[PD] connect stream socket: connection refused

[pix]

hey there,

i have suddenly started getting an error similar to one that came up on
this list last year, but different.

after running a patch of mine (which makes use of many externals,
including iemlib, ext13 and d_mp3), i close pd (it doesn't seem to matter
how i close it, ctrl-c, file->quit or close-box on the main pd window),
and then future attempts to open pd (any patch / no patch) get the
following error:

$ pd                   
rcfile option = -path /usr/local/lib/pd/externs
rcfile option = -path /home/pix/sound/pd/lib
rcfile option = -path /usr/local/lib/iemlib/abs
rcfile option = -lib zexy
rcfile option = -lib iemgui
rcfile option = -lib iemlib1
rcfile option = -lib ext13
rcfile option = -lib d_mp3
rcfile option = -frags  5
rcfile option = -font 10
successfully opened /dev/dsp write-only
error: failed to open MIDI ports; continuing without MIDI.
connecting stream socket: Connection refused (111)

(ignore the midi error, i dont have midi)...

the similar error last year was about not having the loopback interface
installed, i have this (i know because pd works the first time). so far,
the only way i know to remedy this situation is to reboot. this is pretty
inconvenient as you can imagine... and under linux... rebooting just seems
wrong :)

there don't seem to be any processes lying around, so i'm wondering what
it is doing to my system?

pix.