GUI-fy all your Linux servers now!
Pack on some awesomeness to all your Linux machines or servers. You will need some graphical user interface or what we call ‘GUI’.
Have you ever wandered off on a colossal, enigmatic, pitch-black sea of a Linux server that doesn’t have any GUI (graphical user interface), and you are lost that you have no idea where you are, what to do, where to go to? Yeah, I got you. I’ve been there too. I know what you are going through…
Okay, I might have gone a little overboard but you get my point, right? We want something to look at and navigate from where you are going on a Linux machine. This is why I’m introducing you these 5 amazing GUI that you can install on top of your Linux machines, for both servers and workstations. Note that this list is not limited to what you can install on your side. So here it goes:
1. KDE Plasma
KDE Plasma is a modern and versatile desktop environment for Linux and Unix-like operating systems. It can provide users with a visually appealing and highly customizable interface for interacting with their computers. I like how this user interface is straightforward and so easy to use even for non-Linux users.
Here below are 3 key points of having KDE Plasma 5 installed on your machine.
- Customization: KDE Plasma offers extensive customization options, allowing you to tailor your desktop experience to your preferences. You can easily change themes, widgets, icons, and desktop effects to suit your style.
- Performance: KDE Plasma is known for its efficiency and performance improvements. It is designed to be lightweight and fast, even on older hardware, providing a smooth user experience.
- Integration: KDE Plasma integrates well with other software and services. It supports various file managers, web browsers, and office suites, ensuring compatibility with your preferred tools.
I am not going into details on how to install this on top of your Linux so if you want to install KDE Plasma 5, go check this site. Here is a quick command on a Ubuntu/Debian machine to install this.
$ sudo apt install kde-plasma-desktop2. MATE
MATE Desktop Environment is a free and open-source desktop environment primarily developed for Linux and Unix-like operating systems. It is a continuation of the GNOME 2 desktop environment, aiming to provide a lightweight, traditional desktop experience reminiscent of older versions of GNOME.
- Classic Feel: MATE brings back the look and feel of older computer interfaces, like the ones you might remember from the early 2000s. It’s like finding your favorite, well-worn chair in that room, giving you a sense of nostalgia and familiarity.
- Simple Setup: Everything in MATE is straightforward and easy to understand. It’s like walking into a room where everything is neatly organized and within reach. You have your desktop icons where you expect them, a taskbar at the bottom for switching between open programs, and a menu for finding and launching applications.
- Documentation: There are a lot of documentation that you can see from their website so you wouldn’t have a hard time installing by your own.
Here is a quick command below that you can enter to install it on your Ubuntu/Debian machine.
sudo apt install ubuntu-mate-desktop3. XFCE Desktop
If you are looking for a modern, open source, lightweight and easy-to-use, desktop environment for Linux and several other Unix-like systems such as such as Mac OS X, *BSD, Solaris and many others, then you should consider checking out Xfce. It is fast, and importantly user friendly as well, with low system resources utilization.
It offers users a beautiful user interface combined with the following components and features:
- Thunar file manager
- User session manger to deal with logins, power management and beyond
- Desktop manager for setting background image, desktop icons, etc.
Here are some of the reasons why you shoud pick XFCE for your Linux desktop machine.
- Lightweight and Fast: XFCE doesn’t use much computer power, so it runs quickly, even on older computers.
- Customizable: You can change how XFCE looks and works to fit your style and preferences.
- Supportive Community: If you need help, there are lots of people online who can assist you with XFCE-related questions and issues.
Here is a quick command below that you can enter to install it on your Ubuntu/Debian machine. If you want more details, please visit this site.
sudo apt-get install xfce4-session xfce4-goodies4. Unity Desktop
Unity Desktop was a graphical user interface (GUI) developed by Canonical Ltd. for the Ubuntu operating system. It aimed to provide a modern, user-friendly desktop environment for Linux users.
Unity Desktop garnered mixed reactions from the Linux community. Some users appreciated its modern design and user-friendly features, while others criticized it for its departure from traditional desktop paradigms and its initial performance issues. Despite this, Unity Desktop played a significant role in shaping the Ubuntu user experience during its active development years.
- User-friendly interface: Unity Desktop provides a familiar and intuitive interface, making it easier for users to navigate their Linux system.
- Integrated search: Unity Desktop includes a powerful search feature that allows users to quickly find applications, files, and settings without having to manually browse through menus.
- Integration with Ubuntu: Unity Desktop was originally developed for Ubuntu Linux and is tightly integrated with the Ubuntu operating system, offering seamless compatibility and updates.
Here is a quick command below that you can enter to install it on your Ubuntu/Debian machine. If you want more details, please visit this site.
sudo apt install ubuntu-unity-desktop5. Cockpit Project
And the last but the favorite, the Cockpit Project is an open-source web-based graphical interface for servers, intended for everyone, especially those who are new to Linux, familiar with Linux and want an easy, graphical way to administer servers, and expert admins who mainly use other tools but want an overview on individual systems. I like that this is web-based graphical user interface and it is best suitable for enterprise production servers if you want a quick grasp on what’s going with your back-end side.
It provides administrators with an intuitive and centralized platform for managing various aspects of their Linux servers, including system configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting. Developed primarily for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and its derivatives like CentOS and Fedora, Cockpit allows users to perform administrative tasks through a web browser, thus making server management more accessible and user-friendly.
Here is some of the reasons why you should use this as a graphical user interface for your Linux machines especially servers.
Dashboard: Cockpit presents administrators with a dashboard that offers an overview of essential system information such as CPU usage, memory usage, disk space, and network activity. This provides a quick snapshot of the server’s health and performance.
System Configuration: Users can manage various system settings and configurations through Cockpit, including network settings, user accounts, services, storage devices, and firewall rules. This centralized interface simplifies the process of configuring and maintaining Linux servers.
Logs and Journal: Cockpit allows administrators to view system logs and journal entries, facilitating troubleshooting and debugging tasks. It provides tools for searching, filtering, and analyzing log data directly from the web interface.
Software Updates: Cockpit includes tools for managing software updates and package installations on Linux servers. Administrators can view available updates, install packages, and perform system upgrades through the web interface.
Container Management: Cockpit integrates with container technologies like Docker and Podman, allowing administrators to manage containerized applications and Docker images directly from the Cockpit dashboard.
Virtual Machine Management: For servers running virtualization platforms like KVM, Cockpit provides tools for managing virtual machines (VMs), including creating, starting, stopping, and monitoring VMs.
Security: Cockpit is designed with security in mind, providing authentication mechanisms to control access to server management features. Administrators can configure user accounts and permissions to restrict access to sensitive server functions.
I will not be having a quick command to install this on top of your production Linux machines but please check this site if you want to try it yourself.
CONCLUSION
I have specified a few examples of different kinds of Linux graphical user interface for both desktop machines, workstations, and servers. You may not like one of these interfaces according to your preferences, so please feel free to do some research on your own.
If you just want to taste each one of these flavors, sure you can try all of these. But I would suggest to just install the whole package of a Linux distro of your preferences to lessen the burden.
When it comes to production servers, I’m definitely rooting for Cockpit Project. We use on where I work at and tell you what, it is so helpful! The software options, security specs, and community support is superb.
If you have come up until this point, thank you very much for reading this article all through the end. I will be posting tons of articles regarding my projects soon and I can’t wait to share it with you. My current projects are mostly cybersecurity, hacking, and hardware related.
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