Install GUI in Ubuntu Server

We have disccued how to install Ubuntu web server , if you are not familiar with using command prompt, you can GUI for Ubuntu server using 2 options :

1. Install desktop environment
2. Install Webmin

Now I will take about installing desktop environment, and later I will describe how to istall Webmin:

First you nee to make sure you have enabled Universe and multiverse repositories in /etc/apt/sources.list file :

how to enable Universe and multiverse repositories ?

Ubuntu uses apt for package management. Apt stores a list of repositories or software channels in the file,

/etc/apt/sources.list

By editing this file from the command line, we can add, remove, or temporarily disable software repositories,

Note: It's always a good idea to backup a configuration file like sources.list before you edit it. To do so, issue the following command:

sudo cp /etc/apt/sources.list /etc/apt/sources.list.backup

after backing up the file, you can edit the original file, the contents will have lines which is commend - have a # sign at the beginning of the line .

To add Universe and Multiverse Repositories you have to uncomment the corresponding apt line (i.e. delete the '#' at the beginning of the line), in this case you have to uncomment hte following lines :

deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy universe

deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy universe

deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-updates universe

deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-updates universe

After that you have to save the modifications and update the this packages from the newly added repositories by typing the following command in command prompt :

sudo apt-get update

now we wil start intsalling GNOME desktop, by typing the following command :

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop

but if you want to install a graphical desktop manger without some of the desktop addons like Evolution and OpenOffice, but continue to use the server flavor kernel use the following command

sudo aptitude install -- no-install-recommends ubuntu-desktop

If you want to install light weight desktop install xfce using the following command

sudo apt-get install xubuntu-desktop

if you want to install KDE desktop use the following command

sudo apt-get install kubuntu-desktop

Have a fun :) , Later I will take about the second option for using GUI in Ubuntu :)