KDE 3.3.2 won't start

**kidlogic** · 01-19-2005

Using Konstruct, I have installed KDE 3.3.2 to the root folder.
After two days of watching the terminal compile, I finally received the KDE Installed message.
Following the directions in the README file, I exported the following as typed below:

export QTDIR=~/kde3.3.2
export KDEDIR=~/kde3.3.2
export KDEDIRS=~/kde3.3.2

export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=~/kde3.3.2/lib
export PATH=~/kde3.3.2/bin:$PATH

I then, following the instructions, set my home as per these instructions:

Setting KDEHOME too, e.g. "export KDEHOME=~/.kdetest", will tell KDE to save
your settings to this directory and leave default ~/.kde directory unaffected.

The end result is it won't start in 3.3.2
It keeps starting up in the old 3.2
I know I am probably in way over my head, but Konstruct makes it seem that installation is as easy as, as they put it:
"A complete KDE installation should be as easy as "cd meta/kde;make install"
which with this version gives a KDE 3.3.2 installation."

I am not getting any error messages that I can post, save to say that it won't start up.
Any ideas?

**valan** · 01-19-2005

Do you start it from kdm/xdm/gdm/another display manager, or do you start it from the command line? Did you change anything in ~/.xinitrc or ~/.Xsession ?

**kidlogic** · 01-19-2005

Well, I have to admit that I don't exactly know what you mean.

After I installed it, I assumed (probably wrongly) that it would replace my 3.2 when I logged in.
I am logging in using the interface where it offers me the choices between KDE, Gnome, etc.
As for the .xinitrc file, what would you change to make it work? I'll look at that file now and let you know what it says.
Sorry for the noobness, but I'm doing my best

EDIT: After a few days of reading, reading, reading, trying different approaches, and searching the web for answers, I have given up. Despite the "ease" with which Konstruct claims to install, this noob is going to just have to wait for the next version of Mandrake.
Thanks for your help.

**pyromilkman** · 01-30-2005

I'm having the same problem, except I'm running Slackware 10 and I created an.xsession and .xinitrc files because there were none and it still boots to 3.2. I'm using kdm for my display mananager. I installed it in my home directory, I dont know if that will cause any problems, but I'm not getting any error messages, just no 3.3.2 either.

**valan** · 01-30-2005

First off you need the directory you installed kde to. I'll use /home/me/kde here for an example, substitute it for where you actually put it.

If you have no ~/.xsession, you need to create it. If you have one, you should comment everything out (put a # at the beginning of each line). Inside it goes this:

Code:

/home/me/kde/bin/startkde

Also, in your ~/.bashrc you should include this stuff to ensure your new version of kde can find the things it needs:

Code:

KDEDIR=/home/me/kde
PATH=$KDEDIR/bin&#58;$PATH
LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$KDEDIR/lib&#58;$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
export KDEDIR PATH LD_LIBRARY_PATH LIBRARY_PATH

Your .xsession will need to be executable, so if it's not then

Code:

chmod +x ~/.xsession

I haven't used kdm much, so I don't know of all it's details if it's different than what I am telling you. But you might need to restart kdm for it to notice your .xsession has changed (I doubt that you will though). Now when logging into kdm, there should hopefully be an option to use your .xsession, it's probably called Default. Hopefully this will be enough to get it going.

**pyromilkman** · 01-31-2005

I created a .xsession and put in

Code:

 /home/me/kde3.3.2/bin/startkde

and did a

Code:

chmod 750 .xsession

to make it executable.

Slackware doesn't have a .bashrc, so i created one in my home directory and put in the code you mentioned and made it executable. I tried an end session and a full restart and still it boots to 3.2. If kdm is the problem, is there a way around it that doesn't involve switching to run level 3.

**pyromilkman** · 01-31-2005

Ok I found out the problem checking other forums http://www.debianforums.com/ftopic3432.htm
and i need to switch to root and edit the file /etc/profile.d/kde.sh to point to the correct directory. so my kde.sh now reads

Code:

#!/bin/sh
# KDE additions&#58;
#KDEDIR=/opt/kde
KDEDIR=/home/me/kde3.3.2
PATH=$PATH&#58;$KDEDIR/bin
export KDEDIR PATH

where I commented out the original directory and now it works fine. Thanks for the help.

**kidlogic** · 01-31-2005

Well, I am getting more and more confused by the minute. I appreciate your very in depth help though. I've gone another route and pretty much run into the same problem, so if you have the patience to here me out, this is where I'm at now.

I downloaded the three cd beta version of Mandrake 10.2, solely to get the RPM files for KDE and Gnome, figuring I could just do an RPM install.
Well, when I use rpmdrake to install the new graphical desktop, it appears to do everything, gives me a successfull installation message, and so I log out, re-start, and I still have a 3.2 installation. Can you not install this way or do I need to write some kind of file as previously suggested?
I am not particularly code literate, so it does go over my head a tad. I am trying my best to learn however, so please don't think I am just looking for someone to do everything for me while I put in no effort. I am trying.
If I am missing something, aside from waiting until 10.2 stable release appears, I would be eternally grateful for some guidance.

Thank you all very much for your kind help.

**valan** · 01-31-2005

You're going over my head with this RPM and distro specific stuff. I won't use RPMs (or a distro, for that matter), so I don't know things about that. I don't even use KDE or KDM, so I'm at a loss how to help you any further. Sorry. Hopefully someone else will be able to, though.

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