How to install Desktop, VNC, Firefox and Flash on Ubuntu

 

First, make sure you are logged in as root.

 

1. Start by updating your server:

[root@example ~]# apt-get update

and:

[root@example ~]# apt-get upgrade

 

2. Install GNOME desktop:

[root@example ~]# apt-get install ubuntu-desktop

 

3. Start Gnome Desktop Manager

[root@example ~]# service gdm start

 

4. Configure XServer (automatic)

[root@example ~]# dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

 

5. Now it's time to install the VNC server. In this guide, we will use TightVNC Server

[root@example ~]# apt-get install tightvncserver

 

6. Let's create a VNC password and setup the :1 server with 1024x768 as resolution.

[root@example ~]# vncserver :1 -geometry 1024x768 -depth 16 -pixelformat rgb565

 

7. To make the VNC server run at startup (after reboots) add this line:

vncserver :1 -geometry 1024x768 -depth 16 -pixelformat rgb565

to file: /etc/rc.local

 

8. To make the VNC server use Gnome Window Manager as default, we must edit the xstartup script.

Edit file: /root/.vnc/xstartup and make it look like this:

 

#!/bin/sh

xrdb $HOME/.Xresources

xsetroot -solid grey

x-terminal-emulator -geometry 80x24+10+10 -ls -title "$VNCDESKTOP Desktop" &

#x-window-manager &

gnome-session &

 

9. Reboot the server

[root@example ~]# reboot

 

After the reboot, try to connect to your server via VNC (enter your IP followed by :1 as the host, like: 192.168.1.65:1). If it works, you are done!

 

If you can't connect, make sure VNC server :1 is running, run this command:

[root@example ~]# vncserver :1 -geometry 1024x768 -depth 16 -pixelformat rgb565

and try again. Make sure this line is added to /etc/rc.local

 

Firefox and Flash

Firefox is already installed, as it is included in "ubuntu-desktop" that we installed earlier.

 

10. Install Flash

Go to Applications -> Ubuntu Software Center and then search for "flash", choose the Adobe Flash plugin for Mozilla, and click install.

 

Once it's done, restart Firefox and Flash works!