Ubuntu Server is a variant of the Ubuntu operating system that does not include a graphical user interface (GUI) by default. GUI applications consume the system resources needed for server-oriented tasks, so Linux server distributions usually avoid a GUI in favour of the command-line terminal.
Some tools, however, work better and are easier to manage with a GUI. If you use a tool with a GUI, installing a desktop environment can improve your experience of working with the server.
Prerequisites
- A VPS running the Ubuntu Linux Server operating system
- A user with suitable privileges, i.e. sudo or root directly
- The apt package manager, normally included in the operating system
Updating the package library
First of all, let's make sure the package library is up to date. To do this, simply connect to the VPS via SSH or the console and run the command:
$ sudo apt update && sudo apt upgradeApt will respond with a series of details, including the number of packages to be upgraded. It is worth remembering (unless you have specific requirements) to always keep your VPS up to date: so go ahead and confirm all the proposed packages, as in the example:
6 upgraded, 8 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
6 standard LTS security updates
Need to get 54.5 MB of archives.
After this operation, 242 MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] YInstalling the display manager
A display manager is an application that starts the display server, launches the desktop and manages user authentication. GDM3, the default one, is a resource-intensive display manager: if you want to conserve system resources, consider a lighter tool such as SLiM or LightDM. In this case we will use GDM3.
$ sudo apt install gdm3Install the GUI on Ubuntu Server
With a display manager installed, proceed with installing a GUI. The default Ubuntu desktop is a modified version of the GNOME desktop environment.
$ sudo apt install ubuntu-desktopOnce all the packages have been installed, reboot the VPS:
$ sudo rebootOther options
There are many other desktops compatible with Ubuntu, including:
- GNOME is one of the most solid and complete desktops for Linux: a simple, elegant way to use your VPS, designed to offer the best possible experience. To install the ‘vanilla’ version of GNOME:
$ sudo apt install vanilla-gnome-desktop - KDE Plasma is a flexible, customisable desktop environment that offers visual consistency and style while remaining fast and responsive. To install KDE Plasma:
$ sudo apt install kde-plasma-desktop - XFCE is designed to be lightweight and intuitive. The main package, xfce4-session, provides an essential environment; if you want the full experience, install the xfce4-goodies package as well:
$ sudo apt-get install xfce4-session xfce4-goodies - MATE is a fork of GNOME 2 and a popular graphical interface designed to reduce resource consumption:
$ sudo apt install ubuntu-mate-desktop - LXDE is a desktop environment with a very lightweight GUI. Use LXDE if you need a graphical interface but want to minimise the impact on system memory and CPU:
$ sudo apt install lxde
Removing a GUI or display manager
To remove one or more components, from the console and again with sudo or root rights, run the commands:
$ sudo apt remove [display-manager] [desktop-environment]For example, to remove the default desktop you would simply type sudo apt remove ubuntu-desktop. Although not strictly necessary, it is advisable to reboot the VPS as well as removing the packages that are no longer needed:
$ sudo apt autoremoveConclusion
If you have worked with Microsoft operating systems for a long time, having to work in a command-line interface can be hard going. Fortunately Ubuntu, like many Linux systems, comes with exceptional graphical desktop environments, packed with applications and all worth trying.
Guide originally published on the blog of VPS GREEN, the VPS service on our green private cloud.
