Install Ubuntu server with GUI?

[hyper_ch]

I never said a person shouldn't learn how to do things properly but maybe I'm looking at things from the point of view of a home user that has maybe 2 or 3 home computers and wants a nice easy setup for personal use so they can set it up and forget about it, not the professional who should know 10001 commands to do everything at his finger tips and not be using a gui.

You don't need to learn the commands, just how to copy and paste them there are quite a few sites where you just have to copy'n'paste and even by doing so you learn stuff.

Furthermore, not everything is at your finger tips in a gui. A gui is restricting what you actually can do - and that on a large scale.

Showing and telling someone how to do it properly? no, I don't find that condescending but when it takes 15 posts for someone to finally give them the answer instead of why they shouldn't, that I do find condescending.

Did your parents every say "don't pick your nose", "clean your bedroom", ....? Did they ever say why you shouldn't pick your nose or clean your bedroom? Do you think they were condescending when they told you to do so? Do you meanwhile know why you shouldn't pick the nose and clean up your bedroom?

thats my point, YOU can do it faster because you do the job day in and day out but not everyone works with servers for a living so having a gui or some sort makes life easier for them to change something when they do it once every 3 months when they make a change on the network or the power goes out and they need to check a setting.

Anybody can do that faster on a cli. Not just him

then ask why they want to do it that way and then explain the better/safer/faster way of doing it from the cli.

That answer is simple: They don't know any better. Most of them have been used to a GUI for their live long and they just don't know any better. There's no need to ask as of why they want to do that.

[halitech]

You don't need to learn the commands, just how to copy and paste them there are quite a few sites where you just have to copy'n'paste and even by doing so you learn stuff.

Furthermore, not everything is at your finger tips in a gui. A gui is restricting what you actually can do - and that on a large scale.

I never said a gui was the end all and be all to everything and yes, I have learned over 2 years by copying and pasting commands from help I've gotten here. I also read and try to understand the command before I paste it in case I've talked to an idiot who gave me a bad command.

Did your parents every say "don't pick your nose", "clean your bedroom", ....? Did they ever say why you shouldn't pick your nose or clean your bedroom? Do you think they were condescending when they told you to do so? Do you meanwhile know why you shouldn't pick the nose and clean up your bedroom?

I was the type that I always asked why when told to do something or was told not to do something and if the answer was along the lines of "because I said so" I kept asking till I got an answer (far as picking your nose, it can cause damage to the membranes in there so you lose sense of smell and it can also cause persistant nosebleeds if enough damage is done)

Anybody can do that faster on a cli. Not just him


That answer is simple: They don't know any better. Most of them have been used to a GUI for their live long and they just don't know any better. There's no need to ask as of why they want to do that.

sorry, I used the collective he instead of they

In the world of point and click, most people don't know about the cli or don't want to know about it and thats fine, linux is about choice and if they chose to use a gui and want to use a gui, that is their choice. And I'll give you that point so it goes back to, instead of telling them not to use a gui, (or install it, whatever) give them the steps but also tell them about the cli and that if they copy and paste such and such command it will do the same thing instead of debating with them over why they want the gui for 15 posts before giving them an answer.

I guess I'm still new enough that I see things how someone coming from windows will see things, not as a lifetime server admin who has learned to do things the proper way with real live servers that only have access through ssh to the machines and its 2 different approaches thats needed.

[hyper_ch]

before you can make a choice you must know what choices you have and that is not the case for the people asking on howto install a gui on a server. If they knew how to operate the cli then they would also know how to get a gui on it - if they really want to

[windependence]

I can't say you are a good admin, a bad admin or a great admin because I don't know you personally so I'll take your word on it that you are a decent server admin. All I'm trying to get across is this, when someone asks a question (unless the answer is forbidden to answer like how do I log in as root), give them a straight answer first with exactly how to do what they are asking, then ask why they want to do it that way and then explain the better/safer/faster way of doing it from the cli. If you think I'm wrong for thinking this then thats your opinion and I'll leave your server platform area and leave you alone

If you had actually read any of my posts here, you would quickly find that they always get a straight answer and in more than 50% of cases, I will fix their problem. Not only that but you'll se that every single day I receive thank yous for helping people out.

