Install GUI (Graphical User Interface) in Ubuntu 13.10 Server

Last updated: October 27, 2013

Ubuntu 13.10 Server gui

I’ve written about how to install Ubuntu 13.10 Server. If you’re not familiar with command console you can install GUI on Ubuntu Server:

  • Desktop Environment on local server
  • Webmin on remote server.

Install Desktop Environment in Ubuntu 13.10 Server:

Before getting started, update system package lists by running the command below:

sudo apt-get update

1. To install Ubuntu Unity Desktop, run:

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop

For ‘minimal’ install without all the desktop add-on and other things that come with Ubuntu Desktop Edition, run:

sudo apt-get install --no-install-recommends ubuntu-desktop

Once installed, restart Ubuntu server and you’ll see the graphical login screen. Or run command below to start without reboot:

startx

2. To install the light weight desktop Xfce, run:

sudo apt-get install xubuntu-desktop

3. To install KDE, run:

sudo apt-get install kubuntu-desktop

Install Webmin in Ubuntu 13.10 Server:

Webmin is a web-interface for remote users to configure Apache, DNS, FTP, and others on your Ubuntu server.

To install Webmin in Ubuntu server, run command below to download the DEB package:

wget http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/webadmin/webmin_1.660_all.deb

Then install it as well as the dependencies:

sudo dpkg -i webmin_1.660_all.deb; sudo apt-get -f install

Once installed, go to https://your-ubuntu-serverip:10000 on your client PC’s web browser and login with Administrator account:

webmin login ubuntu server

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7 responses to Install GUI (Graphical User Interface) in Ubuntu 13.10 Server

  1. I get:
    Err http://au.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ saucy/main libnet-ssleay-perl amd64 1.55-1
    504 Connection Timed Out [IP: 202.158.214.106 80]
    Err http://au.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ saucy/universe libauthen-pam-perl amd64 0.16-2build2
    504 Connection Timed Out [IP: 202.158.214.106 80]
    0% [Waiting for headers]

  2. Hey,
    I wanted to installed the ubuntu desktop. But how do I know that gui has started running on the server.
    I do a “startx” in the terminal via ssh (though that makes little sense), but then the console screen stops at a certain point, no further activity.
    I do a “echo $DISPLAY” in the terminal via ssh, it shows blank output as expected. How do I do that because I have an app, that needs to run and creating a window is necessary (it is a video rendering application). But the only problem it faces as seen via error log is that it cannot find and X server to connect to.

  3. before we install gui desktop, we must connect to internet, but i don’t know how to connect internet using console terminal,,,please your fast respone

    • edit the /etc/network/interfaces

      sudo vi /etc/network/interfaces

      Change the file to look like this

      #The primary network interface — use DHCP to find our address
      auto eth0
      iface eth0 inet dhcp

      then try the following commands:

      dhclient -r
      
      /etc/init.d/networking restart
  4. would you list the step/tutorial for install ubuntu server 13.10 till install ubuntu 13.10 desktop environment??what should we do for the 1st step to run(install) ubuntu 13.10 tq :)

  5. Well… I did the install for Minimal Ubuntu Desktop and lets just say it’s friggin’ minimal. Not even a terminal. I couldn’t do squat. Had to start up in recovery mode and remove desktop just to be able to do stuff?

  6. I need to install GUI on server so i typed sudo apt-get ubuntu-desktop, but its showing excepion like broken package , now my question is hoow to download and place he pakage in he unix file system as i am runing this serer on virtual machine.

    plz help me on his… thanks
    in advance ….