I can not get the graphical login to come up automatically:
info in inittab:
id:5:initdefault:

What could be wrong? Anything in lilo that could keep it from moving into graphical interface

Thank you in advance!

Are getting any tweak or blink with login: prompt?

Have u already configured X?

Kausik

all that happens is that it boots into text mode - then I just startx - X works great in KDE and Gnome

I can not figure out what is wrong with ny configuration, making it forget to load the graphical login - like I said, I have runtime set at 5 in the inittab...

I am stumped...

do you have a login manager on your system? try running /etc/X11/prefdm manually to see if there are any errors from that (that's the script that decides which DM to use. also check the logs in /var/log/messages to see if there are any particular errors.

nothing happens when I run /etc/X11/prefdm manually...When looking in /var/log/messages/ I find:
gdm[1214]: gdm_auth_securedisplay: Error getting hentry for (hostname)
gdm[1215]: gdm_auth_securedisplay: Error getting hentry for (hostname)
gdm[1216]: gdm_auth_securedisplay: Error getting hentry for (hostname)
gdm[1217]: gdm_auth_securedisplay: Error getting hentry for (hostname)
gdm[1198]: Failed to display server several times in a short time period ;disabling display ; 0
Is this what I am looking for? If not, what should I be on the lookout for?

that normally means you've not got your hostname configured correctly, check the name entry in /etc/hosts, try setting it again with "hostname"

I edited the /etc/sysconfig/desktop to KDE instead of Gnome -> and in the /etc/X11/prefdm replaced xdm with kdm and it works...How, why, and what was and caused the problem? This was a new Red Hat 7.2 install -> I did hack lilo a bit, but that would not have any effect on this...would it?
Thank you again, for your help!