What bothers me most is when someone come here in the SERVER forum looking for answers related to SERVER questions and then whines about it when we give them a proper SERVER related answer. You don't see the mods transferring questions to the SERVER forums of how to do X in the GUI. My feeling is if you want to run a DESKTOP, then you need to run the DESKTOP version and ask questions in the DESKTOP forums. Yes, I know, you think I'm a CLI snob. Maybe you're right, but let me tell you, I was EXACTLY where you are and I did EXACTLY what you are doing when I was learning. I finally found out that without my precious GUI I was helpless. That's a scary feeling when all your data is on your 'nix machine and you can't access it, even for a home user. You don't think we all popped out of the womb spouting off commands do ya? FYI, I look up a LOT of commands, and you only have to remember one - man. Learning to search google is another invaluable tool. You wouldn't have any idea how many people I help out here simply by looking up the answer on Google. I don't know everything - far fro it.

-Tim

[halitech]

before you can make a choice you must know what choices you have and that is not the case for the people asking on howto install a gui on a server. If they knew how to operate the cli then they would also know how to get a gui on it - if they really want to

if they can get themselves to a cli then they *should* know the cli exists, otherwise what do they think they are looking at?

If you had actually read any of my posts here, you would quickly find that they always get a straight answer and in more than 50% of cases, I will fix their problem. Not only that but you'll se that every single day I receive thank yous for helping people out.

What bothers me most is when someone come here in the SERVER forum looking for answers related to SERVER questions and then whines about it when we give them a proper SERVER related answer. You don't see the mods transferring questions to the SERVER forums of how to do X in the GUI. My feeling is if you want to run a DESKTOP, then you need to run the DESKTOP version and ask questions in the DESKTOP forums. Yes, I know, you think I'm a CLI snob. Maybe you're right, but let me tell you, I was EXACTLY where you are and I did EXACTLY what you are doing when I was learning. I finally found out that without my precious GUI I was helpless. That's a scary feeling when all your data is on your 'nix machine and you can't access it, even for a home user. You don't think we all popped out of the womb spouting off commands do ya? FYI, I look up a LOT of commands, and you only have to remember one - man. Learning to search google is another invaluable tool. You wouldn't have any idea how many people I help out here simply by looking up the answer on Google. I don't know everything - far fro it.

-Tim

and I can understand your frustration on giving a proper answer and hearing people whine about it, I see the same thing up in the beginners forum where I hang out mostly (after 2 years I still consider myself a beginner but one who can answer more then I have to ask anymore) and it annoys me as well when someone asks how do I do this and you tell them point blank and then they ask if thats the only way. Don't like the possible answer, don't ask the question

I know a good sysadmin is not something that is born, they make themselves into it because they want to be good at it. And yes, waking up and sitting down at the keyboard to only see the cli is scary for anyone. Maybe what the admins here need to do is create a new section for Home server questions where people can get help with home server type things where a gui more then likely is in use because its also the computer with the printer connected to it and the burner and the scanner so people who want a gui on a small home server will go there for help that suits their needs instead of being in the server forum where you guys take things seriously because you do it for a living.

No one can ever know it all and I do the same thing, Google is the best friend of any techie (and even none techie who is curious about anything). Its not a matter of knowing all the answers but knowing where to look to find those answers.

[perspectoff]

This is the silliest thread I have ever read.

Simply install the server (e.g. Ubuntu Hardy Heron Server Edition). During installation, I recommend installing the LAMP server stack (as well as other services you might need).

At the first command line prompt, login with the administrator id and password you set at installation.

Set a root user password:

sudo passwd root

the become the root user:

sudo -s

Now update your server installation:

apt-get update

Now install your desktop of choice:

apt-get install kubuntu-desktop

(or apt-get install ubuntu-desktop or apt-get install xubuntu-desktop)

Now you have a server with a full GUI desktop.

[hyper_ch]

it is against forum rules to tell how to enable the root account.

[Ameoba]

Can i just say as the one who started this, that i was never looking for a full set of desktop applications like the ubuntu-desktop package. I was just planing to ease my self into the text based OS slower. So i could easily get used to the file structure, load files accross with an ftp program etc on the gui, but start doing more and more on the command line.

So a simple 'here is how to load a simple gui' would have suited my question fine. Although i have implemented screen now that i'm manageing my server remotely and wanting to disconnect ssh without loosing the session. So i appreciate those suggestions, as long as my question is also answered.

I've always thought that comand line is the best way to have the most control within easy reach... however a well desgined gui CAN make the tasks they are designed for easier. So if the task dosn't require custom options, is inconsistent enough that a script couldn't do it, then i would prefer a gui.

I agree with the statements about gui taking server load... but on the machine i'm running i've got load to spare and would like that bit of ease while i get used to it.

[startrekker]

I would use the GUI desktop install. Then:
sudo tasksel

from there pick the parts of the server you need.

If I were running the LAMP stack I would look at securing it:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ApacheMySQLPHP