6.10 Server and Gnome

[intrepidus]

This doesn't seem to be asked as much as I'd think, so please don't shoot me.

I understand, and can see, that 6.10 Server does not come with a GUI. I wanted one of course, so I downloaded x, and configured it. Got it running fine. Then I added the *verse packages, and grabbed gnome. Then I ran 'echo "exec gnome-session" > ~/.xinitrc'. All was well. Then I tried to run Gnome, via startx. Gnome launched, and I got this very nasty error message:

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/6163/screenef5.jpg

This is actually someone else's image, but it's the -exact- same error message I'm getting. I'm currently reinstalling Gnome to see if that helps.

Furthermore, there seems to be a lack of information about adding a GUI to server...is it just me, or is that true? Any reason?

[az]

You are getting that error becaus eyou have not installed all the components.

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop will install the whole desktop alongside your server.

If you juts want a lean GUI which does next to nothing,

sudo apt-get install icewm xterm x-window-system-core synaptic gdm

[intrepidus]

Is it safe to install the desktop package onto a server, though? I saw in another thread not to do that, due to unmentioned security issues, so I am wary.

Also, since I don't want to make two threads, is there an easy way to install gdm, without installing the entire desktop package? I've hunted for a quick tutorial, but no luck. Getting gdm is easy enough, but I've tried to simply "rc-update add xdm default," but that only works in Gentoo. And there appears to be no /etc/conf.d/xdm file in which to change the default manager to gdm.

EDIT: Apparently it configures itself. Alright then.

[az]

Is it safe to install the desktop package onto a server, though? I saw in another thread not to do that, due to unmentioned security issues, so I am wary.

If this is a production server, then you don't even want to install X on it. While the desktop packages don't conflict with the LAMP server packages, best security practices dictate that your server should only run the essential stuff. That's why the server install is command-line only. The ssh server is not even installed by default.

[rth]

Just posted a reply to a similar question here: http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=325081