gpointing-device-settings-1.3.1 does not restore settings on gnome startup. This is major regression compared to gsynaptics since I need this program to disable touchpad on startup. After I set touchpad to off it become disabled.

After I logout and login - touchpad works. At this point gnome-settings-daemon is running. After I've killed gnome-settings-daemon and started it with --debug --no-daemon I found that plugin is started:

...
** (gnome-settings-daemon:4451): DEBUG: Loading plugin: /usr/lib/gnome-settings-daemon-2.0/pointing-device.gnome-settings-plugin
** (gnome-settings-daemon:4451): DEBUG: GnomeSettingsPluginInfo: name='PointingDevice' file='/usr/lib/gnome-settings-daemon-2.0/pointing-device.gnome-settings-plugin' location='pointing-device'
** (gnome-settings-daemon:4451): DEBUG: Loading plugin: /usr/lib/gnome-settings-daemon-2.0/background.gnome-settings-plugin
...
** (gnome-settings-daemon:4451): DEBUG: GnomeSettingsModule 0x8c96650 initialising
** (gnome-settings-daemon:4451): DEBUG: Loading /usr/lib/gnome-settings-daemon-2.0/libpointing-device.so
** (gnome-settings-daemon:4451): DEBUG: Registering GsdMouseExtensionPlugin
** (gnome-settings-daemon:4451): DEBUG: Creating object of type GsdMouseExtensionPlugin
** (gnome-settings-daemon:4451): DEBUG: GnomeSettingsManager: emitting plugin-activated pointing-device
** (gnome-settings-daemon:4451): DEBUG: Plugin pointing-device: active
...

It looks like I have some problem with gconf: no matter what I do gconf configuration does not changes and I always have the following:

peter@camobap ~ $ gconftool-2 -R /desktop/gnome/peripherals 
 /desktop/gnome/peripherals/keyboard:
  delay = 500
  bell_mode = on
  repeat = true
  click_volume = 0
  click = true
  bell_duration = 100
  remember_numlock_state = true
  bell_pitch = 400
  rate = 30
  bell_custom_file = (значение не установлено)
  /desktop/gnome/peripherals/keyboard/general:
   defaultGroup = -1
   known_file_list = []
   update_handlers = []
   layoutNamesAsGroupNames = true
   handleIndicators = false
   groupPerWindow = true
   disable_sysconfig_changed_warning = false
  /desktop/gnome/peripherals/keyboard/kbd:
   model = 
   options = []
   layouts = []
  /desktop/gnome/peripherals/keyboard/preview:
   height = -1
   width = -1
   y = -1
   x = -1
  /desktop/gnome/peripherals/keyboard/indicator:
   enabledPlugins = []
   showFlags = false
   secondary = 0
 /desktop/gnome/peripherals/mouse:
  cursor_theme = (значение не установлено)
  cursor_font = (значение не установлено)
  motion_acceleration = -1
  drag_threshold = 8
  cursor_size = 18
  single_click = true
  locate_pointer = false
  motion_threshold = -1
  left_handed = false
  double_click = 400
 /desktop/gnome/peripherals/SynPS@47@2@32@Synaptics@32@TouchPad:
  device_type = touchpad
  off = true
 /desktop/gnome/peripherals/TPPS@47@2@32@IBM@32@TrackPoint:
  device_type = mouse
 /desktop/gnome/peripherals/touchpad:
  fast_taps = false
  max_tap_time = 280
  vert_scroll_delta = 100
  circular_scrolling = false
  sensitivity = 2
  off = true
  circ_scroll_delta = 0
  horiz_scroll_delta = 100

Similar bug report was reported in debian:
http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=530306

BTW, I use gnome-2.26.