Table of Contents
Proxmox - Guests (VMs and Containers) - Install a GUI
Most containers are server only, and do not come with a GUI.
To have a GUI installed, try the following.
Quick Options
- Ubuntu default desktop: sudo apt install ubuntu-desktop
- Gnome 3 installation: sudo apt-get install gnome-shell
- KDE see Kubuntu installation: sudo apt-get install kubuntu-desktop
- XFCE installation: sudo apt-get install xfce4.
- LXDE installation: sudo apt-get install lxde
- Openbox installation: sudo apt-get install openbox
- Gnome Classic (old) a Gnome 3 desktop that looks like Gnome 2 installation: sudo apt-get install gnome-session-fallback
- Ubuntu Gnome (Official flavor) installation: sudo apt install ubuntu-gnome-desktop
Against Ubuntu 20.04 Container
apt-get update apt-get install ubuntu-desktop
NOTE: After a reboot, this should get a graphical login prompt.
For a minimal install
apt install --no-install-recommends ubuntu-desktop
NOTE: To have a very basic GUI.
- The –no-install-recommends will exclude major software and tools such as libreoffice, firefox , thunderbird etc.
Install a display manager
A Display Manager is responsible for starting the display server and loading the desktop while managing user sessions and authentication.
By default, GNOME Desktop uses GDM3 as its display manager, but it is a bit heavy on the resources side.
Install
A lighter and more resource-friendly display manager can be used.
sudo apt install lightdm
Start
Start the display manager and load the GUI with the following command:
sudo service lightdm start
To check what display manager is configured in your system
cat /etc/X11/default-display-manager
returns:
/usr/bin/lightdm
To shutdown the GUI
sudo service lightdm stop
Add a non-root user
Many systems do not recommend or allow root login.
They also require that the user has a home directory.
add user peter
add user peter sudo
NOTE: The sudo at the end adds the user, peter, to the sudo group.
Tips
- TIP1: The –no-install-recommends options applies to all dependencies packages recursively.
- So first install the xorg package to make sure all graphic drivers and other packages are installed.
- TIP2: If network-manager and network-manager-gnome are installed, then it is best to use it to configure your network and delete everything at /etc/network/interfaces file (except the lo interface) in order to avoid conflicts.
- TIP3: If you need remote desktop via x11vnc then choose option 2 to 6 (You may also need to add option -auth guess and -loopso that vnc works before you login and after you logout).
- TIP4: At options 2 to 6 if you wanna stop lightdm autostarting then run the command sudo systemctl disable lightdm and you can start it whenever you want with sudo systemctl start lightdm.
- To re-enable it run sudo systemctl enable lightdm and check it with systemctl is-enabled lightdm.
- If the re-enable does not work, and the is-enabled commands has output static run sudo apt install –reinstall lightdm to fix it.
- TIP5: You can install the specific desktop environment metapackage like lxde, xfce4, mate-desktop-environment, plasma-desktop, unity, gnome.
- However, you will need more packages than just xorg in most cases and these packages or metapackages might install packages that are not longer preferred by any Ubuntu flavor.
- For example lxde installs wicd as recommendation when all flavors (including lubuntu) use network-manager and network-manager-gnome nowadays.
- To see differences between packages you can search here: http://packages.ubuntu.com/
- TIP6: If upon boot you see the greeter and it throws you back to tty again, then simply restart the lightdm by firing sudo service lightdm restart.
How to remove the GUI from Ubuntu server
sudo apt remove ubuntu-desktop sudo apt remove lightdm sudo apt autoremove sudo service lightdm stop