GnuCash Launcher

[Mark]

I'm looking for a way to launch native Quartz GnuCash without using 
Terminal.

I have just finished a complete fresh install of Macports, followed by a 
native Quartz, minimal (+without_hbci +without_ofx +without_quotes) 
install of GnuCash on MBP 10.5.6.

I used to run, and still have installed, GnuCash2 on Fink. The Fink 
installation broke when I upgraded GnuCash2: started getting the error 
message reported here <http://trac.macports.org/ticket/16755> --

    "Two error windows every time gnucash is launched. One says: "The
    configuration data used to specify default values for GnuCash cannot
    be found in the default system locations. Without this data GnuCash
    will still operate properly but it may require some extra time to
    setup. Do you wish to setup the configuration data?"

    "The other says: "An error occurred while loading or saving
    configuration information for gnucash. Some of your configuration
    settings may not work properly."

    "When I click "Details" on the second window, it says: "Failed to
    contact configuration server..."

I'm pleased to say my Macports installation of native Quartz GnuCash 
works fine IF I open a Terminal and start it from the command line.

I wrote an embarrassingly simplistic Applescript using "do shell script":
    do shell script "/opt/local/bin/gnucash"
which starts GnuCash without launching Terminal.app. But this method 
always results in the two-window error quoted above. By contrast, the 
Applescript:
    tell application "Terminal"
        do script "/opt/local/bin/gnucash >& /dev/null &"
    end tell
opens a Terminal window and GnuCash fires up perfectly.

I've tried incorporating the suggestions in Comment 17 
<http://trac.macports.org/ticket/16755#comment:17> of the above-quoted 
ticket into my "do shell script," but either it doesn't work or it 
requires some Applescript finesse (I have none).

Is there any hope of launching native Quartz GnuCash without wrapping it 
in Terminal?

- Mark (Newbie-ish)