How do you get it to run?
Did you make the file executable? (RClick in GUI -> Properties -> check "allow execution as programm")
Yeah, I tried that. Doesn't work whether I double click, or enter 'bitcoin-qt' or 'bash bitcoin-qt' in terminal. It's kind of ridiculous that the feature to run the client easily was removed for 0.9.1 ... I actually went through many other steps from a thread here a while ago, but it didn't help. Sorry, can't recall the thread, and don't have time to 'develop' a fix.
So does anyone know enough about the fine details of the client updates to know whether I'm actually safe to do what I described with 0.8.6?
Not sure if this would help.
Have you tried chmod +x bitcoin-qt then ./bitcoin-qt.
The first command will set bitcoin-qt to be executable then ./bitcoin-qt will try to run it.