[SATLUG] Re: Logging Into the GUI as Root in Ubuntu

[Bruce Dubbs]

JJordan wrote:
> Thank you all for your thoughts and replys.  I must have done a poor job of
> explaining what I needed to accomplish.  I need to be logged-in as ROOT in
> the GUI.  

No, you don't.  You many *want* to, but you don't *need* to.

> This is the only way I can SAVE/WRITE-TO the X11-config file.  

As several others have mentioned, you can run a single editor as root in a 
normal GUI and edit/save xorg.conf just fine.

> I
> must write my Nvidia Server Settings (reconfiguring for dual monitors) to the
> proper system file.  As USER, I cannot write to this file.  In other
> distributions, one is able to log-in to the GUI as ROOT or opt to boot to
> runlevel-3 and bring-up the GUI by running startx at the CLI prompt.  I have
> set my root password by Sudo-ing in a terminal.

You are thinking like a Windows user.  You *do not* need to *log in* as the 
Administrator/root.  You can do anything by giving root privileges to a single 
application.

> Here is what I need to accomplish: (running Gnome, not KDE)
> 
> 1.  Boot into runlevel 3 (rather than 5) 
 > 2.  logon as ROOT
 > 3.  run startx
 > 4.  Reconfigure Nvidia Server Settings
 > 5.  Save the new configuration to X11-config
 > 6.  Exit runlevel-5 (return to the CLI)
 > 6.  Then return accessabilities to normal operation

Listen to what others have been saying:

You need to.

1. Run an editor as root and modify xorg.conf and save.
2. Restart gdm. ( su -c /etc/init.d/gdm restart )

   -- Bruce