Installing X and GNOME Step-by-Step Directions Please

I have had trouble in the past getting debian configured with X and Gnome. I am wanting to install debian so that it starts to X using gdm and GNOME with sawfish as the window manager. I have read through both the O'Reilly's Learning Debian GNU/Linux and the Debian GNU/Linux Bible and have yet

Still cannot get gnome up and running

There is no ~/.xsession or ~/.xinitrc on my system. running gnome-session produces error Gtk-WARNING **: cannot open display: SESSION_MANAGER=local/debian:/tmp/.ICE-unix/321,tcp/debian:1064 Gtk-WARNING **: cannot open display: Stumbling through two different books on how to set this up

Help with X setup

Have got potato installed my system, but typing startx starts tvm. Which file do I edit to have startx start gnome using sawmill? Thanks in advance for any help. Alex

Another Question regaring X setup

Thank you for all the help, but as I am a refuge from NT please give me the complete path as ~/.xsession or ~/.xinitrc does not make much sense to me at this point. Again Thank You for your help Alex