Try Ubuntu without Desktop Envourment: Make Fastest Ubuntu Server

Ubuntu is the most popular operating system on Linux. It's also used in most website hostings and web applications. You might have one doubt about when we can use the Ubuntu system as a web server. Will our system software decrease the page speed? But the simple answer is NO. For hosting & sites, use Ubuntu without a desktop environment as an Ubuntu server.

When you install Ubuntu from a disk image file, it provides the Gnome desktop environment. For hosting, it's not a good idea because it can affect the web server's speed. It can make your website slower. In these types of cases, you might need to follow the given steps to make Ubuntu without a desktop interface.

Ubuntu without Desktop Envourment

For Ubuntu with no GUI access, we need to operate and manage the full Ubuntu system with Terminal or SSH. This type of system's biggest disadvantage is that it cannot run any type of GUI software like the Chrome browser. It can only be used for hosting the website and running the web application. If you agree with this, you can follow my way to make Ubuntu without a desktop environment.

There are three ways to make Ubuntu without a desktop interface:

1. Continue with Ubuntu Server
2. Try Ubuntu with SSH
3. Remove GUI from Ubuntu

We can check all the methods one by one, and you can follow any one to make an Ubuntu server.

Try with Ubuntu Server

If you are currently thinking to make an Ubuntu server for hosting a site and web application, do not try to continue with the Ubuntu disk image file. Because this file includes the Gnome desktop environment on the disk file. In these types of cases, you might need to download the official Ubuntu Server from the given button and use it.

Most cloud service providers are using the Ubuntu Server as default. It does not provide the GUI interfaces. If we need, then install GUI manually on our servers.

Ubuntu Access over SSH

If you have installed Ubuntu Desktop on your computer and you have enough RAM to run and the computer's performance is good, you can install the OpenSSH service and access your Ubuntu system from another device. For doing this, you need to also run the Ubuntu system as default. Do not try to shut down the Ubuntu system. If you shut down, then the non-GUI service will automatically stop working and show the host is offline currently.

For doing this, you need a minimum of 4GB of RAM in your system and run the Ubuntu system without any heavy tasks. If you try Ubuntu for hosting, then do not recommend this type of solution. It's good for a one-time project or fixing any errors for a client remotely.

Remove GUI from Ubuntu

If you have installed the Ubuntu desktop and you want to try this system for a homelab or any project, then for increasing the performance of the lab, you need to remove the GUI and make Ubuntu without a desktop environment. For doing this, open the terminal and input the given command:

Here, GDM3 is the Gnome Desktop Manager. If we remove this, then the desktop will not work. After removing, input sudo reboot command to reboot the system. After rebooting, it will redirect to a normal page like Terminal.

Conclution

In conclusion, from the content, you might have one doubt in your mind. If we remove the desktop environment on Ubuntu and host the website on the Ubuntu server, but when we access the website from another device, it can show pictures and videos. Then why is this called without a desktop environment? The simple answer is the website is not an operating system. It's just software that runs over the Ubuntu server.