cannot remove /var/lib/gdm/:0.Xauth

[Brian Stults <bstults@crim.ufl.edu>]

For some reason, gdm is now unable to start the X server.  I can start 
it using startx.  I've been investigating, and one strange thing is that 
root cannot stat, view, remove, etc. the file /var/lib/gdm/:0.Xauth. 
Therefore, I can't even fully remove or reinstall the gdm package.  This 
seems wrong.  I can't even chmod or chown it as root.  Any suggestions?

This is a remote box, so I'd rather find a solution that does not 
require switching runlevels.