[GRLUG] gui on a server

[Roberto Villarreal]

On Friday, April 06, 2012 04:04:20 PM Topher wrote:
> On Fri, 6 Apr 2012, Michael Mol wrote:
> > On Fri, Apr 6, 2012 at 3:49 PM, Benjamin Flanders <flanderb at gmail.com> 
wrote:
> >> How does one install a gui like say xfce on a ubuntu server so that X
> >> does not start automatically?  I like the ease of use that
> >> xubuntu-desktop afford, but this is on a low power server that is
> >> already running a lot of stuff.  I'd like to be able to run startx if
> >> I want to get the gui, but have it all out of memory when I don't want
> >> it.
> > 
> > Most straightforward approach would be to not install a display
> > manager like xdm, kdm, gdm or slim.
> > 
> > Apart from that...Not certain. I don't know recall how one enables or
> > disables upstart services.
> 
> When *I* was a kid (early 20's) the gui was started at a runlevel.
> Runlevel3 was the command line, runlevel5 got you the gui.  Startx
> actually changed the runlevel.
> 
> I would google for how to run ubuntu without a gui, then install xfce and
> then uninstall the startup manager if they make you have one.

For Debian at least, it's still conceptually the same.  In my install at 
least, you'll be put into runlevel 2 (/etc/inittab should tell you yours).

There is a command that lets you alter what runs in what runlevels, and I for 
the life of me can't remember what it is, because I usually cheat.  In /etc 
there are directories named rc[0123456].d which symlink to scripts in 
/etc/init.d.  So the 'cheat' way is to just delete the script in rc2.d (for 
me, it's called S99kdm).  Then, if you are in runlevel2, it will not start by 
default.  If you want to start it on demand, you can call /etc/init.d/kdm 
start (or whatever display manager you use).

Roberto