<snip>
>>
>> 7. Trinity seems to be ignoring ~/.config/autostart. In that directory I
>> have a hplip-systray.desktop with the following [Desktop Entry]
>> directive:
>> Hidden=true. That directive should prevent hplip-systray from starting.
>> An
>> hplip-systray.desktop file is found in /etc/xdg/autostart, but the
>> Hidden
>> directive should override starting that app. I don't have this problem
>> on
>> 3.5.10.
>
> This one is more serious and will need to be looked into.
>

Can you try modifying the startkde script like so:
Replace this portion of text (text after the "&&" remains the same as before)
XDG_CONFIG_DIRS=$XDG_CONFIG_DIRS:/opt/kde3/etc/xdg:/etc/xdg/ &&

With this:
XDG_CONFIG_DIRS=$XDG_CONFIG_DIRS:/opt/kde3/etc/xdg:/etc/xdg/:$HOME/.config &&

and see if your problem #7 above is resolved?

Thanks!

Tim