diff --git a/sources/tech/20210516 How to install a Desktop Environment (GUI) on Ubuntu Server.md b/sources/tech/20210516 How to install a Desktop Environment (GUI) on Ubuntu Server.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..deff2afb72 --- /dev/null +++ b/sources/tech/20210516 How to install a Desktop Environment (GUI) on Ubuntu Server.md @@ -0,0 +1,265 @@ +[#]: subject: (How to install a Desktop Environment (GUI) on Ubuntu Server) +[#]: via: (https://itsfoss.com/install-gui-ubuntu-server/) +[#]: author: (Chris Patrick Carias Stas https://itsfoss.com/author/chris/) +[#]: collector: (lujun9972) +[#]: translator: ( ) +[#]: reviewer: ( ) +[#]: publisher: ( ) +[#]: url: ( ) + +How to install a Desktop Environment (GUI) on Ubuntu Server +====== + +Do you want to install GUI on your Ubuntu server? You can totally do that in most scenarios and I am going to discuss the steps in details in this tutorial. + +But before you see that, let me tell you why the server edition does not come with GUI and in which cases you could install the GUI on your server. + +### Why does Ubuntu server not have a GUI? + +If you compare Ubuntu desktop with server, the main difference will be the absence of GUI, i.e. [the desktop environment][1] in the server edition. Ubuntu Server is basically a striped down version of Ubuntu desktop without the graphical modules. + +This is intentional. A Linux server intends to use the system resources on running services. The graphical desktop environment consumes a lot of system resources and for this reason, the server operating systems do not include a desktop environment by default. + +You may use an Ubuntu server on 512 MB of RAM but an Ubuntu desktop will need at least 2 GB of RAM to function decently. That’s considered a waste of resources in the server world. + +As a server user (or sysadmin), you are expected to use and manage your system through command line. You should have decent knowledge of the Linux commands for this purpose. + +![Typically, you have to manage a server from the command line][2] + +### Do you really need to install GUI on your server? + +Some people do not feel comfortable with the idea of doing everything using commands in the terminal. Most people are conditioned to use a computer graphically after all. + +You may choose to install a desktop environment on your server and use it graphically. That’s not how most people do it but it’s an option. + +But this works only if you have direct access to the server. If you are running it on a physical machine like a server, a desktop/laptop or devices like Raspberry Pi. You may also install it on a server running in a virtual machine if you have direct access to the host system. + +If you have a server deployed using a [cloud server provider like Linode, DigitalOcean or AWS][3], installing GUI won’t be a good idea. If you have a remote server that you want to manage graphically, you may use tools like Webmin or [Cockpit][4]. These tools allow you to use and manage your servers graphically in a web browser. It consumes a lot less system resources than a full-fledged desktop environment. + +![Tools like Cockpit allow managing Linux servers graphically][5] + +### How to install GUI on Ubuntu server? + +Once the basics are clear, let’s see the steps for installing a desktop environment on an Ubuntu server. + +You’ll need the following things: + + * Ubuntu Server configured and running with at least 2 GB of RAM + * Administrative privileges (you need to run sudo commands) + * Internet connection (you are going to download and install new packages) + + + +In my case, the Ubuntu server is installed in a virtual machine and I have direct access to the host machine. I have used the same method on an [Ubuntu server installed on a Raspberry Pi][6]. + +Attention! + +These things are fine for experimental purpose when you are learning and exploring. Please do not add GUI on a production server. Removing GUI afterwards could cause dependency issues and leave a broken system in some cases. + +#### Preparing your system + +First, since you are going to make some system-wide modifications, let’s update & upgrade everything to make sure that our system is running the latest packages: + +``` +sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade +``` + +#### Installing the desktop environment + +With the updates out of the way, you can continue with the installation of a desktop environment. + +There are two ways to do this: + + * Using [apt][7] to install the packages + * Using a Debian tool called [tasksel][8] which helps with the installation of multiple packages in one coordinated process (tasks) + + + +Either one will let you install the full desktop environment you choose as a full package, just like if you were installing the desktop version from scratch. By this, I mean that you will get all the default applications and tools you get with the desktop version. + +If you want to use `tasksel` you must first install it using the following command: + +``` +sudo apt install tasksel +``` + +Once this task is finished, you can use `tasksel` to install the desktop environment (also referred as DE). + +Now, you probably know that there are [several desktop environments available][9]. You may choose the one you like. Some desktop environments need more system resources (like GNOME) while some use fewer system resources (like Xfce, MATE etc). + +It is up to you to decide which DE you would like to use. I am going with the [GNOME Desktop][10] since it is the default desktop for Ubuntu. Later on, I’ll share some tips for installing different desktops too. + +If you are using `tasksel` run this command: + +``` +sudo tasksel install ubuntu-desktop +``` + +if you want to use only apt, then run this command: + +``` +sudo apt install ubuntu-desktop +``` + +Depending on your connection speed and hardware this process will take from a couple of minutes to an hour. + +I want to point that both actions will result in the full installation of the GNOME Desktop Environment. I ran both commands for the sake of this tutorial and ended up having the exact same results. + +#### Installing and setting up the display manager + +After this process is completed, you will need a component called a [Display