enable root account and disable splash screen?

I've been using Debian/Lenny for a few weeks now and just installed Ibex. A few things struck me that I'd like to change:

1) How can I enable the root account such that I can simply 'su' and become root?

2) How can I disable the graphical splash 'ubuntu' screen at bootup/shutdown?

3) My default gnome desktop is totally empty. How can I have the 'computer' 'user home' 'trash' etc icons on the desktop?

Thanks!

1- sudo su - 2- edit /boot/grub/menu.lst delete splash line(you may need to remove quiet line also) or you can use startupmanager program or you can purge usplash (I SUGGEST startupmanager) 3- you can do that easily with ubuntu-tweak software OR you have to play with gconf-editor (i dont remember exact path where you look for those icons) (I SUGGEST ubuntu-tweak, it is a useful app, you can get latest version from getdeb.net)

for 2:

title           Ubuntu 7.10, kernel 2.6.22-15-server
root            (hd0,0)
kernel          /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-15-server root=UUID=eb90ff26-b99d-44b3-aedc-f641b6ed6faa ro quiet splash
initrd          /boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-15-server
quiet

Remove "quiet" and "splash" from the kernel line in /boot/grub/menu.lst.

Thanks for the replies! Stratupmanager rocks.

a. ubuntu-tweak - totally gui

1. Here are some options for desktop 'viewing':

b. gconf-editor - get under the hood, but still gui.

gconf-editor /apps/nautilus

Two folders you would be interested in would be Desktop and Preferences. Preferences has an entry to 'turn on' the desktop display ( show_desktop). Desktop allows you to select what you want to see: trash bin, mounted partitions, Desktop folder items, etc.

c. Command line Any of the gconf selections can be run from the command line. You can use true/false or 1/0 for boolean entries. You can easily make shortcuts for these commands to turn the specific display on or off.

For example, this command displays/hides the trash bin on the Desktop, if the desktop is enabled:

*Displayed:*
gconftool-2 --type bool --set /apps/nautilus/desktop/trash_icon_visible "true"
*Hidden:*
gconftool-2 --type bool --set /apps/nautilus/desktop/trash_icon_visible "false"

Great info, thanks!

Another questions:

1) How can I enable access to the gnome CPU frequency Scaling Monitor? Under Lenny, I could click on it and have access to various modes. Now, it's full speed all the time with no option to use speedstep.

EDIT: THE ANSWER --> $ sudo dpkg-reconfigure gnome-applets

2) Ubuntu seems to have a few less Gnome login screens than Lenny did.. I'm sure I can use aptitude to get additional ones, but what is the package called?

Thanks again!