The only difference between the server install and the desktop install is the lack of a GUI. (There are a couple other differences, but that's the main one). You can easily install install a GUI (without security risks). Just install "ubuntu-desktop", (for Gnome) "kubuntu-desktop", (for KDE) or "xubuntu-desktop" (for xfce), you can do this with aptitude.

I executed aptitude from the command line by typing the following command:

Confirmed it, and regretted it immediately: really wanted KDE instead of Gnome. Its downloading packages right now... I should have executed:

Can I use aptitude to uninstall packages as well or would it be best to reinstall desktop edition from scratch?

Run "aptitude -h" and you'll see all the options, including remove and purge. "man aptitude" will display the manual page.

Hi All,


Its very easy to add GUI for Ubuntu server edition,

U have to follow the following steps for the same,
After installing the Ubuntu server Edition,Login as root by the following command u will get the root previlage,

sudo passwd root

It will ask u the existing password and followed by twice the nex Unix password for the confirmation,

then you have to logout using the command

logout

now u will get the root previlage with
#
prompt,

from there u have to type,

vi /etc/apt/source.list

then uncomment all the lines which ends with "universe",

write it and quit the file

the you have to type the following command,

apt-get install gnome

it will start install the gnome enviornment for you,

followed by

apt-get install ubuntu-desktop
apt-get install KDE

If u needed,

after finishing the download,it will start install the file,

once the same is finished u will get the prompt,

#

from there u type

startx

Now u can see the wonder,Its a GUI OS now,


Thanks,
Shajith...

I don't get why you need to enable root to do that, sudo -i gets you a root console. And lets not even start the vi conversation :P

All you need to do you don't need to uncomment the universe lines to install a GUI (tho you can if you want), just install the *ubuntu-desktop packages. If you don't want a display manager (login screen) to load at boot you can just do
(replace gdm with the actual display manager ,eg: kdm, xdm or gdm)
then if you need a GUI you can just start the display manager with(again replacing "gdm" with the display manager)

It's also not a great idea to have a root GUI session, opens security risks.

My opinion is that the differences between Ubuntu Desktop and Ubuntu Server are:

Ubuntu Desktop has GUI and dosen't have all the programs/services you need for a server.

Ubuntu Server dosen't have GUI but in the other hand he has already LAMP and other programs needed for a linux server; Program(s) already precompiled and stuff like that like Slackware


Anyway, i prefer to install Ubunu Server and then to install manually the GUI.

hi all,
i'm a newbie in linux and encounter some problem during the GUI installation. when i try to install the GUI for ubuntu server it say that it can't find the package. So what should i do?

I recommend you install the Ubuntu desktop ISO. This installs Gnome by default. You can then use GUI tools like Synaptic to install the server applications you need. You didn't mention what server applications you wanted.

can't coz my manager ask for the server edition. He don't want the desktop edition.

when i install the ubuntu LAMP server, it prompt me to setup a partition for swap space. can i know what is that swap space for? is it a must to create a swap space?

The purpose of swap space is to allow you to exceed physical memory gracefully. When swap space is used performance can be impacted but the system still runs. It's also used for hibernation which isn't likely on a running server. Swap space is normally at least equal to actual RAM size. Swap uses a separate partition. When you create a partition, you will select a partition format type. Ubuntu defaults to "ext3." The swap partition is of a special type "swap" which is a special disk format for that purpose.

after i have install the GUI with the command (sudo aptitude install x-window-system-core gnome-core)when i start with the command (startx) there is only mouse cursor and nothing else...is there any step i miss it? i can't see any GUI at all...except the mouse cursor

Best way to get in to gnome is via GDM. If you don't want GDM then I'd recommend making a script like:
Then saving that as /bin/start-gnome or something like that

thanks will try to give it a try...

ok another newbie question..

So I installed LAMP from a ubuntu server download. making the transition I was looking to use a GUI and came across this thread via Google (just gotta love google sometimes ^_^) and anyway I followed some of the instruction listed in this thread here and I keep getting the message 'Couldn't find package etc' - no matter how I try.

I've tried all the commands listed above and nothing seems to work. I can't access across a network or via a work station as I only have my laptop and one spare computer. Laptop I use online and the other computer I was hoping to set up as just a local off line server for testing stuff on so am not really that bothered about security as it won't be online.

Still how do I get to a GUI as I'm not that well read on command line stuff?

Setup is a ubuntu server download (Last night) - install as a lamp server...

thanks