Xserver on Ubuntu Server

urnumdei · 03-24-2010, 02:22 PM

This should be an easy one, and I know of a solution, but it's long and tedious. Not cool.

I have a server set up with Ubuntu Karmic. I am making it a printer server, and my printer is compatible with Ubuntu. (I tested it on my laptop, also using ubuntu) My problem is, the driver installer is graphical and my server is not. Is there a way I can just run the installer in server WITHOUT installing gdm or a desktop environment? So far, everyone I've read says to have xserver,xorg,fluxbox(or other gui), etc. I just want to run the installer through SSH, and I know about the -X tag.

Any ideas?

tredegar · 03-25-2010, 10:52 AM

You don't want to use the -X option for ssh ? Or it doesn't work for you?

As a test, I killed kdm on my server, then opened kwrite:

Code:

tred@vaio:~$ ssh -X tred@server
tred@server:~$ sudo /etc/init.d/kdm stop
Stopping K Display Manager: kdm.
tred@server:~$ kwrite foo

opened up kwrite on my laptop's GUI.

Welcome to LQ!

Kenny_Strawn · 03-25-2010, 09:18 PM

Code:

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop

Code:

sudo apt-get install kubuntu-desktop

Code:

sudo apt-get install xubuntu-desktop

Whichever floats your boat.

urnumdei · 03-26-2010, 10:20 AM

Tredegar, I want to use the -X option, but I don't want a gui for my server, I just want the option to use a graphic program if there isn't a command line version of program. I understand that I need xserver so I can use -X. I'll have to try your thing there. Do I just apt-get xserver? Or are there other packages I need? (xorg, etc) Again, I don't want a desktop, just the most minimal way to us -X.

tredegar · 03-26-2010, 10:31 AM

In the example I gave you at post #2 I ssh'd to my server and killed X
But I was still able to start a program ( kwrite ) on my server that needs a GUI.
It used the GUI that is running on my laptop, displayed there, and worked fine.
So the program was running on my server, but displaying on my laptop.
So, I'm saying you don't need to have X running on your server, because you have it running on your laptop.

urnumdei · 03-26-2010, 10:54 AM

Oh ok. I'm still kinda new to the graphical side of linux. I know of xserver, gdm/kdm, and all that. But I don't know which does what or how it all plays out. Thanks for the help. I always feel like I know my stuff in linux, then I run into a wall, but these walls teach.