I have searched on LQ and google for the better part of 2 hours and haven't found anyone who has had this happen to them. For some reason, all of the associations (file and executable files) in KDE disappeared, spontaneously. When I logged in this morning on my RH9 desktop they were no longer there and they were yesterday. This is along with the lower left hand K (start in microsoft) button and all of the point-and-click creature comforts. Previously, I could click on a ps file and up would pop something like ghostview and if I opened an email attachment with a *.doc or *.xls file estension the KDE gui would open it. I also could start a document or open xmms via that K button. There does not appear to be any problems with my files or installed apps.

Weird, huh? well I have to fix it - like now - not because I have the need to hear mp3s or view the funny pics of the kids that someone sent me in an email, but because I am a PhD student trying to graduate this summer and I made spreadsheets and printed figures and stuff using those creature comforts.

So, I said why don't I just update KDE. well, that should work but KDE 3.2.2 is only available for Fedora not RH9 - and I think I can't up2date RH9 now because the support has stopped (and I used to point and click to up2date from the Kmenu and now we have no Kmenu) I am stuck trying to decide if

(1) I should risk the potential time bomb of installing a new distro so close to turning in my thesis ( I still have some data analysis to do this week - and god knows a lot of writing left)
or
(2) should I spend my time trying to investigate how to fix this current problem?

are there other options
can I get some advice?

sure am!

edited for message clarity about spontaneous disappearing
not all at once while logged in but over night while logged off.

This can be caused by several things. First check to make sure theres an applications directory. it either /usr/share/applications/kde or /opt/kde/applications/kde ( Theres other variations I'm not up on what RH uses at the moment.

In this directory should be a load of .desktop files. These hold the associations.

Check the file associations through the control centre, If there still there you could of set the file associations for all, and groups to check if the embedded/seprate viewer.

Also there are paths, these can get screwed, so you can try setting $KDEDIRS to where the parent of applications directory.

Installing Fedora Core ( RH in disguise ) will probably get you up and running fast, as this will be very similar to what you have now. So you'll know what to do.

thanks for responding I see 247 kde-*.desktop files in /usr/share/applications. I think that's what you wanted me to find.

I am sorry to be such a newb, but what do you mean check the file associations through the control center? The KDE control center, "Kontrol (or something)", I used to get to by clicking on the K in the lower left hand corner. I can't get to that anymore. And if I could; I guess you want me to check and see if some KDE program (which one?) is able to recognize *.desktop files (either by checking directories or the settings of that program). Could I please request instructions at a lower level, I am truly sorry that I don't know enough to execute that task. and I don't mean to complain but I don't understand what you mean after the "If...

I gather by the context that $KDEDIRS is something like $PATH for KDE. So, I will try and find this file and get the /usr/share/applications directory related to this file. I am not very confident in navigating anything but the directories I make in Linux but I will do my best. I think I will look up the locate / whereis commands in the man pagess (told you I was a newb).

If I don't fix this problem by Monday afternoon I will install Fedora. I think.

your confidence in me is encouraging. but, I am afraid you overestimate by talents.