Well, maybe not "SOLVED". Rather, I once again have to publicly expose my own failings.
When I installed this system (from a Ubuntu 10.04LTS/Trinity CD that I downloaded from (memory fails me here...) ), I checked the [Help] on konqueror's main toolbar:
Help -> About Trinity == "Trinity Desktop Environment Release 3.5.11
Help -> About konqueror == Konqueror 3.5.10 (Using 3.5.11 [Trinity])
So, I had to believe I was running KDE 3.5.11 [Trinity]. Right? I never checked any further/deeper.
In a flash of unusual wisdom, last night I did a `dpkg -l`:
jonesy@nix4:~$ dpkg -l | grep kde ii adept-batch-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1124765 ii adept-common-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1124765 ii adept-installer-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1124765 ii adept-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1124765 ii adept-manager-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1124765 ii adept-notifier-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1124765 ii adept-updater-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1124765 ii akregator-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1152640 ii amarok-common-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1124763 ii amarok-engine-xine-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1124763 ii amarok-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1124763 ii ark-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1119969 ii arts-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1075407 ii digikam-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1076911 ii exiv2-kde3 0.17-0ubuntu3 ii gtk-qt-engine-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1101810 ii guidance-backends-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1106825 ii gwenview-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1106810 ii hal-kde3 0.5.14-0ubuntu1 ii k3b-data-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1106812 ii k3b-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1106812 <-BIG SNIP-> ii language-pack-kde-en 1:10.04+20110931 ii language-pack-kde-en-base 1:10.04+20110931 ii libarts1-akode-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1138430 ii libarts1c2a-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1075407 ii libartsc0-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1075407 ii libexiv2-4-kde3 0.17-0ubuntu3 ii libk3b3-extracodecs-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1106812 ii libk3b3-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1106812 ii libkcal2b-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1152640 ii libkcddb1-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1138430 ii libkdcraw3-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1076768 ii libkdepim1a-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1152640 ii libkexiv2-3-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1076316 ii libkipi0-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1076268 ii libkleopatra1-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1152640 ii libkmime2-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1152640 ii libkonq4-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1152392 ii libkpimexchange1-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1152640 ii libkpimidentities1-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1152640 ii libksieve0-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1152640 ii libktnef1-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1152640 ii libmimelib1c2a-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1152640 ii libpythonize0-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1097589 ii network-manager-kde-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1124762 ii networkstatus-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1152640 ii openoffice.org-kde3 1:3.2.0-7ubuntu6 ii plymouth-theme-kubuntu-logo-kde3 1:10.04-0ubuntu1 ii pykdeextensions-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1097589 ii python-kde3-kde3 4:3.5.12-0ubuntu6+r1106881 ii sudo-kde3 1.7.0-1ubuntu7 jonesy@nix4:~$
jonesy@nix4:~$ dpkg -l | grep kde | wc -l 152 jonesy@nix4:~$
So, it looks like I have 3.5.12 in place already -- dis-irregardless of what About Trinity and About Konqueror have to say...
I apologize about the noise I've injected here. And, I thank Tim and Slavek for trying to be so helpful.
(In any case, I don't believe 'we' ever found a good, working 3.5.12 repository.)
Now to move on to 3.5.13....
Thanks, and my apologies. Jonesy