try
gksudo gedit /etc/inetd.conf

are you using a gnome install?

if kubuntu i think its kedit

Yes standard Gnome install on both machines except the other one has the
KDE desktop but it will not accept the Kubuntu commands- tis very pretty
I think they called it Ultimate Edition 2.1- whatever I really like the
appearance and will most likely be installing it on this one as well. Once
I learn a wee bit more.
Many thanks to all for your assistance. I'm reading as much as I can
and attempting to follow the instructions, but so far have not been able to
complete anything because the screens I get are not the same as what they
tell me to expect. Part of it will be but after a while it isn't. I
am however learning how to access these tools and learning the language
so Im not totally out in left field. Not doing too badly for just a few
days. Less than a week actually and can do everything I was doing on
"windoze" am amazed at how much better things work on ubuntu and
FASTER !!! Being told I don't have permission to access files that I
myself created is beginning to wrankle my nerves, but otherwise I love
Linux. I picked up the free ebook and have sent for the instruction CD,
subscribed to the feeds and asking lots of questions. Any other advice?

back up anything vital and then have fun breaking what you can. If you
have not got a separate partition for your /home directory plan on
changing that when you can. that lets you reinstall with no loss of
data or settings for your applications.

add the ubuntu forums addon to firefox and follow those too.

Thats how Ive
learned my whole life. Yes I remember reading about that separate
partition, how much do I need to leave for the ubuntu installation? I just
reformatted a 160G- will this be big enough or should I use something
larger- I seem to have a glut of HD's ATM . will look for that add on-
wasn't aware it existed. I will be formatting the 250G on here too
because Im still in dual boot mode and want to get rid of windows
altogether.

Ok took your advice and put everything vital on an 80G USB drive. Then
repartitioned the 250G with approx 80 G for ubuntu and the balance for my
/home directory. Install went just fine so then I unhooked the USB drive
and tried to reboot. !!!!!! OMG you guessed it. I must have installed on
the USB by mistake. O woe is me LOL. Learn the hard way. OK left the
80G unhooked and reinstalled, this time on the correct drive and all went
quite well
afterwards, reconnected the USB repartitioned and formatted - Dang

OK started playing with some stuff and all of a sudden nothing works any
more, won't even reboot EGADS what have I done now?

So another install- that makes 3 on the same day!!! This one went
well and continues to do so. Still have a lot to learn but got Flash
installed on both my AMD 64's after much gnashing of teeth- Forums are just
great !!! Now I can watch the Youtubes.

Next thing was to fix the permissions so I have total access to all my drives
except the boot drive of course. That was a long tedious process. Is there
an easier way to gain ownership of all my drives and the files contained
theirin? I was using nautilus and that means changing every drive, every
folder and every file within the folder. There gotta be an easier way.

I'm pretty new to Linux. How do I get my /home
directory over to its own partition, as recommended?

I can only tell you how I did it, not sure if its the recommended
way or not but it worked.
I had already installed it badly so I had the use of the Partition Editor.
I chose the drive I wanted ubuntu to be installed to. Reformat that
drive, create two partitions
one as the / drive and one as /home. Then make sure you install
into the / portion and not another drive as I had done initially
LOL. but no matter if you do, you get to do it over again. Practice
makes perfect :) Might be wise to unhook all other HD's before
you begin installing, that will eliminate the chance of making a
mistake.

I am assuming that you mean post installation. This was discussed a short while
ago if you search back. It is quite simple to do, but you need to work from a
Live CD on unmounted partitions to resize your old installation to create space
for a separate home. Alternatively you could add a second drive. They are cheap
now or maybe you have an old one kicking around.

Here is a link: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Partitioning/Home/Moving

You can do the repartitioning from the GUI using Partition Editor (System,
Administration) from the Live CD. The steps are:
1. resize (smaller) your Linux installation.
2. create a new drive in the freed space using the format of your choice, likely
ext3

You can copy home using Nautilus or follow the CLI instructions in the link.
Make sure that you get the hidden folders if you use Nautilus. The only step
that you can't do from GUI is the last one. However, I have done this using
System, Administration, Users and Groups by creating a new user and then using
the new home for it. Later you can delete the old use after making sure that you
can login successfully in the new account.

It is Kate in Kubuntu. If Gnome you can also try nano, if gedit does not work
for some reason. The command is gksu in Gnome and kdesu in KDE to get root
privileges.

gksu gedit or kdesu kate plus the path. Without the path it will launch the
programme and you can use the open dialogue to locate it.

Thanks, that worked, now where can I go to understand why? and thanks so
much for your assistance.