Uninstall Desktop GUI

[Go_Big_Blue]

Okay - did a really bad, bad thing. I had an issue that I needed to download the Ubuntu-Desktop on my Ubuntu Server 8.04 so I could use a web browser to access the internet. (Long story - please don't ask - and yes I now realize the stupidity and error of my ways.)

Regardless, I now want to uninstall the desktop gui. Could someone please tell me how I may accomplish this? The command line I used to install it was

apt-get install ubuntu-desktop

[wirelessmonkey]

 sudo apt-get remove ubuntu-desktop

[MarblePanther]

WARNING--look over the programs in this command carefully! This will remove all desktop/gnome programs and dependencies. Again, please look this over carefully. This will do what you asked though.

sudo apt-get remove alacarte app-install-data-commercial apport-gtk apturl at-spi binfmt-support bluez-gnome brasero brltty-x11 capplets-data cli-common compiz compiz-core compiz-fusion-plugins-extra compiz-fusion-plugins-main compiz-gnome compiz-plugins compizconfig-backend-gconf contact-lookup-applet dcraw deskbar-applet desktop-file-utils dmz-cursor-theme doc-base docbook-xml ekiga eog espeak espeak-data evince evolution evolution-common evolution-data-server evolution-data-server-common evolution-exchange evolution-plugins evolution-webcal example-content f-spot fast-user-switch-applet file-roller firefox firefox-3.0 firefox-3.0-branding firefox-3.0-gnome-support firefox-gnome-support gamin gcalctool gconf-editor gconf2 gconf2-common gdebi gdm gdm-guest-session gedit gedit-common ggzcore-bin gimp gimp-data gksu gnome-about gnome-accessibility-themes gnome-app-install gnome-applets gnome-applets-data gnome-cards-data gnome-control-center gnome-desktop-data gnome-doc-utils gnome-games gnome-games-data gnome-icon-theme gnome-keyring gnome-mag gnome-media gnome-media-common gnome-menus gnome-mime-data gnome-mount gnome-netstatus-applet gnome-nettool gnome-orca gnome-panel gnome-panel-data gnome-pilot gnome-pilot-conduits gnome-power-manager gnome-screensaver gnome-session gnome-settings-daemon gnome-spell gnome-system-monitor gnome-system-tools gnome-terminal gnome-terminal-data gnome-themes gnome-user-guide gnome-utils gstreamer0.10-alsa gstreamer0.10-gnomevfs gstreamer0.10-plugins-base gstreamer0.10-plugins-base-apps gstreamer0.10-plugins-good gstreamer0.10-pulseaudio gstreamer0.10-schroedinger gstreamer0.10-tools gstreamer0.10-x gtk2-engines gtk2-engines-murrine gtk2-engines-pixbuf gucharmap guile-1.8-libs gvfs gvfs-backends gvfs-bin gvfs-fuse human-icon-theme human-theme hwtest hwtest-gtk jockey-gtk language-selector libart2.0-cil libasound2-plugins libatspi1.0-0 libavahi-glib1 libavahi-gobject0 libavahi-ui0 libavc1394-0 libbabl-0.0-0 libbeagle1 libbonobo2-0 libbonobo2-common libbonoboui2-0 libbonoboui2-common libcairo-perl libcairomm-1.0-1 libcamel1.2-14 libcanberra-gnome libcanberra-gtk-module libcanberra-gtk0 libcanberra0 libcdio-cdda0 libcdio-paranoia0 libcdio7 libcompizconfig0 libcryptui0 libdecoration0 libdeskbar-tracker libdmx1 libdv4 libebackend1.2-0 libebook1.2-9 libecal1.2-7 libedata-book1.2-2 libedata-cal1.2-6 libedataserver1.2-11 libedataserverui1.2-8 libeel2-2 libeel2-data libegroupwise1.2-13 libespeak1 libexchange-storage1.2-3 libexempi3 libflickrnet2.1.5-cil libfreezethaw-perl libgadu3 libgail-gnome-module libgamin0 libgconf2-4 libgconf2.0-cil libgdata-google1.2-1 libgdata1.2-1 libgdiplus libgegl-0.0-0 libggz2 libggzcore9 libggzmod4 libgimp2.0 libgksu2-0 libglade2-0 libglade2.0-cil libglew1.5 libglib-perl libglib2.0-cil libglibmm-2.4-1c2a libglitz-glx1 libglitz1 libgmime-2.0-2a libgmime2.2-cil libgnome-desktop-2-7 libgnome-keyring0 libgnome-keyring1.0-cil libgnome-mag2 libgnome-media0 libgnome-menu2 libgnome-pilot2 libgnome-speech7 libgnome-vfs2.0-cil libgnome-window-settings1 libgnome2-0 libgnome2-canvas-perl libgnome2-common libgnome2-perl libgnome2-vfs-perl libgnome2.0-cil libgnomecanvas2-0 