[network-admin] bad format of /etc/hosts make slow Gnome Startup if no lan connection is on with static IP

The slow login/desktop bug appears to have been around for a while. The bug is reported in edgy & feisty and they are mostly unconfirmed and mostly of undecided importance. Although I'm very happy with feisty, I am finding this bug a bit bothersome so I thought I'd do some research through the bug archives.

I think this bug has been reported numerous times. The bug list that follows, I think are reports of effectively the same bug.

Bug #78263 - claims workaround (feisty)
Bug #78493 (edgy)
Bug #79466 (edgy)
Bug #80827 - claims workaround (edgy)
Bug #92997 - claims workaround (feisty)
Bug #94048 (feisty)
Bug #110616 (feisty?)
Bug #110775 (feisty)
Bug #110187 - reports slow desktop as a side effect of other network config issues. (feisty)
---------------
Bug #95264 - Maybe related (not clear) (feisty)
Bug #93447 - Maybe related (not clear) (edgy)
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It seems most discussions are blaming this bug on one or more of:
Network-manager
avahi
hosts file
resolve file
static IP addresses
no network connection.

I can't vouch for the claimed workarounds - but I intend on investigating them further.

The person who solves this one will likely 'kill a number of bugs with one stone'.

I hope I'm not being too forward by presenting such a list but I am rather keen to see this bug solved. I hope this list helps to unify further discussion & prompts some further thought on the matter.

(note: I have posted it to all above bug reports so that all are in the loop)

Add Bug #79661 (edgy) to above list.

Is this still a problem in the current hardy?

We are closing this bug report because it lacks the information we need to investigate the problem, as described in the previous comments. Please reopen it if you can give us the missing information, and don't hesitate to submit bug reports in the future. To reopen the bug report you can click on the current status, under the Status column, and change the Status back to "New". Thanks again!.

New to ubuntu, but not to Linux, I can confirm this for the latest hardy release, fully updated.
I came to this post through the problem of being not able to set WiFi with static addresses. Since the machine could not connect, it was missing a LAN connection. then everything at startup would be done with around 10 seconds of idle time in between, logon screen, background, panel, as well as starting a simple terminal.

I experienced this problem in Feisty & found that a small change to /etc/hosts file fixed the problem. (sorry I can no longer remember the details).
I have upgraded to every release since without re-occurrence of this issue. I presently use Hardy.

please open a new bug report rather than re open a really old one, thanks.