You can use the old login screen if you want. Just remove kdm and install
gdm. Either will get you into Kubuntu or GNOME. The dropdown menu for kdm is
different. Click Session type at the bottom and it should reveal installed
desktops. Just click on GNOME and login. However, if GNOME is not in the
list then you have a problem. It means that GNOME is either not installed or
is missing parts. Note: KDE is different from Kubuntu and GNOME is different
from Ubuntu. When you install KDE and not Kubuntu you lose the default
Kubuntu packages and settings and get what KDE wants you to have. The same
for GNOME and Ubuntu.

I am beginning to think what I loaded was KDE and not Kubuntu which is
what I thought I was doing.
I have just yesterday downloaded a Kubuntu 10.04 ISO and have burned a
live disk and will load it on
the spare PC upstairs and give a whirl tonight. I can then if I decide
to go with Kubuntu load it on my
laptop.

I am beginning to think what I loaded was KDE and not Kubuntu which is
what I thought I was doing.
I have just yesterday downloaded a Kubuntu 10.04 ISO and have burned a
live disk and will load it on
the spare PC upstairs and give a whirl tonight. I can then if I decide
to go with Kubuntu load it on my
laptop.

I tried to install Kubuntu a few weeks ago on Ubuntu 11.04. Using
"Ubuntu Software Center" - there was so much option to install "which
one Kubuntu package", and obviously it would make a newbie like me
confuse. I think I remember to get the official one - which has support
from Canonical.

The installation moved well, and I got Kubuntu dekstop nicely, well
there is a problem thought - I can't connect to Internet using dial up
modem Pantech PX-500, which my ISP doesn't require user name and
password to connect. In Ubuntu (Gnome), I can connect (via Network
Manager) without them, but not on Kubuntu (KDE). So, I switch back to
Ubuntu.

I can't help with dial up as I have been on broadband for over ten years. I
can't even remember dialup although I used it for longer than ten years. I
can't believe that it is still used. I used it in the mid 1980s before there
was a www. However I am a big KDE user (since Mandrake 7 or 8) with a few
Ubuntu years from 2006 - 8. When you say there was so many options I assume
you mean packages. The core Kubuntu packages are different from GNOME ones.
There is a corresponding KDE package for most GNOME ones and then some, so
it is not surprising that it is a big undertaking for someone on dialup.
Basically the setup for KDE and GNOME is much the same except the may be
called different names. Perhaps one of our dialup KDE users can get you
pointed in the right direction. This is not meant to be condescending.
Broadband is the way to go and anything else is unacceptable in this day and
age. If you are stuck on dialup then you need to make some noise.

The Pantech PX-500 is a mobile broadband PCMCIA card used by Sprint so
I think that's what's meant by 'dial-up' in this sense. It's not the
old dial-up that we all used to have to work with As for why it
doesn't work in the KDE desktop I suspect that there's parts of the
KDE system missing from the install and that's why the original one
works ?

I did read somewhere that the phone number expected is 00000000 so
that might the the answer ?

BTW - there are still some poor unfortunates who cannot get anything
other than the old dial-up system over the phone lines because the
alternatives either are too expensive ( e.g. satellite ) or they
aren't covered by those services even if they could afford it.

Dial up modems/ cellphones under KDE use a package called kppp, but last time
i tried it i didn't have much luck. I found 'wvdial' to work ok but needs a
bit more setting up, plus it is a command line tool. there are plenty of
examples of the config file on the internet.

When you installed KDE was it just the window manager you installed, if so try
looking for a package called kubuntu-desktop, this should install all the needed
packages, you may find your menu full of Gnome and KDE apps, if you don't want
all the kde apps then try the 'kubuntu-default-settings' package.

Since I loaded it using the synaptic manager I suspect it was the KDE
desktop, but that was a few days
ago. I am toying with the idea of just loading Kubuntu 10.04 on the
laptop and see if it is easier. I am
getting more used to it and if it is only the KDE desktop maybe the real
product I will like better.

If you want to install all that Kubuntu offers on another Ubuntu
family base the item you want is "kubuntu-desktop". It is in the
repositories and includes a lot more than just the desktop manager.

Well since I had the live disk and some time and it was raining this evening
I went ahead and loaded Kubuntu 10.04 and I am now getting things back to
normal kinda. I use Thunderbird for email and just now got it somewhat
reloaded
and will move on with learning how to work with-in Kubuntu.