Install a desktop environment on Ubuntu Server

Ensure you have a working installation of Ubuntu server.

If you need to install Ubuntu server, follow the guide in the official documentation.

Update packages

First, you need to ensure that your packages are updated to the latest version, run:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

Then, you can use the apt install command to install a desktop environment.

Two popular and lightweight options to consider are:

sudo apt install xubuntu-desktop

or:

sudo apt install lubuntu-desktop

Tip
Learn more about Ubuntu flavours.

Once the install finishes, reboot your server with:

sudo reboot

Your new desktop environment will then appear.