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My client is nervous with no GUI on the server. Are there drawbacks to installing something like XFCE or Gnome? Are there better desktop environment options for a server setup? Alternatively, I don't know how to explain to the client that the GUI is a bit useless fin this case. Techies with customer service experience please advise.

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    What does the client want from a GUI? We might be able to give you some options if we know what functionality they want.
    – mbreedlove
    Feb 7, 2011 at 21:05
  • @mbreedlove Client doesn't know what functionality he needs; I have the impression he doesn't feel that I'm serious or professional while his server does not resemble what he's familiar with.
    – aesthetic priest
    Feb 7, 2011 at 21:14
  • Will the client be logging into the server at all or will it only be you? If it's their box, they can request it if they want.
    – ngen
    Feb 7, 2011 at 21:21
  • I think I know the type of person you're talking about, they they see console windows as scary things for geeks and they just want nice pretty windows. If that's the case, just throw XFCE on there, it should be light enough to not get in the way but make the client happy.
    – mbreedlove
    Feb 7, 2011 at 21:44

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The only drawbacks are that your server is now running the extra overhead of a GUI. Nothing to be nervous about, unless your server is very short on RAM ;)

XFCE is a decently lightweight choice (I'd certainly advise against KDE, anyway) but any desktop environment won't directly interfere with the function of the server.

If your client doesn't get it though, you, uh, probably have a good deal of trouble with this client in your future... Good luck!

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  • There is more than that. The added unnecessary layer is one more set of applications that can cause a system failure. It is also one more (large) set of applications for potential vulnerabilities to exist in. The less you install on a server, the better.
    – MDMarra
    Feb 7, 2011 at 21:12
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    You can have a gui installed, but not boot into it. I have a gui installed on all of my servers to satisfy the boss, but they boot into run level 3 to get rid of the running overhead.
    – steve.lippert
    Feb 7, 2011 at 21:12
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If Ubuntu server is already installed and GUI is mandatory, just run

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop

Depending on what they need to do, they might get away using Webmin

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    +1 for Webmin, it's an excellent GUI option for a server.
    – chunkyb2002
    Feb 7, 2011 at 21:05
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    +1 for Webmin. If I can't do it via SSH or Webmin, chances are I am doing it wrong.
    – steve.lippert
    Feb 7, 2011 at 21:11
  • Let's just hope the client is that confident. But if that's the case, perhaps the client shouldn't be logging into the server.
    – ngen
    Feb 7, 2011 at 21:20
  • Thanks for alerting me to Webmin; But I think his problem is that it doesn't seem like a desktop computer.
    – aesthetic priest
    Feb 11, 2011 at 18:11
  • For future reference, webmin is no longer supported on ubuntu
    – collabeta
    Jun 9, 2012 at 18:59

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