libgnomecanvas2-common libgnomecups1.0-1 libgnomekbd-common libgnomekbd3 libgnomekbdui3 libgnomeprint2.2-0 libgnomeprint2.2-data libgnomeprintui2.2-0 libgnomeprintui2.2-common libgnomeui-0 libgnomeui-common libgnomevfs2-0 libgnomevfs2-bin libgnomevfs2-common libgnomevfs2-extra libgp11-0 libgpod3 libgtk-vnc-1.0-0 libgtk2-perl libgtk2.0-cil libgtkglext1 libgtkhtml-editor-common libgtkhtml-editor0 libgtkhtml2-0 libgtkhtml3.14-19 libgtkmm-2.4-1c2a libgtksourceview-common libgtksourceview1.0-0 libgtksourceview2.0-0 libgtksourceview2.0-common libgtkspell0 libgtop2-7 libgtop2-common libgucharmap7 libgvfscommon0 libgweather-common libgweather1 libhesiod0 libidl0 libiec61883-0 libjpeg-progs libkpathsea4 liblaunchpad-integration1 liblircclient0 liblpint-bonobo0 libmbca0 libmeanwhile1 libmetacity0 libmldbm-perl libmono-addins-gui0.2-cil libmono-addins0.2-cil libmono-cairo1.0-cil libmono-cairo2.0-cil libmono-corlib1.0-cil libmono-corlib2.0-cil libmono-data-tds1.0-cil libmono-data-tds2.0-cil libmono-i18n1.0-cil libmono-i18n2.0-cil libmono-security1.0-cil libmono-security2.0-cil libmono-sharpzip0.84-cil libmono-sharpzip2.84-cil libmono-sqlite2.0-cil libmono-system-data1.0-cil libmono-system-data2.0-cil libmono-system-web1.0-cil libmono-system-web2.0-cil libmono-system1.0-cil libmono-system2.0-cil libmono0 libmono1.0-cil libmono2.0-cil libnautilus-burn4 libnautilus-extension1 libndesk-dbus-glib1.0-cil libndesk-dbus1.0-cil libnet-dbus-perl libnotify1 liboil0.3 liboobs-1-4 libopal-2.2 libopenobex1 liborbit2 libpam-gnome-keyring libpanel-applet2-0 libpangomm-1.4-1 libpisock9 libpisync1 libpolkit-gnome0 libpoppler-glib3 libportaudio0 libpt-1.10.10 libpt-1.10.10-plugins-alsa libpt-1.10.10-plugins-v4l libpt-1.10.10-plugins-v4l2 libpulse-browse0 libpulsecore5 libpurple-bin libpurple0 librarian0 librsvg2-common libschroedinger-1.0-0 libscim8c2a libsexy2 libshout3 libsilc-1.1-2 libsndfile1 libsoup2.4-1 libspeexdsp1 libsqlite0 libstartup-notification0 libtie-ixhash-perl libtotem-plparser12 libtracker-gtk0 libtrackerclient0 libuuid-perl libv4l-0 libvte-common libvte9 libwnck-common libwnck22 libwv-1.2-3 libx11-xcb1 libxevie1 libxml-twig-perl libxml-xpath-perl libxml2-utils libxres1 libzephyr3 metacity metacity-common mobile-broadband-provider-info mono-common mono-gac mono-jit mono-runtime mousetweaks mtools nautilus nautilus-cd-burner nautilus-data nautilus-sendto nautilus-share network-manager-gnome notification-daemon obex-data-server onboard openoffice.org-gnome openoffice.org-gtk pidgin pidgin-data pidgin-otr pkg-config policykit-gnome pulseaudio pulseaudio-esound-compat pulseaudio-module-gconf pulseaudio-module-hal pulseaudio-module-x11 pulseaudio-utils python-beagle python-brlapi python-cairo python-gconf python-gdata python-glade2 python-gmenu python-gnome2 python-gnome2-desktop python-gnomecanvas python-gst0.10 python-gtk2 python-gtkhtml2 python-gtksourceview2 python-launchpad-integration python-notify python-numeric python-pkg-resources python-pyatspi python-pyorbit python-rdflib python-sexy python-virtkey python-vte rarian-compat rhythmbox rss-glx scim scim-bridge-agent scim-bridge-client-gtk scim-gtk2-immodule scim-modules-socket screen-resolution-extra screensaver-default-images seahorse seahorse-plugins sgml-data software-properties-gtk sqlite sqlite3 ssh-askpass-gnome synaptic syslinux system-config-printer-gnome system-tools-backends tangerine-icon-theme tomboy totem totem-common totem-gstreamer totem-mozilla totem-plugins tracker tracker-search-tool tracker-utils transmission-common transmission-gtk tsclient ubufox ubuntu-artwork ubuntu-desktop ubuntu-docs ubuntu-gdm-themes ubuntu-sounds ubuntu-system-service ubuntu-wallpapers untex update-manager update-notifier usb-creator vinagre vino whois wv xbase-clients xbitmaps xdg-user-dirs-gtk xsane xsane-common xscreensaver xscreensaver-data xscreensaver-gl xsltproc xterm xulrunner-1.9 xulrunner-1.9-gnome-support yelp zenity

