How to Install a GUI on Ubuntu Server: Step-by-Step Guide

Ubuntu Server ships without a graphical interface to conserve CPU, RAM, and disk resources. A GUI adds overhead, but it can make certain tasks easier. For example, managing databases with phpMyAdmin, monitoring systems with Cockpit, or running a graphical IDE on a remote development server. Adding a desktop environment also helps users who are still learning Linux command-line tools.

In this tutorial, you will install a desktop environment on Ubuntu Server, set up a display manager, enable the graphical login screen, and connect remotely. You will also learn how to remove the GUI when you no longer need it.

#Prerequisites

Before proceeding with the installation, ensure that you have the following:

1. The latest Ubuntu Server installed. A cloud VPS server from Cherry Servers is used here.

2. A user account with sudo privileges.

3. An active internet connection.

Minimum hardware recommendations:

• GNOME: 4 GB RAM minimum (8 GB recommended), 2 CPU cores, 20 GB free disk space

• Xfce: 1 GB RAM minimum (2 GB recommended), 1 CPU core, 10 GB free disk space

• LXQt: 512 MB RAM minimum (1 GB recommended), 1 CPU core, 8 GB free disk space

• KDE Plasma: 2 GB RAM minimum (4 GB recommended), 2 CPU cores, 15 GB free disk space

#Installing a GUI on the Ubuntu server

The steps below walk through the full process from updating packages to connecting remotely. Each step builds on the previous one, so follow them in order.

#Step 1: Update your system

Before installing any software, it's essential to ensure your system is up-to-date. Run the following commands to update your package lists and upgrade any outdated packages:

sudo apt update  
sudo apt upgrade -y

This ensures that you have the latest security patches and system updates installed.

#Step 2: Choose a desktop environment

Ubuntu offers various desktop environments to suit different needs and performance preferences. Here are some popular ones:

• GNOME: The default desktop environment for Ubuntu Desktop.

• Xfce (Xubuntu): Lightweight and resource-efficient.

• LXQt (Lubuntu): Very lightweight, ideal for low-spec hardware. Lubuntu switched from LXDE to LXQt starting with version 18.10.

• KDE (Kubuntu): A feature-rich environment that might use more resources.

The table below compares these desktop environments to help you pick the right one for your server:

For this tutorial, we'll focus on installing GNOME and Xfce, but you can choose any of the others by replacing the package name in the following steps.

Also read:How to check your Ubuntu version

#Step 3: Install the desktop environment

#Installing GNOME

If you prefer the full Ubuntu Desktop experience, you can install the GNOME desktop environment. Run the following command:

sudo apt install ubuntu-desktop -y

This will install the full GNOME desktop, along with all its associated applications, which can be resource-heavy.

#Installing Xfce

If you need a more lightweight option, Xfce is an excellent choice. To install it, run:

sudo apt install xubuntu-core -y

This installs the Xfce desktop environment without unnecessary applications, making it a more minimal and efficient choice for servers.

#Installing other desktops

You can install other desktop environments like LXQt or KDE by running:

# For LXQt (Lubuntu's desktop — very lightweight)
sudo apt install lxqt-y

# For KDE Plasma
sudo apt install kubuntu-desktop -y

#Step 4: Install a display manager

A display manager is responsible for starting the desktop environment. Ubuntu uses GDM (GNOME Display Manager) by default for GNOME, but you can install others like LightDM for a lightweight option, especially if you're using Xfce or LXDE.

To install LightDM, run:

sudo apt install lightdm -y

If you installed GNOME, install GDM3:

sudo apt install gdm3 -y

If you installed KDE Plasma, install SDDM:

sudo apt install sddm -y

During the installation, you'll be prompted to select a default display manager. If you're unsure, LightDM is a good choice, especially for lightweight environments like Xfce.

#Which display manager should you pick?

• GDM3: Best paired with GNOME. Supports Wayland sessions natively. Uses more RAM (~100–150 MB).

• LightDM: Works with all desktop environments. Lower resource usage (~30–50 MB). Better compatibility with VNC and xrdp.

• SDDM: The default for KDE Plasma. Lightweight and visually consistent with KDE themes.

If you plan to access the GUI remotely through VNC or RDP, LightDM is the safest choice because it runs X11 sessions by default.

#Step 5: Enable GUI to start automatically

Once the installation is complete, you'll need to configure your system to boot into the GUI automatically.

First, check the system's default target, which determines what services start when the system boots:

systemctl get-default

By default, it should return multi-user.target, which is the non-graphical mode. To switch to graphical mode, run:

sudo systemctl set-default graphical.target

Now, your server will boot into the graphical interface automatically on the next startup.

Also read: How to install NPM on Ubuntu 24.04

#Step 6: Reboot the system

Once you've installed the desktop environment and configured it to start automatically, reboot your system to apply the changes:

sudo reboot

After the reboot, you should be greeted by the login screen of the desktop environment you installed (GNOME, Xfce, etc.).

#Step 7: Connect to the GUI (Optional)

If you're managing your server remotely, you may want to use a remote desktop connection to access the GUI. Here are some popular options:

#Cloud console

Your cloud provider probably already has a console feature allowing you to connect to your server. If you are using Cherry Servers, select your VM in the client portal and click on Console to access your server console.

