Version:            (using KDE KDE 3.5.7)
Installed from:    SuSE RPMs
OS:                Linux

Kontact crash from the start with fail nº 11.
It happens with Suse 10.3 after updating a few days ago.
The other questions that you ask for, I do not know the answers.
Kmail however oparates well, both actionsfrom the desktop.

Here is the fail:
Comprobación de la configuración del sistema en el arranque deshabilitado.

 [?1034h(no debugging symbols found)
Using host libthread_db library "/lib64/libthread_db.so.1".
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
[Thread debugging using libthread_db enabled]
[New Thread 0x2b751102d300 (LWP 4714)]
[New Thread 0x42003950 (LWP 4718)]
[New Thread 0x41802950 (LWP 4717)]
[New Thread 0x41001950 (LWP 4716)]
[New Thread 0x40800950 (LWP 4715)]
[KCrash handler]
#5  0x00002b75163f0fb0 in typeinfo for KMFilterActionCommand ()
   from /opt/kde3/lib64/libkmailprivate.so
#6  0x00002b750982fbf4 in KXMLGUI::ActionList::unplug ()
   from /opt/kde3/lib64/libkdeui.so.4
#7  0x00002b75098bec16 in KXMLGUI::ContainerNode::unplugClient ()
   from /opt/kde3/lib64/libkdeui.so.4
#8  0x00002b75098bee7f in KXMLGUI::ContainerNode::unplugActions ()
   from /opt/kde3/lib64/libkdeui.so.4
#9  0x00002b75098beed0 in KXMLGUI::ContainerNode::destruct ()
   from /opt/kde3/lib64/libkdeui.so.4
#10 0x00002b75098bf0a0 in KXMLGUI::ContainerNode::destructChildren ()
   from /opt/kde3/lib64/libkdeui.so.4
#11 0x00002b75098beec5 in KXMLGUI::ContainerNode::destruct ()
   from /opt/kde3/lib64/libkdeui.so.4
#12 0x00002b75098c8fca in KXMLGUIFactory::removeClient ()
   from /opt/kde3/lib64/libkdeui.so.4
#13 0x00002b7508bf4e43 in KParts::MainWindow::createGUI ()
   from /opt/kde3/lib64/libkparts.so.2
#14 0x000000000041adc9 in ?? ()
#15 0x000000000041ddf7 in ?? ()
#16 0x00000000004180e0 in QWidget::setUpdatesEnabled ()
    at kernel/qwidget.cpp:3906
#17 0x00002b7509d98994 in KUniqueApplication::processDelayed ()
   from /opt/kde3/lib64/libkdecore.so.4
#18 0x00002b7509dc06e1 in KUniqueApplication::qt_invoke ()
   from /opt/kde3/lib64/libkdecore.so.4
#19 0x00002b750a649e6c in QObject::activate_signal (this=0x6b9180, 
    clist=<value optimized out>, o=0x7fffa2f654c0) at kernel/qobject.cpp:2356
#20 0x00002b750a92f452 in QSignal::signal (this=0x22f5e30, t0=@0x6b91d0)
    at .moc/release-shared-mt/moc_qsignal.cpp:100
#21 0x00002b750a6621ed in QSignal::activate (this=0x6b9180)
    at kernel/qsignal.cpp:212
#22 0x00002b750a668728 in QSingleShotTimer::event (this=0x6b9130)
    at kernel/qtimer.cpp:286
#23 0x00002b750a5f36dd in QApplication::internalNotify (
    this=<value optimized out>, receiver=0x6b9130, e=0x7fffa2f65800)
    at kernel/qapplication.cpp:2636
#24 0x00002b750a5f43f8 in QApplication::notify (this=0x7fffa2f65bc0, 
    receiver=0x87ef50, e=0x7fffa2f65800) at kernel/qapplication.cpp:2359
#25 0x00002b7509ddb3dd in KApplication::notify ()
   from /opt/kde3/lib64/libkdecore.so.4
#26 0x00002b750a5e9d77 in QEventLoop::activateTimers (
    this=<value optimized out>) at kernel/qapplication.h:520
#27 0x00002b750a5a99b5 in QEventLoop::processEvents (this=0x694fc0, flags=2)
    at kernel/qeventloop_x11.cpp:389
#28 0x00002b750a607f53 in QEventLoop::enterLoop (this=0x22f5e30)
    at kernel/qeventloop.cpp:198
#29 0x00002b750a607e02 in QEventLoop::exec (this=0x22f5e30)
    at kernel/qeventloop.cpp:145
#30 0x0000000000418649 in QWidget::setUpdatesEnabled ()
    at kernel/qwidget.cpp:3906
#31 0x00002b750b05fb54 in __libc_start_main () from /lib64/libc.so.6
#32 0x0000000000417e09 in QWidget::setUpdatesEnabled ()
    at kernel/qwidget.cpp:3906
#33 0x00007fffa2f65e98 in ?? ()
#34 0x0000000000000000 in ?? ()