very basic about initial install

[reader at newsguy.com]

Tony Arnold <tony.arnold at manchester.ac.uk> writes:

> Not sure what you were trying to do here. The usual way is to type the
> word sudo followed by the command you want to execute as root. It then
> prompts you for your own password. Subsequent use of sudo within some
> time limit will not need your password again.


Maybe you didn't notice that I posted the exact details of what I did
which as far as I know is exactly what you call the `usual' way.

It never gets to the prompting for password part.  Instead an error
occurs which says my machine cannot be resolved.

But lets drop this since I've deleted that attempt and am now running
the server version which does not have all liabilities of the desktop
version. 

Don't mean to sound rude and thanks for you input.