Empty KDE Control Panel; Crowded Lost and Found

[arlie@worldash.org (Arlie Stephens)]

Hi Folks,

Like several others, I've got an etch installation with kde where the
kde control panel is empty. The last time this came up, someone
pointed to a kind of lost and found within kde - it shows up as one of
the directory-like choices in that application menu. Sure enough, 
I've got a huge lost and found menu, which will probably let me get at
the various kde control center options, but what I want is to fix the
control center.

I don't know how kde works, internally. How do I get these tools to
appear where they belong? Am I looking for a directory tree, to be
fixed with mv, some text file to be editted, or (I fear) some binary
file to be modified only with some doubtless graphical tool? 

Also, assuming I fix whatever got misinstalled, how do I avoid having
it break again every time some kde component is upgraded? 

-- 
Arlie

(Arlie Stephens	                              arlie@worldash.org)