install lightweight gui on centos 7 server

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neuronetv
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install lightweight gui on centos 7 server

Post by neuronetv » 2018/06/19 15:02:30

I've been trawling google about installing a lightweight desktop on centos 7 server but everything i find seems out of date. It use to be 'yum groupinstall "Windows X system"" but that's no longer available in the yum groups list. Installing MATE desktop doesn't work, I get conflicts, the same with cinnamon desktop. I can install gnome desktop but then startx doesn't work, I get

Code: Select all

xauth:  file /root/.serverauth.10008 does not exist
xauth:  file /root/.Xauthority does not exist
xauth:  file /root/.Xauthority does not exist
this is a real mess. How does one get a lightweight gui onto the very latest centos 7 server?

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TrevorH
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Re: install lightweight gui on centos 7 server

Post by TrevorH » 2018/06/19 15:06:00

MATE works and so should cinnamon. What are the errors you get when you try to install those?
The future appears to be RHEL or Debian. I think I'm going Debian.
Info for USB installs on http://wiki.centos.org/HowTos/InstallFromUSBkey
CentOS 5 and 6 are deadest, do not use them.
Use the FAQ Luke

stevemowbray
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Re: install lightweight gui on centos 7 server

Post by stevemowbray » 2018/06/19 15:29:19

Also, you shouldn't be logging into any GUI as root.

I use MATE from EPEL without problems. XFCE is also available.

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TrevorH
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Re: install lightweight gui on centos 7 server

Post by TrevorH » 2018/06/19 16:17:10

I tried yum group install "MATE Desktop" and it errors on some dependencies for the atril package. Adding --enablerepo=epel-testing to that command allowed it to list the packages it would install and prompt for Y/n but I took it no further than that. Looks like it will work to me.
The future appears to be RHEL or Debian. I think I'm going Debian.
Info for USB installs on http://wiki.centos.org/HowTos/InstallFromUSBkey
CentOS 5 and 6 are deadest, do not use them.
Use the FAQ Luke

bonedome
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Re: install lightweight gui on centos 7 server

Post by bonedome » 2018/06/22 09:48:58

Hello
you want lightweight, give fluxbox a whirl (it's a window manager), initially it looks very basic, but with a bit of tweaking you can get it to do almost anything you need.
There are plenty of guides and config files available on the net to speed up the learning process.

neuronetv
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Joined: 2012/01/08 21:53:07

Re: install lightweight gui on centos 7 server

Post by neuronetv » 2018/06/24 13:51:59

thanks for the responses here and @TrevorH I did --enablerepo=epel-testing and it worked, MATE desktop installed without the usual atril package error, however the resultant desktop has no menu. This centos 7 install is on a vps and I'm viewing it with vnc from a windows pc. Here is a screenshot of the desktop I end up with:
http://198.91.92.112/mate-desktop.jpg
this screenshot also shows a right-click on the desktop, all I get is a home folder and and a trash icon. There's no way to access anything.
To install this desktop I used these commands:
# yum groups install "Server with GUI" -y
# yum groups install --enablerepo=epel-testing "MATE Desktop" -y
thanks for any further ideas

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TrevorH
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Re: install lightweight gui on centos 7 server

Post by TrevorH » 2018/06/24 15:09:57

That sounds like the usual vnc problem. Edit the systemd unit file that you created for this and add the line PAMName=login in the [service] section then do a systemctl daemon-reload to make it re-read that and then restart the service and try again.
The future appears to be RHEL or Debian. I think I'm going Debian.
Info for USB installs on http://wiki.centos.org/HowTos/InstallFromUSBkey
CentOS 5 and 6 are deadest, do not use them.
Use the FAQ Luke

neuronetv
Posts: 89
Joined: 2012/01/08 21:53:07

Re: install lightweight gui on centos 7 server

Post by neuronetv » 2018/06/24 19:12:38

thanks for your response, I put PAMName=login into the service section but it made no difference, there's still no menu in the desktop.

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