help getting GNUStep running on Debian

[Sean 'Shaleh' Perry]

Do not let the subject frighten you off, I am not seeking "how do i get dpkg to
install this" type help.  Just wanted to preface with "I have not compiled by
hand".

After months of looking I decided to try out the project.  I have never used
NeXT or much of any other *Step environ.

I installed the packages needed for a base and to compile some other apps.

In an rxvt I run 'source /path/to/Makefile/script' and then openapp GNUMail.app
which I installed from a package.  I get a message about a font cache needing
to be built and that there will be a pause while one is built.  X then dies and
I am back at my XDM prompt.  The same thing happens with a version of gorm I
compiled from source.  This happens under both WindowMaker and blackbox(my
preferred wm).

$ dpkg -l|grep step
ii  gnustep-base1     1.1.0-2   The GNUstep Base Library
ii  gnustep-base1-dev 1.1.0-2   Header files and static libraries for the
ii  gnustep-gui0      0.7.5-2   The GNUstep Gui Library
ii  gnustep-gui0-dev  0.7.5-2   Header files and static libraries for the
ii  gnustep-make      1.2.1-4   Basic GNUstep Scripts and Makefiles
ii  gnustep-ppd       0.7.5-2   The GNUstep Postscript Printer Description
ii  gnustep-xgps0     0.7.5-1   The GNUstep Xgps Library

as well as

ii  gnumail        0.9.91-1       A clone of NeXT/Apple's Mail.app application