It starts as the title says. When i try and start with the it says 'starting system message bus...' then on the next line 'starting display manager...' with the green 'ok' on both. Nothing happens. I have a user with a UID of 1000 and I have tried as a root and non root As well as the regular user. What is my problem?

Are you referring to the Gnome Desktop or the Gnome Display Manager?

GDM commonly refers to the Gnome Display Manager (that is, login screen).

Gnome Desktop. im brand new to gnome on alpine.

Have you tried updating and upgrading your system with apk before starting gdm? I got gdm to start only after creating a non-root user and upgrading my initial install.

Based on your description, it seems like the GNOME Display Manager (GDM) service starts successfully, but the graphical interface does not appear. Here are a few potential causes and troubleshooting steps you can follow:

1. **Check for Errors in Logs:**
- Check the system logs for any errors related to GDM or the X server. You can do this by looking at the output of `journalctl -xe` or examining the GDM logs specifically located at upload photos `/var/log/gdm/` or `~/.local/share/xorg/`.

2. **Verify GDM and X Server Configuration:**
- Ensure that your system's configuration files for GDM and the X server are set up correctly. Sometimes misconfigurations in these files can prevent the display manager from starting properly.

3. **Check Display Manager Status:**
- Verify the status of the GDM service using `systemctl status gdm`. This command can provide more detailed information on whether GDM is running correctly or if there are issues.

4. **Ensure Proper Permissions:**
- Confirm that your user has the appropriate permissions to start and interact with the display manager. Check file permissions and user group memberships.

5. **Graphics Drivers:**
- Ensure that your graphics drivers are properly installed and configured. In some cases, issues with graphics drivers can prevent the graphical interface from appearing even if the display manager starts successfully.

6. **Reinstall GDM:**
- As a last resort, you can try reinstalling GDM to ensure that all necessary files and dependencies are correctly in place. Use your package manager to remove and then reinstall GDM.

Here are some specific commands you can run to gather more information and possibly resolve the issue:

```sh
# Check the status of the GDM service
systemctl status gdm

# Check the journal logs for detailed error messages
journalctl -xe

# Look at the X server logs for any errors
cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log

# Reinstall GDM (example for a system using apt-get)
sudo apt-get remove --purge gdm3
sudo apt-get install gdm3
```

By examining the logs and ensuring your system's configurations are correct, you should be able to identify and resolve the issue preventing the graphical interface from starting.