I recently installed Debian, with the latest Linux Kernel, 2.6.28-4.686 and Gnome using the simple method.

After logging into Gnome I am in the Gnome desktop but when I try to log out it doesn't work. What happens is the log out windows appears and begins the count down from 60 to 1 second and freezes at 1 sec. If I hit the "Shut down" button, the program reverts to the Gnome Desktop so I am still in the desktop.

The only way I have been able to shut down is to turn power off to the computer.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Mark

you could open up a terminal and as root type
halt
to shutdown the system

or

shutdown -h now

or


shutdown -r now

if you want a hard reboot

The problem is that I am unable to get out of Gnome to the root to issue a shut down command. Besides one shouldn't have to got to the root, the Gnome "Shut Down" should work should it not?

you don't have to get out of gnome to to do root stuff
just use sudo or su
sudo shutdown
su
shutdown
exit