diff -ru kmms-0.8beta1.orig/kmms/kmmsdock.cpp kmms-0.8beta1/kmms/kmmsdock.cpp
--- kmms/kmmsdock.cpp	2002-08-19 10:54:37.000000000 +0930
+++ kmms/kmmsdock.cpp	2002-11-04 16:32:24.000000000 +1030
@@ -188,62 +188,58 @@
 {
   //load and paint Skin
   QPixmap mainPixmap;
-//  QPixmap cbuttonsPixmap;
-  bool skinloadfailed = FALSE;
+
+  // first check if the user has a skin in their ~/.kmms/Skin directory
+  // to keep compatibility with official KMMS
+  bool userskinloadfailed = FALSE;
   // main.bmp
   if ( !mainPixmap.load( homeDir + "/.kmms/Skin/main.bmp") )
-   	skinloadfailed = TRUE;
+    userskinloadfailed = TRUE;
   // cbuttons.bmp
   if ( !cbuttonsPixmap.load( homeDir + "/.kmms/Skin/cbuttons.bmp") )
-    skinloadfailed = TRUE;
-	// failed?
-  if(skinloadfailed)
-  {
-		// draw error message to skin buffer
-    pskin->drawText( 2, 12, "SKIN LOAD ERROR!" );
-    pskin->drawText( 8, 28, "( ~/.kmms/Skin )" );
-    pskin->drawText( 8, 40, "view README file" );
-  }
-	// success?
-  else
-  {
-		// draw skin to buffer
-		/* //old version
-    pskin->drawPixmap( -135, 0, mainPixmap );
-    pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 36, cbuttonsPixmap );
-		*/
-		// new version
-		
-		// Top:
-    pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 0, mainPixmap, 120, 15, KMMSDOCK_WIDTH, 5 );
-		pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 5, mainPixmap, 120, 15, KMMSDOCK_WIDTH, 8 );
-
-		// Top of Text field
-		pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 13, mainPixmap, 120, 23, KMMSDOCK_WIDTH, 6 );
-
-		// Text field extension
-		pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 19, mainPixmap, 120, 29, KMMSDOCK_WIDTH, 1 );
-			pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 20, mainPixmap, 120, 29, KMMSDOCK_WIDTH, 1 );
-			pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 21, mainPixmap, 120, 29, KMMSDOCK_WIDTH, 1 );
-			pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 22, mainPixmap, 120, 29, KMMSDOCK_WIDTH, 1 );
-
-		pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 23, mainPixmap, 120, 30, KMMSDOCK_WIDTH, 1 );
-			//pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 23, mainPixmap, 120, 30, KMMSDOCK_WIDTH, 1 );
-			pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 24, mainPixmap, 120, 30, KMMSDOCK_WIDTH, 1 );
-			pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 25, mainPixmap, 120, 30, KMMSDOCK_WIDTH, 1 );
-			pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 26, mainPixmap, 120, 30, KMMSDOCK_WIDTH, 1 );
-
-		pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 27, mainPixmap, 120, 31, KMMSDOCK_WIDTH, 1 );
-			pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 28, mainPixmap, 120, 31, KMMSDOCK_WIDTH, 1 );
-			pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 29, mainPixmap, 120, 31, KMMSDOCK_WIDTH, 1 );
-			pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 30, mainPixmap, 120, 31, KMMSDOCK_WIDTH, 1 );
+    userskinloadfailed = TRUE;
+  
+  if(userskinloadfailed){
+    // no user defined skin in ~/.kmms/Skin, use default
+    // define a kmms_skin resource which can be in a KDE-relative directory
+    KGlobal::dirs()->addResourceType("kmms_skin", "share/apps/kmms/Skin");
+
+    // main.bmp
+    mainPixmap.load(KGlobal::dirs()->findResource("kmms_skin", "main.bmp"));
+
+    // cbuttons.bmp
+    cbuttonsPixmap.load(KGlobal::dirs()->findResource("kmms_skin", "cbuttons.bmp"));
+  }
+
+  // draw skin to buffer
+  // Top:
+  pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 0, mainPixmap, 120, 15, KMMSDOCK_WIDTH, 5 );
+  pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 5, mainPixmap, 120, 15, KMMSDOCK_WIDTH, 8 );
+
+  // Top of Text field
+  pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 13, mainPixmap, 120, 23, KMMSDOCK_WIDTH, 6 );
+
+  // Text field extension
+  pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 19, mainPixmap, 120, 29, KMMSDOCK_WIDTH, 1 );
+  pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 20, mainPixmap, 120, 29, KMMSDOCK_WIDTH, 1 );
+  pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 21, mainPixmap, 120, 29, KMMSDOCK_WIDTH, 1 );
+  pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 22, mainPixmap, 120, 29, KMMSDOCK_WIDTH, 1 );
+
+  pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 23, mainPixmap, 120, 30, KMMSDOCK_WIDTH, 1 );
+  pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 24, mainPixmap, 120, 30, KMMSDOCK_WIDTH, 1 );
+  pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 25, mainPixmap, 120, 30, KMMSDOCK_WIDTH, 1 );
+  pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 26, mainPixmap, 120, 30, KMMSDOCK_WIDTH, 1 );
+
+  pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 27, mainPixmap, 120, 31, KMMSDOCK_WIDTH, 1 );
+  pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 28, mainPixmap, 120, 31, KMMSDOCK_WIDTH, 1 );
+  pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 29, mainPixmap, 120, 31, KMMSDOCK_WIDTH, 1 );
+  pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 30, mainPixmap, 120, 31, KMMSDOCK_WIDTH, 1 );
 
-		// Bottom of Text field
-		pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 31, mainPixmap, 120, 32 );
+  // Bottom of Text field
+  pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 31, mainPixmap, 120, 32 );
 
-		// Control Buttons
-    pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 36, cbuttonsPixmap, 0, 0, 114, 18); //painting just the top part of the c buttons
-  }
+  // Control Buttons
+  pskin->drawPixmap( 0, 36, cbuttonsPixmap, 0, 0, 114, 18); //painting just the top part of the c buttons
 }
 
 void kmmsdock::scroll()
diff -ru kmms-0.8beta1.orig/kmms/kmmsdock.h kmms-0.8beta1/kmms/kmmsdock.h
--- kmms/kmmsdock.h	2002-08-19 10:54:37.000000000 +0930
+++ kmms/kmmsdock.h	2002-10-23 20:26:34.000000000 +0930
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@
 
 #include "kmmsprefsImpl.h"
 
-
+#include <kglobal.h>
+#include <kstandarddirs.h>
 #include <klocale.h>
 #include <kprocess.h>
 #include <ksimpleconfig.h>