@Jan:

Runlevels:
0 – Halt
1 – single user mode (Yaro is right, should only be used for maintenance, CLI)
2 – multi user without networking (CLI)
3 – multi user with networking (CLI)
4 – not used/user defined
5 – multi user with display manager (GUI)
6 – system reboot

"~$" – home directory of a "normal user", "~#" – home dir of admin user (root)

The Community ENTerprise Operating System, or CentOS, is an amazing distro I might say. By default runlevel 5 in CentOS is the GUI and there are a couple different ways you can get to runlevel 5:

1.) ~$ init 5
2.) *if using vi or vim, cause vi rules* ***can be dangerous***
~# vi /etc/inittab
– change "id:3:initdefault:" to "id:5:initdefault:" #this will boot up into runlevel 5
or just type ":%s/id:3:initdefault:/id:5:initdefault:/c" enter "y" at the prompt then
type "ZZ" to save and quit.
3.) ~$ or ~# startx
4.) when booting up press the TAB key when prompted (or press "e".. I can't remember) and add "5" at the end of the line. Press the ENTER key then press "b" if ENTER doesn't start the boot process.

Remember this is if you're using CentOS.

You might want to try nano instead of vi, In my experience it is easier to use.

Good luck,

Dave.

Just installing Xorg is a step. But X doesn't automatically run just because you run an X-based app. When they say "launch programs from the terminal window" they mean from a terminal emulator on an X desktop.

I don't know how CentOS handles automatically launching X, but you're going to need to do a few things:

1. STOP using single mode. It's for system maintenance and repair ONLY. Running as root is a Bad Thing. Make sure you're on runlevel 3 or 5 before trying anything not system-critical. Runlevels are the "modes" by which Linux and UNIX boot, run, and shut down and are rather important. Runlevel 3 is the standard CLI multi-user mode, generally, it doesn't launch X, but it's safe for users to use the system. Runlevel 5 is the default X bootup runlevel, so, instead of booting in runlevel 1, boot runlevel 5.

2. Cent OS is not really a desktop Linux. It's most definitely not for new Linux users. It's primarily aimed at servers, hence why it won't run X by default. I recommend Mint or Ubuntu for new Linux users.

3. On your current setup, once you're in the correct runlevel (NOT single user mode, and NOT logged in as root.) and you're not running X, you'll need a window manager or desktop environment installed. X alone will not provide a complete desktop, as X is primarily just a windowing system, an interface for the clients (The GUIs.) to talk to display and input hardware.

4. In runlevel 3, you need to make sure you have an .xinitrc in your home directory, that at least contains: exec or an inittab describing which display manager (Login screen) to launch at boot time. This is, for the record, ALL somewhat advanced Linux stuff. This is why desktop distros are good for starting out in Linux because they handle getting Xorg launched at boot for you.

My recommendation: Install Ubuntu and learn Linux. Then switch to another distribution not aimed at servers.

"In case 1.) you canuse the programme "sux" to switch users. It allows programmes, launched by the user you change to, to display windows on your X server."

I know this is a really old post…but Google led me here. Just wanted to say THANK YOU for this! Somehow I'd never had this problem before; sux was a great, simple solution.

Greetings. Rather than berating a man for not knowing how to fish, why not show him how to bait a hook? You and your ilk add way too much background noise.

Good point. This is the reason why idiots like Anonymous will never get it. All they do is cry and whine that linux is not the primary desktop used by consumers. Then when they see help being offered to newbies, they do nothing but bash and hide behind anonymous posts.

Anyways, my point is that yes, this article is geared towards linux newbies (which you were at one point in the past!) so let's let the linux newbies soak it up without having you tell them they're total idiots for not already knowing it, k? Since they're here, they obviously want to learn it. Let's not discourage that.

You need to to get outside more if you believe that is true ; -)