Installing a GUI

**softkitty** · 08-02-2011

Now I've just installed Debian Net Inst. onto my laptop, and only installed the absolute bare minimum on there. I didn't download and install anything else during the installation of Debian. Times come for the need of a GUI, and it's the first time I've had to install a GUI before, so was looking for some help.

What I've done so far,

Code:

apt-get update
apt-get install aptitude tasksel
apt-get upgrade
reboot
tasksel install gnome-desktop --new-install
reboot

I thought this would be what I needed, but startx and gdm aren't recognised, so what am I missing?

Appreciate any help.

**fanderal** · 08-02-2011

Hello and welcome!

Not sure what you want to do. As you know, Debian's NetInstal is just the base system, but the 'gnome-desktop' meta-pkg installs the entire Gnome desktop. Are you after a minimal desktop or a complete desktop environment?

**softkitty** · 08-02-2011

Yer, I'm aiming for something minimalistic which is why I got Debian NetInstal. I then intend to install Gnome and then any other programs I'll need. Don't want to have unnecessary clutter.
Not sure why I did gnome-desktop, could of probably just done gnome-core if I was thinking properly.

**fanderal** · 08-03-2011

For a Gnome desktop with less clutter, then yes, gnome-core is the way to go... its about 300MB less than gnome-desktop.

After uninstalling gnome-desktop, then installing gnome-core, also install the meta-pkg 'xorg' so it'll pull in what's needed (eg: startx) for the desktop GUI.

As a suggestion, you might check out 'aptitude.' Its usually considered Debian's default package manager. It has a text-based interface (recommended) and commandline input (like apt-get), and is accessed from a terminal on the desktop or in the console (no desktop). To open the text-base interface, just type 'aptitude' in a terminal or console.

**softkitty** · 08-03-2011

So I used tasksel to remove gnome-desktop and then proceeded to try and install xorg and gnome-core but ran in to some difficulties.

When trying to install xorg via aptitude, I couldn't find anything. I tried X, X11, x-windows-system, xorg, xserver-system and various other things it might be listed as.
Same goes when looking for gnome-core.

I did notice tasksel --task-packages gnome-desktop listed xorg as one of the packages, so I was wondering why startx and gdm might not worked previously when I had gnome-desktop. Does tasksel download and install, or just download?

Sorry for all the questions, still working my way through my Linux book and unfortunately, this isn't covered in it.

**fanderal** · 08-03-2011

I was wondering why startx and gdm might not worked previously when I had gnome-desktop.

I checked that and for some reason, neither gnome-desktop or gnome-core automatically pull in xorg. Meaning, xorg hasta be specified/selected in order to install it.

GDM is a display-manager, which displays a greeting, prompts the login and starts an xsession if xorg is installed. Xorg (startx) runs the graphic interface. A display-manager doesn't need xorg and xorg doesn't need a display-manager... they're separate components that help run/manage a GUI desktop.

I used tasksel to remove gnome-desktop and then proceeded to try and install xorg and gnome-core but ran in to some difficulties.

Have you tried it with apt-get? In the console, to install what's needed for a GUI desktop:

Code:

 sudo apt-get install gnome-core xorg firmware-linux

Post if the above command does not download and install all the packages; you'll see any problems on the screen. When the installation's finished, reboot.

**softkitty** · 08-03-2011

apt-get didn't find any of those packages.

Mm, just read my sources.list and it only has lenny security (lenny/updates main) in it which might be why I can't find these packages.

Updated my sources.list and found the packages now. Feel like an idiot for not checking it earlier. Thanks for your time.

**fanderal** · 08-04-2011

Well that sure explains why there's no desktop

Sounds like you have a Lenny system installed, Debian's old stable. If you want to run the current stable system, Squeeze... its better to upgrade now, before gnome and xorg are installed.

Do you want to stay with Lenny for now and upgrade later? Or upgrade now, to Squeeze?

**softkitty** · 08-04-2011

As far as I know, I just need to update the sources.list to squeeze, and run apt-get dist-upgrade, along with apt-get update and apt-get upgrade ?

**fanderal** · 08-04-2011

Essentially, yes. If I were doing it:

Edit sources.list:

Code:

 sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list

Add Squeeze repos:

Code:

# Squeeze Security
deb http://security.debian.org/ squeeze/updates main contrib non-free
deb-src http://security.debian.org/ squeeze/updates main contrib non-free

# Squeeze
deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ squeeze main contrib non-free
deb-src http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ squeeze main contrib non-free

When done with the edit in nano, press Ctrl+x to quit, then 'y' to save the changes, then Enter.

Download/update the repo package index:

Code:

 sudo apt-get update

Because of the changes from Lenny to Squeeze, its better to use Squeeze's package installers, so upgrade these first:

Code:

  sudo apt-get install apt dpkg apt-get aptitude

Then do the upgade:

Code:

 sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

If the upgrade went well, all Lenny packages which required an upgrade were replaced with Squeeze packages, including the kernel. Reboot to the new kernel, then Squeeze will be ready to install the desktop:

Code:

 sudo apt-get install gnome-core xorg firmware-linux

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