Comment 12 for bug 898390

# patch
file location = $KDE_PREFIX/bin
--- startkde.orig
+++ startkde
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@
 kcminputrc Mouse cursorSize ''
 ksplashrc KSplash Theme Default
 ksplashrc KSplash Engine KSplashX
-kcmrandrrc Display ApplyOnStartup false
+kcmrandrrc Display ApplyOnStartup true
 kcmrandrrc [Screen0]
 kcmrandrrc [Screen1]
 kcmrandrrc [Screen2]

# ~/.xinitrc
export kcmrandrrc_display_applyonstartup=true
export kcmrandrrc_screen0_width=1024
export kcmrandrrc_screen0_height=768
export kcmrandrrc_screen0_refresh=70
exec dbus-launch --exit-with-session startkde

startx applies width=1024, height=768, refresh=70 to screen

The suggestion is bugs in
kdebase-workspace-4.4.2/startkde.cmake
kdebase-workspace-4.4.2/kstartupconfig/kstartupconfig.cpp
kdebase-workspace-4.4.2/kstartupconfig/kdostartupconfig.cpp

Have not yet found a way to pass the variables via kdm.