200
amarok: X-KDE-amaroK-version : 1
amarok: X-KDE-amaroK-framework-version: 3
amarok:
[amaroK] Timed out trying to contact amarokapp
[amaroK] Exiting

forgot to mention - this is beta 3

Deleting /home/cacophony/.kde/socket-localhost/amarok.loader_socket
should help (should be removed when you close amarok, maybe was not because of a crash).

I did as you said, but to no avail. Amarok starts up, hangs for a minute or two, then returns the error \" could not start amarok\". After that, amarok windows are there, but are non-responsive.

def. some arts problem. try starting --engine xine-engine (e.g.). dunno what the exact problem is, but maybe your sound device is just blocked?

regards,
muesli

I got it working, apparently something was blocking the sound device. thank you very much.