Comment 5 for bug 424421

"gconftool --recursive-unset /apps/gnome_settings_daemon" solved the problem.

Running "diff -U4 gsd-broken gsd-working" where gsd-broken and gsd-working is the output of "gconftool --dump /apps/gnome_settings_daemon" on a broken and unbroken account respectively, produced:

atrus@yeesha:~$ diff -U4 gsd-broken gsd-working
--- gsd-broken 2009-09-04 11:05:25.822290806 -0600
+++ gsd-working 2009-09-04 11:04:19.845290295 -0600
@@ -10,9 +10,9 @@
     <entry>
       <key>gtk-modules/gail:atk-bridge</key>
       <schema_key>/schemas/apps/gnome_settings_daemon/gtk-modules/gail:atk-bridge</schema_key>
       <value>
- <string></string>
+ <string>/desktop/gnome/interface/accessibility</string>
       </value>
     </entry>
     <entry>
       <key>keybindings/calculator</key>
@@ -59,9 +59,9 @@
     <entry>
       <key>keybindings/next</key>
       <schema_key>/schemas/apps/gnome_settings_daemon/keybindings/next</schema_key>
       <value>
- <string>&lt;Control&gt;XF86AudioRaiseVolume</string>
+ <string>XF86AudioNext</string>
       </value>
     </entry>
     <entry>
       <key>keybindings/pause</key>
@@ -73,9 +73,9 @@
     <entry>
       <key>keybindings/play</key>
       <schema_key>/schemas/apps/gnome_settings_daemon/keybindings/play</schema_key>
       <value>
- <string>&lt;Control&gt;XF86AudioMute</string>
+ <string>XF86AudioPlay</string>
       </value>
     </entry>
     <entry>
       <key>keybindings/power</key>
@@ -87,9 +87,9 @@
     <entry>
       <key>keybindings/previous</key>
       <schema_key>/schemas/apps/gnome_settings_daemon/keybindings/previous</schema_key>
       <value>
- <string>&lt;Control&gt;XF86AudioLowerVolume</string>
+ <string>XF86AudioPrev</string>
       </value>
     </entry>
     <entry>
       <key>keybindings/screensaver</key>
@@ -150,9 +150,9 @@
     <entry>
       <key>plugins/a11y-keyboard/active</key>
       <schema_key>/schemas/apps/gnome_settings_daemon/plugins/a11y-keyboard/active</schema_key>
       <value>
- <bool>false</bool>
+ <bool>true</bool>
       </value>
     </entry>
     <entry>
       <key>plugins/a11y-keyboard/priority</key>
@@ -354,9 +354,9 @@
     <entry>
       <key>plugins/xrdb/active</key>
       <schema_key>/schemas/apps/gnome_settings_daemon/plugins/xrdb/active</schema_key>
       <value>
- <bool>true</bool>
+ <bool>false</bool>
       </value>
     </entry>
     <entry>
       <key>plugins/xrdb/priority</key>

FINALLY, after checking each of those differences, it appears that the value in /apps/gnome_settings_daemon/gtk-modules/gail:atk-bridge, which on my jaunty system was an empty string, caused gnome-settings-daemon to crash under karmic. Replacing it with "/desktop/gnome/interface/accessibility" gets everything working right again.

How it came to be in that state, I do not know, but the crash under karmic is probably a regression.