I can't help you with the *.deb package nor 3.5.17, but I've used 3.5.18 for some time without any problems -- compiled from upstream sources and installed in /usr/local. It creates mc.hot, mc.hot.bak and mc.ini in my ~ -- no "10".
FWIW I just finished compiling 3.5.22. -- Dimitri (emaziuk at curtin.edu.au) -------------------------- Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem
