Score:0

I accidentally installed (parts of) a GUI on Ubuntu Server

th flag

Knowing no better, I ran the 'automatic' update and install commands with my eyes closed.

apt-get update
apt-get upgrade

Reading other posts on this subject brings me to this command;

zgrep 'install ' /var/log/dpkg.log* | sort | cut -f1,2,4 -d' '

This indeed shows that have installed some Xserver components. Using CRTL+ALT+F3, I am still able to access a terminal.

The GUI that is displayed has no 'start button/menu' and seems to just be a blue background.

This installation is a VM and I have a snapshot. I intend to roll back to the snapshot (before trying again).

I do have the resources necessary to run a GUI - but had hoped not to.

when running apt-get update, is there a simple way of identifying updates that may cause a GUI (or in this case, incomplete parts of a GUI) to be installed?

Of course, I will pay more attention and not install packages that are not "..../ubuntu focal" (other than those for packages I am using and know to be non-Gui).

I know I have a lot of manual reading to do - but other than 'don't blindly click around' is there any other useful advice the community can offer?

guiverc avatar
cn flag
I don't believe any updates would cause a GUI to be installed; they'd only be pulled in because of packages already installed that made them necessary (or bug that shouldn't occur in a *stable* or released product; these issues do occur on occasion with *development* or *testing* releases). There are some packages that servers do use that use desktop libraries/toolkits - thus the desktop toolkits are necessary in order to use those features; but they aren't the result of any *updates*, but the install of the tools that use desktop toolkit features.
shelfStacker avatar
th flag
Many thanks G. I will roll back to my earlier snapshot of the VM in the morning, then get a list of pending updates. I believe I have a stable release version (downloaded and checked from the main site). The first time I updated, things ran as expected and there was no GUI. The last time I updated (~2 weeks ago), the next time I logged in there is a partial GUI. Using CTRL ALT F3, I can query the last updates (there are some Xwindows references).
shelfStacker avatar
th flag
Too scared to remove the GUI stuff - if this VM goes offline, I will get it in the neck. Going to have to live with a partial GUI and manually selecting the terminal CTRL+ALT+F3
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