[kde-linux] KDE fails to start

[cwh]

Hullo,
I am writing to you, as opposed to the KDE list, as I am uncertain whether my 
problem relates to the OS (SuSE 9.3) which  am running on an Athlon 64, as 
well as to KDE.   I have been using SuSE 9.3, with KDE 3.4 
since early this year and all has been OK up to now.

By default SuSE, on installation, configures KDE to start automatically 
without the necessity of any log-in and this has worked OK until last week 
when I re-installed. Since then KDE has failed to start.   Booting up  ends 
with a SuSE Log-in dialogue box.   There is also a small console window with 
the messages:
            "kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev fd0. sector 0"
            "kernel: power-now-k8: BIOS error - no PSB"
I do not understand these.

On entering my user name and password the log-in box disappears but nothing 
else happens.  However left clicking the mouse brings up a menu, one item on 
which is 'xterm'.  Select that and an outline window appears attached to the 
mouse pointer, which is now a double headed arrow.  By outline, I mean a grid 
of lines outlining what will become a window:  four sides with a second line 
along the top parallel to the top line denoting the header bar and then 
within the window two equally spaced horizontal and two vertical lines, 
creating six equal rectangles, but the whole is transparent.  Move the 
pointer and the grid moves with it, until you click again, when the window 
becomes solid and the mouse pointer is free.  I can then enter the command 
'kde' at the prompt.    This results in a number of error messages scrolling 
up the window but too fast to read.  (Is these be listed in a log file 
somewhere)?   Then another set of grid lines appears.   Click again and 
desktop colour fills the screen but no icons.  Click again and the desktop 
icons appear and the 'KDE Start-up' chords play.

However, the desktop is not correct.   There is a header bar saying 'KDE 
Desktop' which is not normally there and the Kicker bar is incomplete ( the 
icons to the right adjoining the clock, eg: Volume, Modem dial-up et al, are 
missing.

Once KDE is running there are still problems.   It appears that all the apps 
which are installed by default,  such as OpenOffice and Firefox, as well as 
KDE's own apps, such as KMail,  start in the same way, ie first I get the  
grid and then the window after a second click.  On the other hand apps which 
I have installed, such as Opera and Moneydance, start normally.   However, 
all app windows open about a quarter of the screen size the 'minimize, 
maximize and close' buttons from the top right hand corner of all windows are 
missing.

Whilst I can input data and save it, I can not print.  The text reaches the 
spooling queue but does not reach the printer, but the printer prints OK from 
Yast configuration module.

Also 'Drag and Drop' does not work.

Shutting down is also a problem.  Clicking on the 'Shutdown/Log-out' icon in 
the Kicker bar returns me to the 'xterm' window.   There I have to 'su root' 
and then run 'shutdown -h now'.

Any suggestions as to what is wrong and how to solve them will be greatly 
appreciated.   Since last week I have re-installed SuSE 9.3 seven times, 
re-formatting the partitions each time, but without any success.

Regards

Christopher Huggins