Running GUI application from Console Login What I'm trying to do is after logging into the >console on my mac mini run safari. Its on
10.6.8 if that matters, I've tried a 10.8.3 machine. Once logged in, I login as root. From here is it possible to run a browser like Safari or Firefox? 

I've tried open /Applications/Safari.app This gives LSOpenURLsWithRole() failed with error -10810 for the file /Applications/Safari.app.

And I've also tried startx and open /Applications/Utilities/X11.app This throws a lot of errors on the 10.6.8 machine.

On the 10.8.3 machine with XQuartz installed i get the following:

font_cache: Scanning user font directories to generate X11 font caches
font_cache: Updating FC cache
font_cache: Done
xauth:  file /var/root/.serverauth.5451 does not exist

/opt/X11/bin/xinit: giving up
/opt/X11/bin/xinit: unable to connect to X server: Connection refused
/opt/X11/bin/xinit: server error


Is this possible? Essentially my end goal is to, without buying Kiosk software, open GUI applications without finder or the dock.
Safari won't run under Xquartz/X11 which themselves need a non-console session to run.

You could select a web browser that runs under X11 exclusively and boot to a unix OS other than OS X and accomplish your needs.

Alternatively, you could set up a managed user on the Mac and have it launch Safari. Depending on what you need, parental controls or simple finder and dock hiding might be able to accomplish your goals - but the kiosk software is sold since they've engineered a solution where the OS doesn't have a setting to simply enable equivalent functionality.