how to reset desktop env. config? (was: Re: What are these folders in home?)

["H.S." <hs.samix@gmail.com>]

Kamaraju S Kusumanchi wrote:
> paragasu wrote:
>
> > AFAIK,
> > you can delete all files in $HOME directory. especially the hidden files.
> > the worst you will get is you lost some setting of the program. But you
> > can login
> > just fine.
>
> One has to be careful. For example, Kmail (from KDE) uses .kde to store all
> the mail. If some one deletes the .kde directory thinking that it is just a
> bunch of rc files they would be in for a nice surprise.
>
> raju

I have encountered the "soft reset" situation many times: I wanted to 
start over with a particular desktop, KDE or Gnome. I usually do this:
1. log out from the window manager
2. kill all my files in /tmp
3. kill all relevant hidden directories in $HOME/ (e.g. .kde*, .gnome*, 
.gconf* and such).
4. Log in to the window manager. It starts configuration from scratch.

Now, I do not use Kmail, just Thunderbird and mutt. I know where they 
save their email. And now I learn that kmail saves its data in .kde. I 
hope a user using Kmail knows this. But then, the question is, what is 
the "right way" to start over using a desktop environment above? Is 
there a "soft reset" for window managers and desktop env.?

thanks,
->HS