running applets as root crashes gnome panel

[Jake Hawkes <jake infinitylimited net>]

use Gnome;
use Gtk;

init Gnome::Panel::AppletWidget 'applet.pl';

$a = new Gnome::Panel::AppletWidget 'applet.pl';
realize $a;

$b = new Gtk::VBox(0,0);
$b->set_usize(60, 45);

# ...snip...

$interval = 60_000; # 1 minute
$timer = Gtk->timeout_add( $interval, \&updateClock, 0 );

# ...snip...

gtk_main Gnome::Panel::AppletWidget;

# ...subroutines....


this code when executed as non-root, works fine. When executed as root,
it crashed the gnome panel.


any ideas?
--
Jake Hawkes B.Eng, (CSE)

Auntie Em. Hate you, hate Kansas, taking the dog. Dorothy.