This is an update --- copied to the Debian-KDE and Libranet lists ---- on the problem that KMail does not load on one of the two Debian installations on this computer. The problem is buried more deeply than I can find it.
Both installations are based on Libranet. The "production" install is less than one week old. I have not strayed from the stock Libranet configuration which strives to optimize recent applications with stability. KMail 1.5.4 works perfectly; it is where I am drafting this message. The "experimental" install is where I learn by trial and error. Without realizing what "backported to woody" would mean for a system tracking sid, I installed the Ralf Nolden debs from KDE.org on Tuesday. KDE 3.2 is every bit as good as its advance billing. In KMail 1.6, the colour coding of quoted and new text in messages revolutionizes message reading. However, I decided it was more prudent not to stay with the kde.org debs. I therefore removed them and reinstalled 3.1.5 from Debian sid. Later, I learned that Ben Burton and Chris Cheney have functional packages at people.debian.org. I installed them. Immediately upon replacing the Ralf Nolden kde.org debs with Debian sid, KMail 1.6 broke. The message is always the same: an error box that says "KDEInit could not launch 'kmail'". I followed advice and deleted as much as I dared to from ~/.kde but did not touch the config file .kderc. I doubt, however, the problem is in my home directory. These two Debian installations are on the same computer and use the same /home partition. I also *purged* all of KDE and installed yet again. I feel that I am flailing in the dark. While this is a problem that I have brought on myself, I would be grateful for any expert advice on finding it and squashing it. It is buried deeper than I can find.
