it is a file specific to gramps, and yes I have multiple copies of it, including the one I have modified, but I can not figure out where to put it 
this is the thread where I learned how to change the file
Gramps configuration: genealogical symbols
Scrolling back in this thread you mention that it belongs in utils.
Can you navigate to that folder - ie; does it exist ?
If so, can you place one of your copies into utils ?
no, that doesn’t exist either as it is in the usr file that is either not there or not accessible (I’m not sure which)
In your terminal…
gramps -v
me@me-Latitude-E5510:~/Desktop$ gramps -v
.gramps.gen.utils.grampslocale.WARNING: ICU not loaded because No module named ‘PyICU’. Localization will be impaired. Use your package manager to install PyICU
Gramps Settings:
python : 3.8.2
gramps : 5.1.2
gtk++ : 3.24.20
pygobject : 3.36.0
pango : 1.44.7
cairo : 1.16.0
pycairo : 1.16.2
osmgpsmap : not found
GExiv2 : not found
ICU : not found
PyICU : not found
o.s. : linux
kernel : 5.4.0-47-generic
Environment settings:
LANG : en_US.UTF-8
LANGUAGE : en
GRAMPSI18N: not set
GRAMPSHOME: not set
GRAMPSDIR : not set
PYTHONPATH:
/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/gramps
/usr/bin
/usr/lib/python38.zip
/usr/lib/python3.8
/usr/lib/python3.8/lib-dynload
/usr/local/lib/python3.8/dist-packages
/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages
Non-python dependencies:
Graphviz : Graphviz not in system PATH
Ghostscr. : 9.50
System PATH env variable:
/usr/local/sbin
/usr/local/bin
/usr/sbin
/usr/bin
/sbin
/bin
/usr/games
/usr/local/games
/snap/bin
Databases:
bsddb :
version : 6.2.7
db version : 5.3.28
location : /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/bsddb3/init.py
sqlite3 :
version : 3.31.1
py version : 2.6.0
location : /usr/lib/python3.8/sqlite3/init.py
ls -l /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/gramps/gen/utils
you should find symbols.py in the output.
I assume that’s the file you want to replace with your copy ?
yes, and I do see it in the terminal, but I have no idea how to get to it 
me@me-Latitude-E5510:~/Desktop$ ls -l /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/gramps/gen/utils
total 344
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 28472 Jan 10 2020 alive.py
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 16859 Jan 10 2020 callback.py
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 12393 Jan 10 2020 callman.py
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 2742 Jan 10 2020 cast.py
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 22507 Jan 10 2020 configmanager.py
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 2263 Jan 10 2020 config.py
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 24735 Jan 10 2020 db.py
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 3063 Jan 10 2020 debug.py
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4096 Sep 11 00:29 docgen
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 9034 Jan 10 2020 file.py
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 48797 Jan 10 2020 grampslocale.py
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 2166 Jan 10 2020 id.py
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 9871 Jan 10 2020 image.py
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 894 Jan 10 2020 init.py
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 4656 Jan 10 2020 keyword.py
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 3753 Jan 10 2020 lds.py
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 9877 Jan 10 2020 libformatting.py
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 5521 Jan 10 2020 location.py
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 5088 Jan 10 2020 lru.py
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 12266 Jan 10 2020 maclocale.py
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 31035 Jan 10 2020 place.py
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Sep 11 00:29 pycache
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 10 Jan 15 2020 resource-path
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 3959 Jan 10 2020 resourcepath.py
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 3017 Jan 10 2020 string.py
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 7687 Jan 10 2020 symbols.py
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 13020 Jan 10 2020 thumbnails.py
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 8079 Jan 10 2020 unknown.py
I assume you’ve done this once before?
Again, via the terminal…
sudo cd /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/gramps/gen/utils
use pwd to confirm that you are indeed now in that directory.
pwd
If you are where you’re meant to be then preserve your existing symbols.py file.
sudo cp symbols.py symbols.bup.py
then copy your modified file over to the directory
sudo mv <full_path_to_your_modified_copy>/symbols.py symbols.modified.py
ls sym*
should show the 3 files symbols.py , symbols.bup.py and symbols.modified.py
Finally replace the existing with the new…
sudo cp symbols.modified.py symbols.py
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ok, I found out how to open a file as an admin Using nautilus admin tool. Got that installed, but still can’t figure out where the stupid file is
oh,edit/…you were typing as I was, I’ll go do that and be right back
OMG! that worked! I can never thank you enough. I have been up for almost 22 hours trying to fix this since m y computer crashed, I am SO HAPPY right now. THANK YOU!!!
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Good to hear. 
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