[Inkscape-user] New User Questions

Inkscape Users,

I had a few more beginners questions.

#1 - If I have drawn to overlapping shapes, is there a way to combine them into one shape?

#2 - When I drew a circle or ellipse it had a dark black border. Can you change the color of this border?

#3 - When I try to apply a gradient fill to a shape, the color changes to shades of black, grey, and white. Is there something I need to change to apply gradient fills in color?

#4 - Is there a way to change the rotation angle of text?

Thanks for any suggestions. I appreciate any help.

Ths Sunburned Surveyor