Manager][11], also known as a “login manager”. This tool is going to be responsible for starting the [display server][12] and loading the desktop while managing user sessions and authentication. + +By default, GNOME Desktop uses GDM3 as its display manager, but it is a bit heavy on the resources side. You can use something lighter and more resource-friendly. In this case, let’s go with [lightdm][13], a platform independent display manager. Install it with apt: + +``` +sudo apt install lightdm +``` + +When installing lightdm the system is going to ask for a default display manager because only one can run at a time, although you can have several installed. + +![Use the arrow key to select an option and then use the tab key to select and press enter][14] + +Just choose **lightdm** from the list and hit **<Ok>**. This shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes. After this task is done, you can then start the display manager and load the GUI with the following command: + +``` +sudo service lightdm start +``` + +If you want to check what display manager is configured in your system you can run: + +``` +cat /etc/X11/default-display-manager +``` + +and you will get a prompt similar to this: + +![Checking the default Display Manager][15] + +If everything went according to the plan, you will have a greeting screen loaded. + +![Greetings screen of GNOME Desktop with LightDM on an Ubuntu server][16] + +Enter your credentials and you will have your desktop running. + +![GNOME Desktop fully loaded on Ubutnu server][17] + +If you want to shutdown the GUI open a terminal window and type: + +``` +sudo service lightdm stop +``` + +#### Installing other desktop environments (optional) + +Earlier on I said that we could choose different desktops, so let’s take a look at some alternatives. + +##### MATE + +[MATE][18] is a lightweight desktop based on GNOME2 base code, it’s fully open source and a very nice option. + +To install MATE, you would run: + +``` +sudo tasksel install ubuntu-mate-core +``` + +or + +``` +sudo apt install ubuntu-mate-core +``` + +##### Lubuntu / LXDE/LXQT + +[Lubuntu][19] is another lightweight option which I recommend if your system is low on resources or if you are giving new life to an older computer. Install it using this command: + +``` +sudo tasksel install lubuntu-core +``` + +or + +``` +sudo apt install lubuntu-core +``` + +##### Xubuntu / Xfce + +[Xubuntu][20] is an Ubuntu derivative based on the [Xfce][21] desktop environment that is light, simple, stable, but it’s also highly customizable. If you want to try it, use the following command: + +``` +sudo tasksel install xubuntu-core +``` + +or + +``` +sudo apt install xubuntu-core +``` + +I’m leaving some other desktops out, like [KDE][22], [Cinnamon][23], and [Budgie][24], not for anything wrong, they are all excellent desktops too and you are free to install them as you want. + +### How to remove the GUI from Ubuntu server? + +If you realize that the desktop environment is taking too much computing resources, you may remove the packages you installed previously. + +Please keep in mind that it may cause dependency issues in some cases so please make a backup of your important data or create a system snapshot. + +You know [how to remove packages from Ubuntu][25]: + +``` +sudo apt remove ubuntu-desktop +sudo apt remove lightdm +sudo apt autoremove +sudo service lightdm stop +``` + +Reboot your system now. You should be back to the normal command line login. + +### Wrapping up + +Installing a GUI for a desktop is possible but not needed in most scenarios. If you are not too comfortable with the command line, use a server distribution like [YunoHost][26] that is built on top of Debian to give you a server that can be managed via GUI. + +That said, if you are installing a system from scratch, then I’d recommend that you go with a desktop version and avoid the extra steps afterwards. + +With this information, I leave the comment section to you. Do you use GUI on a server? Did you face any issues in following this tutorial? + +-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- + +via: https://itsfoss.com/install-gui-ubuntu-server/ + +作者：[Chris Patrick Carias Stas][a] +选题：[lujun9972][b] +译者：[译者ID](https://github.com/译者ID) +校对：[校对者ID](https://github.com/校对者ID) + +本文由 [LCTT](https://github.com/LCTT/TranslateProject) 原创编译，[Linux中国](https://linux.cn/) 荣誉推出 + +[a]: https://itsfoss.com/author/chris/ +[b]: https://github.com/lujun9972 +[1]: https://itsfoss.com/what-is-desktop-environment/ +[2]: https://i1.wp.com/itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/system-restart-required.png?resize=800%2C469&ssl=1 +[3]: https://linuxhandbook.com/free-linux-cloud-servers/ +[4]: https://linuxhandbook.com/cockpit/ +[5]: https://i1.wp.com/itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cockpit-2-2.png?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1 +[6]: https://itsfoss.com/install-ubuntu-server-raspberry-pi/ +[7]: https://itsfoss.com/apt-command-guide/ +[8]: https://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/bionic/man8/tasksel.8.html +[9]: https://itsfoss.com/best-linux-desktop-environments/ +[10]: https://www.gnome.org/ +[11]: https://itsfoss.com/display-manager/ +[12]: https://itsfoss.com/display-server/ +[13]: https://wiki.debian.org/LightDM +[14]: https://i0.wp.com/itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/installing-gui-ubuntu-server-select-dm.png?resize=799%2C354&ssl=1 +[15]: https://i2.wp.com/itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/installing-gui-ubuntu-server-default.png?resize=800%2C68&ssl=1 +[16]: https://i2.wp.com/itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/installing-gui-ubuntu-server-gnome-desktop-greet.png?resize=798%2C600&ssl=1 +[17]: https://i0.wp.com/itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/installing-gui-ubuntu-server-gnome-desktop.png?resize=792%2C597&ssl=1 +[18]: https://mate-desktop.org/ +[19]: https://lubuntu.net/ +[20]: https://xubuntu.org/ +[21]: https://www.xfce.org/ +[22]: https://itsfoss.com/install-kde-on-ubuntu/ +[23]: https://itsfoss.com/install-cinnamon-on-ubuntu/ +[24]: https://itsfoss.com/install-budgie-ubuntu/ +[25]: https://itsfoss.com/uninstall-programs-ubuntu/ +[26]: https://yunohost.org/