kcontrol/ "System Setings" fails to load display controls

Binary package hint: kcontrol

(After fresh install of TLS + all latest updates applied.)
KDE 3.5.2.
display driver ati.

After changing the Xorg.conf to work with an external monitor on an HP nx8220, display modules cames up with an error. The (stderr?) to console says

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pythonize constructor -- pid = 4178
Python interpreter initialized!

Pythonize constructor -- pid = 4178
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<string>", line 8, in kcontrol_bridge_create_displayconfig
  File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/displayconfig.py", line 1677, in create_displayconfig
    return DisplayApp(parent, name)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/displayconfig.py", line 443, in __init__
    self.xsetup = XSetup(self.xconfigpath)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/displayconfigabstraction.py", line 368, in __init__
    self._finalizeInit()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/displayconfigabstraction.py", line 387, in _finalizeInit
    self.setLayout(gfxcard._getDetectedLayout())
  File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/displayconfigabstraction.py", line 935, in setLayout
    gfxcard.setLayout(XSetup.LAYOUT_CLONE)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/displayconfigabstraction.py", line 1143, in setLayout
    screen._resyncResolution()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/displayconfigabstraction.py", line 1782, in _resyncResolution
    self.gfx_card.setup.getPrimaryScreen()._resyncResolution()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/displayconfigabstraction.py", line 1738, in _resyncResolution
    (preferred_width,preferred_height) = self.getAvailableResolutions()[self.getResolutionIndex()]
IndexError: list index out of range
error: *** runFunction failure
;
-------------------------------------------------

Notes:
- The same config file worked for same hardware in breezy.
- With the Xorg.conf supplied by the installation the display module comes up but fails to set up an external monitor.
- There is (probably unrelated) driver bug where when X comes up with an external monitor attached, X will start in 640x480 only.

This is the Xorg.conf

-------------------------------------------
# /etc/X11/xorg.conf (xorg X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the /etc/X11/xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man /etc/X11/xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following commands:
#
# cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.custom
# sudo sh -c 'md5sum /etc/X11/xorg.conf >/var/lib/xfree86/xorg.conf.md5sum'
# sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

Section "Files"
        FontPath "unix/:7100" # local font server
        # if the local font server has problems, we can fall back on these
        FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/misc"
        FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/cyrillic"
        FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
        FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
        FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Type1"
        FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/CID"
        FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi"
        FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi"
        # paths to defoma fonts
        FontPath "/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType"
        FontPath "/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/CID"
EndSection

Section "Module"
        Load "synaptics"

        Load "bitmap"
        Load "dbe" # Double buffer extension
        Load "ddc"
        Load "extmod"
        Load "glx"
        Load "dri"
        Load "int10"
        Load "record"
       # font modules
        Load "type1"
        Load "freetype"

        Load "vbe"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
        Driver "keyboard"
        Option "CoreKeyboard"
        Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
        Option "XkbModel" "pc104"
        Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier "Configured Mouse"
        Driver "mouse"
        Option "CorePointer"
        Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
        Option "Protocol" "ImPS/2"
        Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
        Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier "Synaptics Touchpad"
        Driver "synaptics"
        Option "SendCoreEvents" "true"
        Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
        Option "Protocol" "auto-dev"
        Option "HorizScrollDelta" "0"

    Option "LeftEdge" "1900"
    Option "RightEdge" "5400"
    Option "TopEdge" "1400"
    Option "BottomEdge" "4500"
    Option "FingerLow" "25"
    Option "FingerHigh" "30"
    Option "MaxTapTime" "180"
    Option "MaxTapMove" "220"
    Option "VertScrollDelta" "100"
    Option "MinSpeed" "0.02"
    Option "MaxSpeed" "0.18"
    Option "AccelFactor" "0.0010"

EndSection

Section "Device"
        Identifier "ATI Technologies, Inc. Radeon Mobility X600 (M24)"
        Driver "ati"
        BusID "PCI:1:0:0" # vendor=1002, device=3150

        Option "AGPMode" "4"
        Option "AGPFastWrite" "true"
        Option "BusType" "PCIE"
EndSection

Section "Device"
  Identifier "(clone) ATI Technologies, Inc. Radeon Mobility X600 (M24)"
  Driver "ati"
  BusID "PCI:1:0:0" # vendor=1002, device=3150

  Option "AGPMode" "4"
  Option "AGPFastWrite" "true"
  Option "BusType" "PCIE"
  Option "MonitorLayout" "LVDS, CRT"
  Option "MergedFB" "true"
  Option "CRT2HSync" "31.0-98.0"
  Option "CRT2VRefresh" "50.0-160.0"
  Option "CRT2Position" "Clone"
# Option "MetaModes" "1680x1050-1280x1024 1280x1024 1024x768 640x480"
  Option "MetaModes" "1680x1050 1600x1200 1280x1024 1024x768 640x480"
  Option "PanelOff" "false"
  Option "DynamicClocks" "true"

  ## Change this to "false" if there are any problems:
  Option "EnablePageFlip" "true"

EndSection

Section "Device"
  Identifier "(multi) ATI Technologies, Inc. Radeon Mobility X600 (M24)"
  Driver "ati"
  BusID "PCI:1:0:0" # vendor=1002, device=3150

  Option "AGPMode" "4"
  Option "AGPFastWrite" "true"
  Option "BusType" "PCIE"
  Option "MonitorLayout" "LVDS, CRT"
  Option "MergedFB" "true"
  Option "CRT2HSync" "31.0-80.0"
  Option "CRT2VRefresh" "60.0-76.0"
  Option "CRT2Position" "RightOf"
 Option "MetaModes" "1680x1050-1280x1024 1280x1024-1280x1024"
  Option "PanelOff" "false"
  Option "DynamicClocks" "true"

  ## Change this to "false" if there are any problems:
  Option "EnablePageFlip" "true"

EndSection

Section "Monitor"

    Identifier "WXGA"
    Option "DPMS"
    HorizSync 31.5 - 50.0
    VertRefresh 40-90
EndSection

#Section "Monitor"
# Identifier "CRT"
# Option "DPMS"
#EndSection

Section "Screen"
        Identifier "Single Screen"
        Device "ATI Technologies, Inc. Radeon Mobility X600 (M24)"
        Monitor "WXGA"
        DefaultDepth 24
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth 1
                Modes "1680x1050"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth 4
                Modes "1680x1050"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth 8
                Modes "1680x1050"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth 15
                Modes "1680x1050"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth 16
                Modes "1680x1050"
        EndSubSection
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth 16
                Modes "1680x1050"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth 24
                Modes "1680x1050" "1280x1024"
        EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Screen"
       Identifier "Cloned-Screen"
       Device "(clone) ATI Technologies, Inc. Radeon Mobility X600 (M24)"
       Monitor "WXGA"
       DefaultDepth 24
       SubSection "Display"
               Depth 24
               Modes "1680x1050" "1600x1200" "1280x1024" "1024x768" "640x480"
       EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Screen"
       Identifier "Dual-Screen"
       Device "(multi) ATI Technologies, Inc. Radeon Mobility X600 (M24)"
       Monitor "WXGA"
       DefaultDepth 24
       SubSection "Display"
               Depth 24
               Modes "1680x1050" "1280x1024" "1024x768" "640x480"
       EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
        Identifier "Default Layout"
        #Screen "Single Screen"
        Screen "Cloned-Screen"
        #Screen "Dual-Screen"
        InputDevice "Generic Keyboard"
        InputDevice "Configured Mouse"
        InputDevice "Synaptics Touchpad"
EndSection

Section "DRI"
        Mode 0666
EndSection
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