Comments on: Install GUI in Ubuntu Server

By: Alex

Alex — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:09:17 +0000

Just good step by step instruction.
Thank you.

By: TJG

TJG — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:06:14 +0000

The command line can do anything the GUI can do. but the GUI cannot do everything that the Command line can do.

By: Pedro

Pedro — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 09:48:39 +0000

Hello Home Admin,

The best way is to start with CLI, after that you can install ubuntu desktop as shown above.

Here is a exelent tutorial how to built your server starting with CLI:

You just have to use a couple of CLI commands to start your server after that you can start using a user friendly desktop environment.

Using CLI commands I consider it much more secure, when you are running on a desktop environment, usually, you have to run more processes to “view” what you what, and when something worst appends you have only the CLI as your last chance to save the server. And sometimes not even the CLI you get…

Also there is a trick if you are running the server over a Dynamic IP. Go to your registar were you registered your domain and add the following line in their local DNS service (do not make confusion with NS records):

domainname.com CNAME yourusername.dyndns.org

Change the Apache Virtual Host file to add more than one domain in your server:
http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.0/vhosts/name-based.html

For the e-mail, Google as excellent services for DNS MX records.

Good luck on your home server!
Linux is the best for server, don’t try anything else at home!

By: Home Admin

Home Admin — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 06:36:06 +0000

I have always liked Ubuntu Desktop and have no knowledge of the CLI commands for administering Ubuntu Server except for a cheat sheet bought a book store. I would like to setup a server for my house, but I don’t have the time to tap away on the CLI all night trying to get what I want done. I have worked on Windows servers since 1996, but a home server with a GUI is the next step for converting Windows admins to Linux admins. I believe our end goal is to compete with Microsoft and take away their monopoly on GUI servers with GUI applications. The object is to get Windows users and admins to easily convert to Linux with an easy-to-navigate OS. Why should a company convert over from Windows to Linux when they will have to send their admins to extensive training to learn the Linux CLI and then how to install, manage, add applications & services, and upgrade their servers? We all love Linux, but in order to be successful, you must show the bling in order to lure more support.

IT Managers want visuals to be convinced, that is why they buy RedHat and Novell SuSe software. I work at T-Mobile with the infrastructure and they have HP Superdome 2 servers and a contracted support to manage the HP-UX OS. This says to me that CLI servers are the choice for speed, but it is cheaper to contract support than have a full-time staff, and in this economy we don’t want unemployed admins, we want converted admins. I admire you Linux ninjas for your knowledge, how much training is required to become a Linux server admin?

By: Alpesh

Alpesh — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 11:58:36 +0000

Hi! I have ubuntu 9.10 server..

when i install “sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop”
it give following error…

couldn’t find package ubuntu desktop

plzzz help me..

By: brian

brian — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:30:41 +0000

I run VMware Server on Ubuntu, and guess what. All VMware commands are available via cli, but it still installs with a web interface. It is much easier, faster, and straightforward to monitor my VM guests that way.

By: nick

nick — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 17:50:56 +0000

In the GUI/CLI war it’s always the middleman who suffers. Is it wrong to want a minimal desktop VM for development/testing?

LAMP + firefox > LAMP + wget

Thanks for the HOWTO

By: brucetuga

brucetuga — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:39:34 +0000

Thank you!
It does the trick!

By: admin

admin — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:34:36 +0000

Try this

Rename /etc/init/gdm.conf to /etc/init/gdm.disabled

By: brucetuga

brucetuga — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:26:49 +0000

Hi there! I installed Ubuntu Server and ubuntu-desktop for fun! I tried to stop it from load on boot with update-rc.d and rcconf commands but it continues to load on boot.
How can I stop it from loading and manually startx?

By: TheShadow1

TheShadow1 — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 23:02:27 +0000

I installed webmin. NOT because I can’t use the command line. But because it is useful sometimes.
so. Using WEBMIN is not for the lazy.

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 20:19:28 +0000

Gee maybe we need to remove the “command line recall feature so there won’t be any laziness ….

I noticed we have a geek with a limited vocabulary, too.

I installed all the dependencies, then installed webmin, as per instructions. Get an error that “Package libmd5-perl” is not installed. Re-installed libmd5-perl, showed success install, re-installed webmin, comes up with same error, libmd5-perl not installed. rebooted, same problem.

By: sahab

sahab — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 18:04:43 +0000

Good info. Help me out lot. Shall we follow same method to another version also.

By: Alvaro

Alvaro — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 12:12:38 +0000

Great post!
Thanks for your help.

By: Pedro

Pedro — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 10:51:25 +0000

@js-chong
Yes you can, but running a desktop environment will need more processes to run and in must of the cases it reduces the server efficiency.

You don’t need a desktop GUI to run a server but if you are used to the Gnome Desktop then you should install it.

For the server your “GUI”, in this case, is Webmin.

By: Alex

Alex — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 07:27:57 +0000

@Unknown It’s exactly oposite, first you have to learn how to drive the car AND understand it how it works:)
Or from your point of view, you can drive a bloated car with GUI, or formula with CLI

regards, Alex

By: Pedro

Pedro — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 11:53:56 +0000

You just have to restart your system or just shutdown using the command:

$ shutdown -h now

And after turning your computer back on, open the web browser on you new GUI desktop and continue this tutorial to install Webmin.

By: Dorian

Dorian — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:40:38 +0000

Okay, I’ve installed the Gnome desktop using the instructions above. Now how do I start it?

By: spykerhond

spykerhond — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 17:39:50 +0000

now what the fuck how do i edit the file to enable multivrse and universe suposataries?

By: js-chong

js-chong — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 00:48:23 +0000

Can I have both Webamin and Desktop to run at the same time? Thanks!