How to install GUI on Ubuntu 12.04 (Precise) Server
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1) Install desktop Environment
2) Install Webmin
1) Install desktop Environment
First you nee to make sure you have enabled Universe and multiverse repositories in /etc/apt/sources.list file once you have enable you need to use the following command to install GUI
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop
The above command will install GNOME desktop
If you wan to install a graphical desktop manager without some of the desktop addons like Evolution and OpenOffice, but continue to use the server flavor kernel use the following command
sudo apt-get install --no-install-recommends ubuntu-desktop
If you want to install light weight desktop install xfce using the following command
sudo apt-get install xubuntu-desktop
If you want to install KDE desktop use the following command
sudo apt-get install kubuntu-desktop
2) Install Webmin on Ubuntu 12.04 server
You can check here howto install Webmin on Ubuntu 12.04 server
Installing any desktop on a server will likely reduce stability if you actually run the desktop apps. X/Windows and other GUI libraries like video card drivers usually have this effect.
Whether 12.04 suffers from this same issue is unknown to me, but I suspect it is the case.
Running ‘sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop’ does not install Gnome.
This command installs the Unity desktop, which is definitely different from Gnome.
Tried this but got errors about broken packages, couldn’t install e.g. firefox because the software library couldn’t update, teamviewer same thing.
The article neglects to mention that after a successful ‘apt-get install …’, you need to run ‘startx’ (for ubuntu-desktop) or equivalent.
MattS: Thanks so much for this so important comment.
Hey Matt, is there a way we can automate this, or do we have to manually run startx upon boot every time?
Installed under root. Boots up automatically without any extra configuration.
Hi, I’m new in these topics, I have a doubt, wich are my advantages of use server version if I’m a software developer ? and … If I have installed a server version, when I install ubuntu-desktop package, my version turns to desktop version or I continue with server version ?
Ran this…
sudo apt-get install –no-install-recommends ubuntu-desktop
can we set this to not boot the gui by default but retain the ability to “startx” and “stopx”?
vm player requires vm tool update for linux.
I’m looking for instructions to install evergreen and opensrf on ubuntu 12.04 server
sudo apt-get install –no-install-recommends ubuntu-desktop, installed a very basic gui, but there wasnt a way to bring up a Terminal and no way to logout/shutdown. I suspect the Search from the Dash board needed more packages from the full desktop to work correctly or it did not install properly.
Even if the Search does work, you need to know the commands. Is it Terminal…gnome-terminal….etc. Good luck – nice post all the same, thanks.
Hi,
So what you saying is that if you install GNOME Desktop You will be running NOT a Server but a Ubuntu Desktop?
Hi,
Great article..Perfectly works for me without a single miss. Good job 🙂