Ubuntu Server 12.04.1 - problem installing/launching gnome-panel
 

My computer:
Core i5 2500 - 8GB RAM
ASRock Z77 Extreme 6
Geforce 8800GT

I have a virtual machine set up in Virtualbox 4.2.6 where I've installed:

Ubuntu Server 12.04.1 64-bit - I checked the boxes for SSH server and LAMP. After install I typed sudo apt-get install gnome-panel. Now when I try to launch gnome-panel I get the error: Gtk-WARNING **: cannot open display

When I created the VM I had "enable 3d acceleration" - though i have since unchecked it the problem persists.

Ideas? I'd really like a basic GUI to help me administrate this server. Thanks in advance.

See this link -->https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Bi...erHowto/Nvidia

You need the NVida driver for 3D.

Okay I had to install jockey-text and when I run the second command of the three:

jockey-text --help
jockey-text -l
jockey-text -e xorg:nvidia_current

I get the error:

ERROR:root:Could not find any typelib for AppIndicator3
Unknown driver: xorg:nvidia_current.

When I try --list I get:

ERROR:root:Could not find any typelib for AppIndicator3
kmod:vboxguest - x86 virtualization solution - guest addition module source for dkms (Free, Disabled, Not in use)

... can anyone tell me how to go about installing this driver via command line?

I tried creating a duplicate virtual machine without 3d support but after installing gnome-panel I received the same error. Shouldnt VirtualBox be using a generic video card driver??

It looks to me as you need to install Guest Additions in V-box first. Give that a try, and see if you can get any further.

Before creating this VM I installed the additions to VirtualBox so I dont think its that unfortunately.

You have to run from the guest OS

In the Virtualbox menu, got to Devices -> Install Guest Additions.

A virtual disk will be mounted in the /media. Install the guest additions from there.

To clarify I didnt think they were installed on the guest machine, just on the VirtualBox installation. Ive only installed them once before, it was on backtrack installation (based on ubuntu i think?) - installation was pretty straight forward since it automatically mounted the image and placed an icon on the desktop.

Can anyone give me a rundown of how to check for the media/mount it/run the required commands? Will I have to re-install gnome-panel?

Thanks for all the help so far guys.

And be sure the guest additions were properly installed. I tried fedora 18 under a VirtualBox VM and when I instaled the guest additions there was an error that was pretty easy to miss. Guest Additions install needs access to dkms, kernel headers, possibly source and the build toolchain. So, at the least under ubuntu you need dkms, kernel-headers-(uname -r) and build-essential.