I would recommend using 'pico' or 'joe' to do your text editing since you are just starting off.

Now I'm not sure whether Red Hat doesn't install a GUI if you set it up as a webserver or it just doesn't boot into it. Check for installed packages like XFree86 and verify what it did. If those exist, just modify the file /etc/inittab and change the value of the a line that will read *:3:* to *:5:*.

Moreover, if your familiarity with Linux is strictly graphic-based and Red Hat hasn't installed a GUI Server (such as XFree86), then I'd recommend installing these packages from your CDs, along with your favorite WMs. Then as you gain more experience, you can remove the GUI or change it back to boot into a text login.