[Go_Big_Blue]

Thank you. I went through the list and didn't see that it was going to remove any of my critical apps (i.e. MySQL, Apache2, eBox, etc.). I'll let you know if that works.
BTW, is there a place or link I can go to and see all of these listed out individually?

[cariboo]

If space isn't an issue, why not just uninstall gdm. That way the gui won't start automatically. If you run into the problem you don't want to talk about again all you have to do is type:

startx

at the prompt and the gui will start up again.

Jim

[darksideforge]

WARNING--look over the programs in this command carefully! This will remove all desktop/gnome programs and dependencies. Again, please look this over carefully. This will do what you asked though.

sudo apt-get remove alacarte app-install-data-commercial apport-gtk apturl at-spi binfmt-support bluez-gnome brasero brltty-x11 capplets-data cli-common compiz compiz-core compiz-fusion-plugins-extra compiz-fusion-plugins-main compiz-gnome compiz-plugins compizconfig-backend-gconf contact-lookup-applet dcraw deskbar-applet desktop-file-utils dmz-cursor-theme doc-base docbook-xml ekiga eog espeak espeak-data evince evolution evolution-common evolution-data-server evolution-data-server-common evolution-exchange evolution-plugins evolution-webcal example-content f-spot fast-user-switch-applet file-roller firefox firefox-3.0 firefox-3.0-branding firefox-3.0-gnome-support firefox-gnome-support gamin gcalctool gconf-editor gconf2 gconf2-common gdebi gdm gdm-guest-session gedit gedit-common ggzcore-bin gimp gimp-data gksu gnome-about gnome-accessibility-themes gnome-app-install gnome-applets gnome-applets-data gnome-cards-data gnome-control-center gnome-desktop-data gnome-doc-utils gnome-games gnome-games-data gnome-icon-theme gnome-keyring gnome-mag gnome-media gnome-media-common gnome-menus gnome-mime-data gnome-mount gnome-netstatus-applet gnome-nettool gnome-orca gnome-panel gnome-panel-data gnome-pilot gnome-pilot-conduits gnome-power-manager gnome-screensaver gnome-session gnome-settings-daemon gnome-spell gnome-system-monitor gnome-system-tools gnome-terminal gnome-terminal-data gnome-themes gnome-user-guide gnome-utils gstreamer0.10-alsa gstreamer0.10-gnomevfs gstreamer0.10-plugins-base gstreamer0.10-plugins-base-apps gstreamer0.10-plugins-good gstreamer0.10-pulseaudio gstreamer0.10-schroedinger gstreamer0.10-tools gstreamer0.10-x gtk2-engines gtk2-engines-murrine gtk2-engines-pixbuf gucharmap guile-1.8-libs gvfs gvfs-backends gvfs-bin gvfs-fuse human-icon-theme human-theme hwtest hwtest-gtk jockey-gtk language-selector libart2.0-cil libasound2-plugins libatspi1.0-0 libavahi-glib1 libavahi-gobject0 libavahi-ui0 libavc1394-0 libbabl-0.0-0 libbeagle1 libbonobo2-0 libbonobo2-common libbonoboui2-0 libbonoboui2-common libcairo-perl libcairomm-1.0-1 libcamel1.2-14 libcanberra-gnome libcanberra-gtk-module libcanberra-gtk0 libcanberra0 libcdio-cdda0 libcdio-paranoia0 libcdio7 libcompizconfig0 libcryptui0 libdecoration0 libdeskbar-tracker libdmx1 libdv4 libebackend1.2-0 libebook1.2-9 libecal1.2-7 libedata-book1.2-2 libedata-cal1.2-6 