[wplug] unsuccessful KDE 2.1 upgrade on Mandrake 7.2

[root]

I've repeatedly tried in vain to install KDE 2.1 on Mandrake 7.2, but
the closest it comes to working is under root where it creates a nice
clean background, a center KDE box with icons that blink at various
stages until it gets to the one for the panel.  Then it produces an
error statement: 

Could not find mime type application/octet-stream

After a bit the cute little KDE box with the icons becomes a solid beige
rectangle and the whole window locks up.  Ctrl-alt-bksp successfully
brings back the log-in window (which is by KDE as opposed to the Gnome
design that was used prior to trying to upgrade KDE).  I can
successfully boot other window managers but not KDE.  Trying to use KDE
as any other user results in a solid blue screen and nothing more (at
least its Gnome blue and not the blue screen of death that MS uses, but
the effect is pretty much the same).

I gather from a Google search that the error statement is somewhat
generic and could apply to a number of things.  I'd appreciate some
pointers of where and what I should look at first.

Thanks.
David