Ok so i've bought a new dedicated server thats running on ubuntu server edition, I've SSHed into the server now and need to run a gui (Gnome or kde) and have absoulutely NO idea how to install a gui.
How would i go about installing a gui and running it?

There are two "main" ways of getting something graphical come up at your face over a remote connection. First is to run a program that actually brings the whole desktop to you, a "Remote Desktop" program. It's slow and unless you can't live without it, I don't recommend it - you really don't need all the bells and whistles, just the few apps you use (i.e. if you only need a certain administration program, you shouldn't bring in the whole desktop with it's backgrounds, panels etc.) The second approach is to forward the graphical stuff you need - windows, not the whole desktop - over the remote connection, thus saving in time, speed(/slowness) and bandwith because you only bring what you need. It's also easier to do the second thing: just make sure the server-end's sshd is configured to enable X11 forwarding, then make sure your client does it (and that your operating system supports X11 forwarding), ssh to the server and start a program to see it on the other end. Linux distributions can typically do this without problems, but for example Windows doesn't come pre-packaged with the needed software, and so you need to install a program on it to handle the X11 forwarded stuff.

A graphical interface on a server is just wasting it's resources, especially if it's Linux (/Unix). You can very well do everything you need on command line, and it's also faster (did I already mention the resource savings?) and easier to do remotely. Don't bring your server to it's knees and get your connection filled up by running a graphical desktop remotely, but rather learn to use the command line and get used to secure shell.

So erm lets say i have windows xp now with tightvnc and putty installed, i have openssh installed on ubuntu, what wouuld i need to do?

bump bump bump

Bump what? The question is answered above. I hear even new windows server comes without GUI - because GUI in a server is terrible waste of resources.

Edit: You may get sort of point'n'click interface using Webmin and similar tools.

Ok in short i dont need a lecture on the disadvantages of a gui etc
All i need gnome is to use firefox for downloading various files and personally I find linux command line to be well...
Quite difficult to learn and use especially since im a windows user ( I have run many windows servers via command line and managed mysql etc off command line)
I would think a gui would be much easier to use - atleast to set the server up and then it can be removed

In the end i Just NEED to get a gui up and running - whether it uses resources or not i dont really care i just need a GUI


I amn't really too sure how to do x11 forwarding over putty and i have Xming installed on my windows xp box here and cant understand how to use it.

For X forwarding you need it installed first, not sure but I think Ubuntu server comes without it (means it comes without GUI). Say you have 500 MB of system and services installed, everything is ready to rock'n'roll, all that is needed is editing some configuration files. Now, installing 2 GB of programs and files for editing those files? What can be done simply logging in over ssh and using a robust text editor? Probably the configuration task before you is easier than installing and setting up the X server and all this forwarding stuff!

If you only want firefox, think of the alternatives (which will be simpler)

wget (or curl) will download (eg wget http://example.com/donwload.iso) to the current location. If I'm ssh'd to a server I'll often copy the url in Windows (yes I do use it) and paste it into a putty terminal. Yo ucan also resume downloading with wget, etc.

Look at elinks (or similar), a command line browser. Sounds really naff, but for what you describe, it works extremely well and is surprisingly smple to use.


Rgds

I don't think this is correct, since most of the gui tools lack elements you get in the command line. As already mentioned, there are a lot aof web based apps such as webmin, phpmyadmin, phpldapadmin, etc, or browser accessable frontends such as the one provided by CUPS.

Ok ok i know about all the advantages of the command line against a GUI but in the end I do NOT want to use the command line exclusively to setup my server, I don't need a lecture on how awful a gui is compared to a command line but all I need is to know how to set up my server so i can remote desktop into it and do whatever i want.
I don't need to know why command can do anything and gui sucks etc
I just need to know how to remote desktop in to my server

Edit your sshd config file and add these lines:
Then start your ssh client with "-X" option, i'm not sure it works on windows since you certainly need a X client to do that, but on any linux with X on it it as simple as this.
BUT, once ssh'ed on your server, you still have a command line, but now you can run GUI based program...

Im running on windows xp, I have xming installed which is a windows x server( I think so anyways )
And my sshd_config already has those lines

I think (but far to be sure) that you need a X client on your windows box, maybe "xming" is one...
You need a X server on your linux server, if you don't have it, install it with something like "apt-get install xorg"
What says "ssh -X IP_ADDR"?

Ok my x server is running and so is my x client but how do i run gnome????


In other news i have webmin installed on the default port and i try to access it https://mysite.com:10000 and it says the server is taking too long to respond????
whats going on??

Ok i got webmin to work by changing the port


Now im stuck on getting my apache and mysql servers started
Apache is returning with error
Syntax error on line 189 of /etc/apache2/apache2.conf: Syntax error on line 86 of /etc/apache2/httpd.conf: </IfModuleGT; without matching <IfModuleGT; section


Mysql just wont start
root@server1:~# /etc/init.d/mysql start >/dev/null 2>&1 &
[1] 21039
root@server1:~#
[1]+ Exit 127 /etc/init.d/mysql start > /dev/null 2>&1
root@server1:~#

Any help
I still need gnome anyways