libedataserver1.2-11 libedataserverui1.2-8 libeel2-2 libeel2-data libegroupwise1.2-13 libespeak1 libexchange-storage1.2-3 libexempi3 libflickrnet2.1.5-cil libfreezethaw-perl libgadu3 libgail-gnome-module libgamin0 libgconf2-4 libgconf2.0-cil libgdata-google1.2-1 libgdata1.2-1 libgdiplus libgegl-0.0-0 libggz2 libggzcore9 libggzmod4 libgimp2.0 libgksu2-0 libglade2-0 libglade2.0-cil libglew1.5 libglib-perl libglib2.0-cil libglibmm-2.4-1c2a libglitz-glx1 libglitz1 libgmime-2.0-2a libgmime2.2-cil libgnome-desktop-2-7 libgnome-keyring0 libgnome-keyring1.0-cil libgnome-mag2 libgnome-media0 libgnome-menu2 libgnome-pilot2 libgnome-speech7 libgnome-vfs2.0-cil libgnome-window-settings1 libgnome2-0 libgnome2-canvas-perl libgnome2-common libgnome2-perl libgnome2-vfs-perl libgnome2.0-cil libgnomecanvas2-0 libgnomecanvas2-common libgnomecups1.0-1 libgnomekbd-common libgnomekbd3 libgnomekbdui3 libgnomeprint2.2-0 libgnomeprint2.2-data libgnomeprintui2.2-0 libgnomeprintui2.2-common libgnomeui-0 libgnomeui-common libgnomevfs2-0 libgnomevfs2-bin libgnomevfs2-common libgnomevfs2-extra libgp11-0 libgpod3 libgtk-vnc-1.0-0 libgtk2-perl libgtk2.0-cil libgtkglext1 libgtkhtml-editor-common libgtkhtml-editor0 libgtkhtml2-0 libgtkhtml3.14-19 libgtkmm-2.4-1c2a libgtksourceview-common libgtksourceview1.0-0 libgtksourceview2.0-0 libgtksourceview2.0-common libgtkspell0 libgtop2-7 libgtop2-common libgucharmap7 libgvfscommon0 libgweather-common libgweather1 libhesiod0 libidl0 libiec61883-0 libjpeg-progs libkpathsea4 liblaunchpad-integration1 liblircclient0 liblpint-bonobo0 libmbca0 libmeanwhile1 libmetacity0 libmldbm-perl libmono-addins-gui0.2-cil libmono-addins0.2-cil libmono-cairo1.0-cil libmono-cairo2.0-cil libmono-corlib1.0-cil libmono-corlib2.0-cil libmono-data-tds1.0-cil libmono-data-tds2.0-cil libmono-i18n1.0-cil libmono-i18n2.0-cil libmono-security1.0-cil libmono-security2.0-cil libmono-sharpzip0.84-cil libmono-sharpzip2.84-cil libmono-sqlite2.0-cil libmono-system-data1.0-cil libmono-system-data2.0-cil libmono-system-web1.0-cil libmono-system-web2.0-cil libmono-system1.0-cil libmono-system2.0-cil libmono0 libmono1.0-cil libmono2.0-cil libnautilus-burn4 libnautilus-extension1 libndesk-dbus-glib1.0-cil libndesk-dbus1.0-cil libnet-dbus-perl libnotify1 liboil0.3 liboobs-1-4 libopal-2.2 libopenobex1 liborbit2 libpam-gnome-keyring libpanel-applet2-0 libpangomm-1.4-1 libpisock9 libpisync1 libpolkit-gnome0 libpoppler-glib3 libportaudio0 libpt-1.10.10 libpt-1.10.10-plugins-alsa libpt-1.10.10-plugins-v4l libpt-1.10.10-plugins-v4l2 libpulse-browse0 libpulsecore5 libpurple-bin libpurple0 librarian0 librsvg2-common libschroedinger-1.0-0 libscim8c2a libsexy2 libshout3 libsilc-1.1-2 libsndfile1 libsoup2.4-1 libspeexdsp1 libsqlite0 libstartup-notification0 libtie-ixhash-perl libtotem-plparser12 libtracker-gtk0 libtrackerclient0 libuuid-perl libv4l-0 libvte-common libvte9 libwnck-common libwnck22 libwv-1.2-3 libx11-xcb1 libxevie1 libxml-twig-perl libxml-xpath-perl libxml2-utils libxres1 libzephyr3 metacity metacity-common mobile-broadband-provider-info mono-common mono-gac mono-jit mono-runtime mousetweaks mtools