> The startup script I eventually ended up using was created
> by combining parts of one of the
> scripts you posted here with the Gentoo KDE 3.5.10 startup
> script (and adding a few extra
> variable setters to fix the problems I ran into).  It
> is extensively stripped and probably not
> suited for general use by other distros as-is, but I'll
> check the bug and see about posting a
> diff for any useful bits.

Please file any patches. :)

> The thing is, I cannot get Portage, Gentoo's package
> manager, to build the packages that still use
> autotools.  
> (CMake-based packages are okay.)  I apparently need
> the configure.in and supporting files that are 
> missing from the root level of the source tarballs for
> 3.5.13 so that Portage can regenerate the 
> other configuration files.

I don't know what black magic Tim used to get autotools to work again, but I am able to build packages with autotools that have not yet been ported to cmake. That does not help you immediately, but lets you know that autotools does work.

> Unfortunately, I suspect that Timothy Pearson is the only
> person who might be able to produce these files.
> I'm hesitant to file a bug about this because the problem
> is 1. with autotools and 2. probably limited to
> distros using ebuilds/Portage, of which there are only
> about three (Gentoo, Funtoo, and kinda-sorta
> Sabayon).

If you post or link to your build logs I'm sure the heavy hitters will help. I'm not a coder, just a packager and one of the people who monkey wrenches everything to find the breakage. :)

Darrell