vanishing application

[norman]

The application UFRaw was installed, using Synaptic Package Manager, and
an icon for the application duly appeared in the graphics menu. However,
when the icon is left clicked, instead of the application opening a
window opens instead. This window is headed UFRaw and consists of 2
panels, the left one being a list of Places with the cursor on Norman
and the right one listing names of, what I assume, is the contents of my
Home directory. Opening a terminal and entering ufraw gives the same
result.

However, when the icon of a RAW image is doubled clicked, UFRaw opens
containing the image or, if the image is right clicked the menu which
appears is headed "Open with UFRaw" and if this is selected again the
application opens containing the image.

I am now using Ubuntu 8.10 and have used Ubuntu from the year it first
appeared and I cannot recall anything like this ever happening before.
Could some kind and knowledgeable person suggest what might be
happening, please.

Norman