i was given a machine with SuSE 9.0 and was able to boot it but when i get to the user login i cant log to desktop. I know nothing about linux but hope to learn. Also i need to change my resolution so my monitor doesnt go blank when i get to the login page...i do have the root pw...Thanks!

How are you logging in?

when i boot i hit delete and it had no password required to get into system.... i messed around in the bios and was able to get it to the user sign in page

What you are doing there is just entering the bios, this has nothing to do with the OS (Operating System). I don't have a lot of time but I can give you some hints on what to search for, do a search on this site for recovering root password or recover root passwd with live-cd
You can use a live cd to boot to to reset the root password.

he said he has the root password..

Sounds like the problem is:

1: Graphics issue - can't see the screen once the system reaches the GUI stage of the boot (gdm/kdm/xdm)
2. Needs a normal user account so he can actually log into the GUI. root by default should not be able to log into the desktop.

I would boot the system then hit CTRL+ALT+F2 to get to a console.
Log in as root
add a non-privileged user adduser <username> now you should have auser you can use to log into the desktop.



Then reconfigure the Graphics on the system, you said this was Suse right ? so that would be sax2 but I think you want to be in runlevel 3 before reconfiguring X, so:


init3
sax2

Once X is reconfigured you can try logging into the desktop again.

Opensuse has when it startup a failsafe mode.
Choice the failsafe mode and it brings you the command line
Login as root
Start yast with the command yast choice yast>hardware>graphic card and monitor.
It will configure you're monitor and graphic card again .
If the settings are correct save it
If you goto user management you can also create a new user
logout as root
login as a user
Startx should start the xserver

some of the suse systems you cannot login into graphical user interface as root user. Same in the case of debian. You have to make a normal user and login to the system then use root password to do the administration work

Plz dont say in debian cant be logged as root thru GUI, i have no idea abt suse
just edit the file /etc/gdm/gdm.conf and find "allowroot" and assign true as its value

He basically is saying that logging into the GUI as root is disabled by default in Debian as it should be. You should NOT log into your GUI as root, that is a really bad practice to get into. I've never ever found anything that needed done on a Linux system that had to have you logged into the GUI as root. Look into tools such as gksu, gksudo, kdesu, etc..

Saying you shouldn't do something, or the default setting is that something shouldn't be done, doesn't mean that it can't be done.

For example, You SHOULD NOT put your hand in the powered Mitre-saw before turning it on lowering the blade, but you certainly COULD if you wanted to. There is definitely a difference between should not, and could not.