XFCE on Ubuntu server?

[guldberg72]

Hello guys. i was wondering if it is possible to install xfce on ubuntu server so i have the option to start and stop the grapichal gui ? and when i boot up my server it is automatic turned off and needed to be startet from the shell before it appears?

[ian-weisser]

[Edit] Bucky Ball (below) said it better than I did.

[Bucky Ball]

DON'T install xubuntu-desktop! You don't want that, particularly on a dedicated server. It will drag in everything Xubuntu and you may as well have just installed Xubuntu in the first place.


sudo apt-get install xfce4

... is all you need. You only want the desktop environment, not Xubuntu ...

From a terminal:


startxfce4

... will get you to the desktop. You can also choose the xfce4 session from the Sessions menu at login screen, if you are running one.

If people are after the desktop environment, please do not advise to install *buntu-desktop. Not the same at all. That command effectively installs the whole OS; apps, dependencies, the lot. Undesirable in many cases. ;)

[guldberg72]

thanks for the anwser. i am not running any desktop enviroments at the moment because it is the server edition and i dont want to loose performance by running a desktop.
there is just sometimes it is a little easier when there is a desktop enviroment ;)

[ibjsb4]

If people are after the desktop environment, please do not advise to install *buntu-desktop. Not the same at all. That command effectively installs the whole OS; apps, dependencies, the lot. Undesirable in many cases.
I would consider something even lighter than xfce4, like lxde-core & xserver-xorg.

http://packages.ubuntu.com/trusty/xfce4

http://packages.ubuntu.com/trusty/lxde-core

[Impavidus]

Keep in mind that if you install xfce4 on a server running an LTS release, the support period will be cut back from 5 years to just 3. After that, you'd get an unsupported GUI on a supported server, which gives trouble.

[ibjsb4]

Keep in mind that if you install xfce4 on a server running an LTS release, the support period will be cut back from 5 years to just 3. After that, you'd get an unsupported GUI on a supported server, which gives trouble.
Good point.

Not all desktops have five years of support, Flashback (minimal) would give 5 years of support.

sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg gnome-terminal && sudo apt-get install --no-install recommends gnome-session-flashback nautilus
http://packages.ubuntu.com/trusty/gnome-session-flashback
After you get whatever desktop installed you can check package support.

ubuntu-support-status --show-supported