> My first usability test of Trinity was in a virtual machine. Trinity
> loaded just fine --- but ignored all of my previous ~/.kde profile
> settings. Hey! What? :)
>
> Not to mention the evil bouncing mouse cursor! Okay, I can solve that
> irritant when I build the package.
>
> What happened with my desktop?
>
> First clue: Trinity is using ~/.kde3 rather than ~/.kde. Yet my $KDEHOME
> environment variable is set to ~/.kde. Hmm. Where is this being ignored or
> overridden?
>
> Yes, I can rename ~/.kde to ~/.kde3. But I should not have to. Trinity
> should honor my $KDEHOME variable.
>
> First suspect: /usr/bin/startkde. I have some proposed patches for
> startkde, but that can wait for another thread. Nope. Not the culprit
> because I exited KDE, restored my ~/.kde profile, renamed the new
> startkde, and restored my old startkde. When I started X, Trinity again
> created ~/.kde3 and ignored my ~/.kde profile and $KDEHOME variable..
>
> What is hard-coded to create and use ~/.kde3? A .desktop file somewhere?
>
> Been a looooong time since I wandered around with the KDE startup
> sequence.
>
> Second, there are folder icons on the desktop for every directory in the
> root level. They are not device icons and I don't know how to disable that
> effect. I also have lost my previous desktop icons.
>
> Third, something is starting the HP system tray. I remember that being an
> annoyance three or four years ago, but I don't remember how to stop that.
> There is a file in /etc/xdg/autostart, but there is one in my office
> system too and the tray does not start there.
>
> Fourth, There are messages in xsession-errors that seem to indicate
> something accessing samba, a service I don't have started in the virtual
> machine.
>
> Fifth, the Klipper tray icon is huge and does not display completely in
> the tray --- the top and bottom of the icon are missing. I don't seem to
> find anything in kcontrol/icons.
>
> Sixth, the color of my konsole changed from black to white.
>
> I realize some of the problems might be cause by using a 3.5.10 profile,
> but then again perhaps not.
>
> I'm suffering a bit from new culture shock. 3.5.12 is not 3.5.10. I did
> not expect so many configuration changes, however. :) If I have to start
> with a new profile and rebuild the profile I have been using for several
> years I am likely to become manic depressive.
>
> Suddenly I feel very tired!
>

You should be able to use your existing profile without problems.  Come to
think of it, I ran into similar problems on one of my systems once.  Do
you have stock KDE 3.5.10 installed on that virtual machine anywhere or is
only Trinity 3.5.12 installed?

Beyond that, I would try the following:

Back up your .kde directory, remove the .kde3 directory, and let Trinity
create its own .kde3 profile directory from scratch.  (This is just for a
test; we need to find a way to get your old profile to work).  Do you see
the same issues on the "new" desktop?

Trinity is supposed to honor the KDEHOME variable.  Let me do a little
digging to see what happened.

Tim