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The socket is polled by the GUI and the subprocess.  What you 
are seeing is the normal delays and polls.  Without the 
subprocess there is no socket and therefore no polling.

Further information is needed.  When IDLE "hangs", does the
GUI become inactive?  Can the subprocess be restarted?  Is
there any evidence (via ps etc.) that the system is running out
of some resource?  Does the problem occur if you send a 
continuous stream of characters to stdout?  Is the interval
to a "hang" always the same?