Trouble with Runlevel

[GLoraditch at ci.santa-rosa.ca.us]

For any takers:

This is a problem with Runlevel.

When booting, my machine stops and asks to 'Enter Runlevel:' which I presume
will be 5 to run x.  However, when I enter that number, 'Init, no more
processes...' is displayed and the machine hangs.  Presumably, this means a
problem with my /etc/inittab file.

So I try numbers 3 and 2 at the 'Enter runlevel' prompt again after two more
reboots.  Still get the same result.

At this point, I shift at LILO prompt to get in as Linux single.  (Done
under 5, 3, and 2 with same results).  I'm at bash#, and decide to edit the
/etc/inittab.  I try vi, since it is the only one that seems to work.
Emacs, joe, jed, don't work or aren't recognized.  

So when I try to edit in vi by the following steps:  1. vi /etc/inittab , 2.
i , 3. d:5:initdefault , 4. esc , and then 5. qw!, it will only recognize
q!, since the message with w! says 'Cannot open file...'

Great, now its a permission issue.  I try su at bash and get a new prompt,
and go through the motions with vi again to edit.  However, it is the same
result of cannot open /etc/inittab in order to save the updated file.  At
this point, I am at a loss (and yes, still a newbie).


Any thoughts or comments as to a point in the right direction would help.
And does anyone make house calls?  ( I would hate to reinstall, and don't
have a real boot disk....only an install disk).  My distro:  RH 6.0
(hedwig).


Thanks for any correspondence.

Greg Loraditch
GLoraditch at ci.santa-rosa.ca.us