nautilus nautilus-cd-burner nautilus-data nautilus-sendto nautilus-share network-manager-gnome notification-daemon obex-data-server onboard openoffice.org-gnome openoffice.org-gtk pidgin pidgin-data pidgin-otr pkg-config policykit-gnome pulseaudio pulseaudio-esound-compat pulseaudio-module-gconf pulseaudio-module-hal pulseaudio-module-x11 pulseaudio-utils python-beagle python-brlapi python-cairo python-gconf python-gdata python-glade2 python-gmenu python-gnome2 python-gnome2-desktop python-gnomecanvas python-gst0.10 python-gtk2 python-gtkhtml2 python-gtksourceview2 python-launchpad-integration python-notify python-numeric python-pkg-resources python-pyatspi python-pyorbit python-rdflib python-sexy python-virtkey python-vte rarian-compat rhythmbox rss-glx scim scim-bridge-agent scim-bridge-client-gtk scim-gtk2-immodule scim-modules-socket screen-resolution-extra screensaver-default-images seahorse seahorse-plugins sgml-data software-properties-gtk sqlite sqlite3 ssh-askpass-gnome synaptic syslinux system-config-printer-gnome system-tools-backends tangerine-icon-theme tomboy totem totem-common totem-gstreamer totem-mozilla totem-plugins tracker tracker-search-tool tracker-utils transmission-common transmission-gtk tsclient ubufox ubuntu-artwork ubuntu-desktop ubuntu-docs ubuntu-gdm-themes ubuntu-sounds ubuntu-system-service ubuntu-wallpapers untex update-manager update-notifier usb-creator vinagre vino whois wv xbase-clients xbitmaps xdg-user-dirs-gtk xsane xsane-common xscreensaver xscreensaver-data xscreensaver-gl xsltproc xterm xulrunner-1.9 xulrunner-1.9-gnome-support yelp zenity

I just attempted your command and this is the error message I received:

E: Could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock - open (11 Resource temporarily unavailable)
E: Unable to lock the administration directory (/var/lib/dpkg/), is another process using it?

[MarblePanther]

I just attempted your command and this is the error message I received:

E: Could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock - open (11 Resource temporarily unavailable)
E: Unable to lock the administration directory (/var/lib/dpkg/), is another process using it?

You have more than 1 package manager running most likely. Do not run apt and synaptic at the same time or update manager, etc...

[Harry Wood]

I also want to blow away the desktop and all GUI applications associated with it, just leaving command line server things like postgres, apache, SVN.

That's a pretty spectacular long list of packages! I tried it and I get E: Couldn't find package contact-lookup-applet
Presumably a difference in the packages I have installed. Not really surprising since that post was 2008. I'm on gnome desktop v2.30.2. so maybe I'll have to frig around with this list and drop the packages which I don't have installed. But...

surely there's a smarter more elegant way of removing everything associated with the ubuntu desktop ?

[davidgutu]

You could install tasksel by

sudo apt-get install tasksel

. Run

tasksel

and uncheck ubuntu desktop

[overdrank]

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