There's no specific distribution called “Ubuntu server”, it's all Ubuntu. There are different installation media for Ubuntu desktop and server, but the difference is only in the initial installation program and the set of packages included. The server installation media doesn't install a GUI by default, but it's just a package installation away. The desktop installation media does install a GUI by default.To add a desktop UI environment to an Ubuntu installed as the 'server' variety, you'll need to install some packages from the internet.Run these commands to install a desktop environment: sudo apt-get updatesudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktopYou should get a graphical login prompt at that point (I'm not completely sure; if you don't get one, reboot).Once you have a GUI, you should go and enable a few more, at the very least security updates and the universe repository. Click on the Ubuntu button, and search for 'Software Sources”, and check the “restricted”, “universe” and “multiverse” boxes (in addition to “main”) in the first tab, and check at least “-security” and “-updates” (and you might as well check the others) in the “Updates” tab. Ubuntu Server never comes with a GUI. All activities that you need to do on a server can to be done through terminal.
Even if you download the GUI, you will probably be able to access internet and get online support via forums or through chat. But there are no server / activities management tools for linux as yet which need a GUI for management.If you are looking for some GUI similar to Windows Server, then such GUI does not exist for Ubuntu Server. But you can download a Ubuntu desktop on a server to get the UI.All server related activities will still be required to be done through the terminal. You can download the desktop GUI on the server through the following command.Following are the options.To install the default Unity desktop environment: sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop.To install the Unity desktop environment without addons like (Email, OpenOffice): sudo aptitude install -without-recommends ubuntu-desktop.To install a very lightweight desktop environment, just the basic GUI (XFCE): sudo apt-get install xubuntu-desktop (or LXDE: sudo apt-get install lubuntu-desktop for an even lighter GUI).
Hi guys after a little research I wanted to share an answer too!Some more info can be found here. I assume you start with a clean install of Ubuntu Server 16.04 (some modifications may be needed for older versions of Ubuntu).
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The reason why it's called 'Server' is because it's lightweight (no GUI or extra packages) to run the machine as lean as you possibly can. Adding a GUI to it defeats the purpose of a Server installation.However, installing as Server then using apt-get install/aptitude install your choice of a desktop can help to weed out unnecessary applications than from doing a direct installation of a Ubuntu Desktop release.
If you're going this route, I personally like sudo aptitude install -without-recommends ubuntu-desktopEDIT: However, if you're using it as a real 'Server' (ftp, web hosting, DNS, etc.), it is highly recommended to learn how to navigate Ubuntu via its shell instead of the GUI.And what UbuntuIngrained said about the necessity of knowing the shell isn't necessarily true. There are packages that install GUIs for different server functions.