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Proxmox - Guests (VMs and Containers) - Install a GUI

Most containers are server only, and do not come with a GUI.

To have a GUI installed, try the following.

Quick Options

Ubuntu default desktop: sudo apt install ubuntu-desktop
Gnome 3 installation: sudo apt-get install gnome-shell
KDE see Kubuntu installation: sudo apt-get install kubuntu-desktop
XFCE installation: sudo apt-get install xfce4.
LXDE installation: sudo apt-get install lxde
Openbox installation: sudo apt-get install openbox
Gnome Classic (old) a Gnome 3 desktop that looks like Gnome 2 installation: sudo apt-get install gnome-session-fallback
Ubuntu Gnome (Official flavor) installation: sudo apt install ubuntu-gnome-desktop

apt-get update
apt-get install ubuntu-desktop

NOTE: After a reboot, this should get a graphical login prompt.

apt install --no-install-recommends ubuntu-desktop

NOTE: To have a very basic GUI.

The –no-install-recommends will exclude major software and tools such as libreoffice, firefox , thunderbird etc.

Many systems do not recommend or allow root login.

They also require that the user has a home directory.

add user peter
add user peter sudo

NOTE: The sudo at the end adds the user, peter, to the sudo group.

TIP1: The –no-install-recommends options applies to all dependencies packages recursively.
- So first install the xorg package to make sure all graphic drivers and other packages are installed.

TIP2: If network-manager and network-manager-gnome are installed, then it is best to use it to configure your network and delete everything at /etc/network/interfaces file (except the lo interface) in order to avoid conflicts.

TIP3: If you need remote desktop via x11vnc then choose option 2 to 6 (You may also need to add option -auth guess and -loopso that vnc works before you login and after you logout).

TIP4: At options 2 to 6 if you wanna stop lightdm autostarting then run the command sudo systemctl disable lightdm and you can start it whenever you want with sudo systemctl start lightdm.
- To re-enable it run sudo systemctl enable lightdm and check it with systemctl is-enabled lightdm.
  - If the re-enable does not work, and the is-enabled commands has output static run sudo apt install –reinstall lightdm to fix it.

TIP5: You can install the specific desktop environment metapackage like lxde, xfce4, mate-desktop-environment, plasma-desktop, unity, gnome.
- However, you will need more packages than just xorg in most cases and these packages or metapackages might install packages that are not longer preferred by any Ubuntu flavor.
- For example lxde installs wicd as recommendation when all flavors (including lubuntu) use network-manager and network-manager-gnome nowadays.
- To see differences between packages you can search here: http://packages.ubuntu.com/

TIP6: If upon boot you see the greeter and it throws you back to tty again, then simply restart the lightdm by firing sudo service lightdm restart.