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Table of Contents
How to Install a Desktop (GUI) on a Linux Ubuntu Server
Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS (or previous versions) does not include a Graphical User Interface (GUI) upon installation. However, a desktop environment (a GUI) can be added after Ubuntu Server is installed. Installation is done from the command line interface (CLI) either with or without the necessity of installing or employing the task select manager utility (tasksel), which necessity will depend on the display manager and/or the Gui that you choose.
Update the Repositories and Packages
Since we want to have access to the latest packages that are available to install, it is good practice to begin with updating the repositories and package lists by entering the following at the CLI.
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade
Press y and the enter key at the prompt - 'Do you want to continue?“
If asked, enter your root/sudo password at the prompt.
This ensures that we have the most recent software updates.
Installing the Tasksel Manager Utility
Tasksel is a utility for simultaneously installing releted packages.
To install tasksel manager utility, enter the following at the CLI:
sudo apt-get install tasksel
If asked, enter your root/sudo password at the prompt.