How do I start Gnome!

[IsaacKuo]

Actually, /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 is readable by everyone. You have to be root to edit the file, but just reading it is allowed by anyone.

How are you trying to read the file, btw? One way is to enter the following command:

more /etc/X11/XF86Config-4

Note that this file is NOT executable. It's just a text file. If you type in /etc/X11/XF86Config-4, then you will get "permission denied" because no one--not even root--has permission to execute the file.

[oswaldkelso]

Reintall failed, changing the screen manualy resulted it a blank screen, so I did something just not the right thing.

I am reinstalling again, will do as you suggest to to get the config-4.

I found these bits an bobs that may be of help?

http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-27546.html

http://www.wardbones.com/linux/xorg.conf_working.txt

though my m/c is this one.

http://www.lowendmac.com/imacs/emac2.html

and has a ATI Radeon 7500 AGP 4x chip set

Thanks again
Oswald

[oswaldkelso]

It's working and as with all things in retrospect the answer was "simple"

When selecting xserver you are given 3 choices

simple medium advanced

the default is medium, for goodness sake put it to "simple"

Thankyou all that have tried to help me in my linux crash course

Oswald

[vbullard]

OK,

So what you generally have a problem with is that the Ubuntu server distribution does not come with a desktop manager; studio however should. So some combination of (depending on your setup and without knowing too much of your distribution) below should work. Remember to sudo these commands. Ensure that when you setup Ubuntu that you have a working network connection to the Internet, as the package manager relies on that to grab those packages.

sudo apt-get install xinit
sudo apt-get install gdm
sudo apt-get install xubuntu-desktop

After installing, I highly recommend doing a sudo reboot. It should bring you into xubuntu desktop at least.

:Vaughn