>Which leaves the undefined ssl symbols.

While my own setup isn't completely comparable to yours, as I'm running KDE via
the startx command, here is the equivalent output I get:

startkde: Starting up...
mkdir: Owner of /tmp/.ICE-unix should be set to root
kbuildsycoca running...
DCOP Cleaning up dead connections.
kdecore (KLibLoader): WARNING: KLibrary: Undefined symbol "init_kdnssd"
KWrited - Listening on Device /dev/ttyp1
>> synthesizer priority is 0 (which is unacceptable, try running as root)
_IceTransmkdir: Owner of /tmp/.ICE-unix should be set to root
QFont::setPointSize: Point size <= 0 (-3)
kmixctrl: ERROR: kmix: Could not write to mixer.
kmixctrl: ERROR: kmix: Could not write to mixer.
kmixctrl: ERROR: kmix: Could not write to mixer.
kmixctrl: ERROR: kmix: Could not write to mixer.
kio_file: WARNING: KLocale: trying to look up "" in catalog. Fix the program
fifo_audio_out: blocked for more than 246 ms,
fifo_audio_out: 576 sample(s) discarded.
kio_system: WARNING: KLocale: trying to look up "" in catalog. Fix the program
kde-config: WARNING: KLocale: trying to look up "" in catalog. Fix the program
kio_trash: WARNING: KLocale: trying to look up "" in catalog. Fix the program
X Error: BadWindow (invalid Window parameter) 3
  Major opcode:  19
  Minor opcode:  0
  Resource id:  0x1e00005
startkde: Shutting down...
klauncher: Exiting on signal 1
DCOP Cleaning up dead connections.
startkde: Running shutdown scripts...
startkde: Done.

I don't get warnings about undefined SSL symbols, though I do see
the undefined symbol for init_kdnssd.  I'm running KDE 3.5.1 built
from pkgsrc-current on 3.0/i386.

I don't know if this is any use at all, but have posted it in case it helps
to narrow down the differences.

Dave