If you are running Gnome-classic, AND there are desktop files in
~/Desktop, go into a terminal and run "nautilus -n". You then should have
desktop icons. Log out, and log back in. They should be there still. If it
doesn't work, in a terminal window again run "gconf-editor". look in the
/apps/nautilus/preferences key. Make sure "show_desktop" is checked.
exit gconf-editor. You should have icons on the desktop.
If you don't have the gconf-editor in a root terminal run "aptitude install
gconf-editor"
That's what works here in gnome-classic.