Simple question that I'm sure has been asked. How do I do this? I'm running Mandrake 10 and I need to log in this way so I can edit the XF86Config-4 file to fix my screen resolutions.

at the command prompt type:
su
then enter root's password at the prompt; exit when you're done.

Will that work if I'm in GRUB and just open a console window up?

In Grub? Well, I've never used Grub so I don't really know what you're saying but it should work in any console. If you get to a new login just use the login name 'root'. Is this what you're asking?

Sorry, what I said wasn't right. I meant I use the gnome desktop and it's set to automatically boot into the graphical desktop. How am I to log in as root since it's set this way?

You have two options:

1) Open a terminal window. There should be a link on your panel or in the menu. Then type
su
and enter the root password. Then you can use vim or type
gedit /etc/X11/XF86Config-4

2 Hit the keys
ctrl+alt+f1
then you can login as root and vi the file

Another option: Open a terminal window and login as root as above. btw you know your logged in as root when the $ sign changes to #

Type: kwrite <enter> This will open kwrite in a window and from there you can browse for your file to edit.

Like stated above, you can just open a terminal and use the 'su' command. Or you could use Ctrl-Alt-F1 (F2, F3... they all open a new, independent terminal). Then use Ctrl-Alt-F7 to get back to Gnome.
You don't want to boot into root because it's just not good linux practice so I think using the terminal emulator is the best idea. Then exit when you're done! No need, in my opinion, to go into an entirely new login for some basic needs.

Hi, Mandrake hides root user by default.

If you want to log as root from the GUI, you probably should unhide it.

From Kde, you can use KDE control center ... probably similar from Gnome.

OK, I am having the same problem also. I need to be able to access my hard drive files (to install a Mozilla plugin) but it says that only the root user can access files. Well, from the previous posts I have learned how to switch to root, but how do I switch to root and still run through the KDE desktop? I mean, viewing/deleting/etc. files while in KDE. Is there any way to do this?
And I am very new to Linux so this is not an attack, merely a question. Is one of the main drawbacks to Linux not being able to login to root without serious security issues? Because I know with Windows XP you can log in as Administrator and have about the same security risks as a normal user. And even normal users can edit/view/delete files without admin privileges. So why can't you do this with Linux? Again, this isnt a pro-Windows statement, its just a question...

Yes. Open Konsole, login as root as normal.
When you're logged in as root type "konquerer" (without the quotes) and the Konquerer file browser will open in su mode. You can edit/delete/whatever your files easily and graphically.
Separating user mode from super user (or administrator) is one of the security precautions of Linux - there are many reasons for seperating users from administrators, the main one being that if anybody has access to your computer they can't delete all your system files and make your machine unuseable without knowing the root password.

No sorry, that doesn't work. But I am probably unclear. I am trying to access the file:/mnt/hd so I can go into the Mozilla program folder (or any other folder on my drive for that matter). Now, I can run konqueror and it takes me to a konqueror window, but when I navigate to file:/mnt/hd there is nothing there. Does that mean its not mounted?
I'm sorry about my lack of knowledge but I am really new to Linux and I have never done ANYTHING in DOS or a text based OS before...

Ah, yes, right.
Linux doesn't store it's files like Windows - the reason why there's nothing in your /mnt//hd folder.
Mozilla resides in a couple of places. One is /home/(name)/.mozilla It's a hidden file so you may have to check the 'show hidden files' in the view menu.
There's another Mozilla folder in your / directory, but that's probably hidden too.

OK, well I still can't find the Mozilla Plugins folder (not sure if it even exists) but I am now trying out GNOME and finding it much more like Windows. I know that sounds bad, but I have figured out how to install script based things through the Run Application command, and I got the Flash plugin installed successfully.
But, my KDE is really jacked up. If I try to start some programs (Screem among others), my entire system will lock up. Linux, the screen, the keyboard, everything. The only thing I can do to get out of it is to hit the reset button on my pc. And then it wants me to hit Y and it does some sort of disk checking and finds zeros in iodes or something, which it fixes. But now my KDE sometimes just freezes during web browsing too. I have not seen if GNOME will freeze too, I will try that now, but do you know how to fix this?

If you're experiencing that many problems with KDE, I would have said that it was probably hardware related.
You're not running an ASUS mobo by any chance are you?
Could you please post some hardware specs?