Missing applets and icons are black (Debian 2.2 / X 4.0.2)

[Bernard Boudet <foobar clara co uk>]

Hi,

I think my installation is botched, but I can't figure out what is 
wrong except that paths seem to be screwed up somehow.

This is Debian 2.2 stable with 2.2.17 kernel, and X v4.0.2 compiled 
from source.

Sorry, I don't know how to tell what revision of GNOME, but I 
downloaded and installed it yesterday using `lynx -source http://go-
gnome.com/ | sh', and I chose the full-install option.  The same 
problems were also happening with GNOME installed from Debian 2.2, 
which is why I upgraded.

The GNOME desktop fires up with GNU Midnight Commander ok, but "
Commands | Edit mime types..." does nothing.  The Gnome Help Browser 
also starts up, but says "Could not load default TOC page".

The main panel at the bottom of the screen, only shows 3 buttons - Menu,
Log out and Lock screen.  These are all white text on a black 
background.  There is nothing else on the main panel.  Clicking Menu 
pops up a menu with Programs, Favorites, Applets, Debian menus, Run..., 
Panel, and Log out.  The Applets item has no submenus.

At the top of the screen there is a bar with Programs, Favorites, 
Settings and Desktop.  The Applets item under Programs has no submenu, 
and clicking it does nothing.  The Settings menu is empty.

Clicking "Programs | Debian menus | Apps | System | Gnome Control 
Center" does nothing.  Running gnomecc from the command line gives this 
error:

~$ gnomecc

** WARNING **: No configuration applets were found.  This probably 
means that either the control-center or GNOME is incorrectly installed.


~$ locate applet | wc --lines
1120

I've tried `rm -rf ~/.gnome*' but this does not help.

I have the files .xinitrc and .xsession in my home directory:

#!/bin/sh
########################################################################
######
# ~/.xinitrc
#
exec /usr/bin/gnome-session

#!/bin/sh
########################################################################
######
# ~/.xsession
#
exec /usr/bin/gnome-session

The problems are the same, whether starting my session with startx or 
from gdm.  Before uprading GNOME, I used xdm and the problem happened 
with that too.

I have set the Debian default window manager to Enlightenment, but but 
X session runs as Sawfish (this is only a minor annoyance, I know I 
could fix it with gnomecc if it would run).

~$ /usr/sbin/update-alternatives --display x-window-manager
x-window-manager - status is auto.
link currently points to /usr/bin/enlightenment
/usr/bin/enlightenment - priority 50
slave x-window-manager.1.gz: /usr/share/man/man1/enlightenment.1.gz
/usr/bin/sawfish - priority 20
Current `best' version is /usr/bin/enlightenment.

Please ask for specific info if I missed something, but otherwise - 
Help!