You can then log in via the GUI and access your desktop:

#VNC (Virtual Network Computing)

VNC creates a virtual desktop session you can access from any VNC client. TigerVNC is the recommended VNC server for Ubuntu 24.04. It supports TLS encryption, works with compositing window managers, and is actively maintained.

The setup differs slightly depending on your desktop environment because GNOME defaults to Wayland, while Xfce and LXQt use X11.

VNC with GNOME

GNOME on Ubuntu 24.04 defaults to Wayland, which TigerVNC does not support. You need to force an X11 session.

Install TigerVNC:

sudo apt install tigervnc-standalone-server -y

Set a VNC password:

vncpasswd

Create a ~/.vnc/xstartup file that launches GNOME under X11:

mkdir -p ~/.vnc  
cat << 'EOF' > ~/.vnc/xstartup  
#!/bin/sh  
export XDG_SESSION_TYPE=x11  
export GDK_BACKEND=x11  
dbus-launch --exit-with-session gnome-session &  
EOF  
chmod +x ~/.vnc/xstartup

Start the VNC server:

vncserver -localhost no -geometry 1280x800 -depth 24 :1

If you prefer to skip VNC configuration for GNOME, use xrdp instead. It handles the X11 session internally and requires less setup. The RDP section below covers this.

VNC with Xfce

Xfce runs on X11 by default, so TigerVNC works without extra session configuration.

Install TigerVNC:

sudo apt install tigervnc-standalone-server -y

Set a VNC password:

vncpasswd

Create the ~/.vnc/xstartup file for Xfce:

mkdir -p ~/.vnc  
cat << 'EOF' > ~/.vnc/xstartup  
#!/bin/sh  
startxfce4 &  
EOF  
chmod +x ~/.vnc/xstartup

Start the VNC server:

vncserver -localhost no -geometry 1280x800 -depth 24 :1

VNC with LXQt

LXQt also runs on X11. The setup follows the same pattern as Xfce.

Install TigerVNC:

sudo apt install tigervnc-standalone-server -y

Set a VNC password:

vncpasswd

Create the ~/.vnc/xstartup file for LXQt:

mkdir -p ~/.vnc  
cat << 'EOF' > ~/.vnc/xstartup  
#!/bin/sh  
startlxqt &  
EOF  
chmod +x ~/.vnc/xstartup

Start the VNC server:

vncserver -localhost no -geometry 1280x800 -depth 24 :1

#RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol)

xrdp is a Microsoft-compatible RDP server that works well with all desktop environments. It handles X11/Wayland differences automatically, making it the simplest option for remote GUI access.

Install and enable xrdp:

sudo apt install xrdp -y  
sudo systemctl enable xrdp

xrdp launches GNOME by default. If you use Xfce, create an .xsession file so xrdp starts the correct desktop:

echo  "startxfce4" > ~/.xsession  
sudo systemctl restart xrdp

For LXQt, use the following instead:

echo  "startlxqt" > ~/.xsession  
sudo systemctl restart xrdp

Connect from any RDP client (Windows Remote Desktop, Remmina on Linux, or Microsoft Remote Desktop on macOS) using your server's IP address on port 3389.

#Firewall configuration

If you have ufw enabled, open the necessary ports for remote access:

# For VNC (port 5901)  
sudo ufw allow 5901/tcp  
  
# For RDP (port 3389)  
sudo ufw allow 3389/tcp  
  
# Verify rules  
sudo ufw status

Security tip: Avoid exposing VNC port 5901 directly to the internet. Tunnel VNC through SSH for encrypted access:

ssh -L 5901:localhost:5901 user@your-server-ip

Then connect your VNC client to localhost:5901 on your local machine.

#Step 8: Managing the GUI

If you ever want to return to a non-graphical environment, you can change the default target back to multi-user.target:

sudo systemctl set-default multi-user.target

This will ensure that your server boots into the command-line interface (CLI) by default.

#How to remove the GUI from Ubuntu Server

If you no longer need the graphical interface, removing it frees up disk space and reduces resource usage. The steps differ depending on which desktop environment you installed.

Remove GNOME:

sudo apt remove --purge ubuntu-desktop gnome-shell -y  
sudo apt autoremove --purge -y

Remove Xfce:

sudo apt remove --purge xubuntu-core xfce4 -y  
sudo apt autoremove --purge -y

Remove LXQt:

sudo apt remove --purge lubuntu-core lxqt -y  
sudo apt autoremove --purge -y

Remove the display manager:

# Remove LightDM  
sudo apt remove --purge lightdm -y  
  
# Or remove GDM3  
sudo apt remove --purge gdm3 -y

After removing the packages, set the boot target back to CLI mode and reboot:

sudo systemctl set-default multi-user.target  
sudo reboot

Run sudo apt autoremove --purge -y one more time after the reboot to clean up any remaining orphaned packages.

#Conclusion

You now have a working GUI on your Ubuntu Server. You updated the system, picked a desktop environment, set up a display manager, and connected remotely through VNC or RDP.

Keep in mind that a graphical interface adds overhead. Monitor your server's resource usage after installation, and remove the GUI if you no longer need it. For lightweight remote tasks, Xfce with xrdp offers the best balance between usability and performance.

For Ubuntu servers running on dedicated hardware, explore Cherry Servers' bare metal and virtual server options.