Install GUI Environment for Ubuntu

Managing a server exclusively via SSH is a daunting task. Some administrators end up installing VNC for the purpose of having a GUI environment to work with.

Luckily for us, Vultr has a View Console option!

Vultr's noVNC is a secure alternative to VNC, without the resource overhead, and with many more functions.

Installing GUI on Ubuntu

Follow these steps:

1. Login to your VPS instance via the Linux terminal by executing ssh@serverip. Alternatively, use the View Console on your manage area.

2. Make sure that all of your packages and dependencies are up-to-date.

   apt-get update
   

3. Install the LXDE Minimalist package.

   apt-get install -y lubuntu-core
   

   Alternatively, if you have a more powerful VPS, and want a full-fledged desktop, then install the desktop package:

      apt-get install -y lubuntu-desktop
   

4. (Optional) You can install Firefox for browsing:

   apt-get install -y firefox
   

5. Reboot the machine by executing reboot.

6. Click View Console again, you'll see a desktop-like GUI environment.

7. Log in as root.

To Change Screen Resolution

Open a terminal, then use xrandr to show the valid modes and display adapter in use.

    # xrandr

Change the display adapter to one of the valid modes, 1280x1024 in this example.

    # xrandr --output VGA-1 --mode 1280x1024

And that's it! Now you can use your VPS to perform tasks with the help of a GUI. In addition to that, you can also use Firefox to browse the web using your VPS.