How to Install GNOME Desktop on Ubuntu 24.04
GNOME desktop on Ubuntu 24.04 (Noble Numbat) is the default visual workspace that lets you interact with your PC through windows, icons, and menus instead of typing commands. Setting it up takes about 10 minutes depending on your internet speed, and you can switch back to your original desktop layout anytime you want.
You can install this desktop environment on any PC running Ubuntu 24.04 by running a few quick commands in your terminal window.
Install GNOME by opening the terminal and running either ‘sudo apt install ubuntu-desktop-minimal’ for a core installation or ‘sudo apt install ubuntu-desktop’ for a full suite. After the installation completes, reboot your system to access the graphical login screen.
Why Install GNOME on Ubuntu 24.04 Server?
Installing GNOME on Ubuntu 24.04 Server transforms the command-line system into a user-friendly desktop. Working with windows and icons makes running applications and managing files visually cleaner.
Prerequisites
Before proceeding, make sure your system is up to date. Open your terminal and run these commands with administrative privileges:
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
Installation Variants: Minimal vs. Full
When installing GNOME, two primary package variants exist. The ubuntu-desktop-minimal package installs only the core components, saving disk space and system resources. In contrast, the full ubuntu-desktop package includes extra software like office suites and media players.
Option 1Minimal Installation
sudo apt install ubuntu-desktop-minimal
Option 2Full Installation
sudo apt install ubuntu-desktop
What Happens When Done?
After installing GNOME, your system relies on a display manager (like `gdm3`) and a graphical display server (such as `xorg` or Wayland) to handle the interface, replacing the text prompt with a visual login screen after a reboot.
sudo reboot
Ubuntu GNOME Desktop Login Screen
Ubuntu GNOME Desktop Environment
How to Switch Between GNOME and CLI
Switching between the GNOME desktop environment and the command-line interface on Ubuntu 24.04 lets you save system resources when you do not need a graphical display. To boot straight to a text-based terminal instead of the desktop, open your terminal and run the command sudo systemctl set-default multi-user.target. You can switch back to the standard desktop view at any time by running a single command.
sudo systemctl set-default multi-user.target
To return to the GUI later, run:
Installing GNOME on Ubuntu 24.04 transforms the server into a desktop environment. Users can choose a minimal or full GNOME desktop setup. The full GNOME desktop setup uses approximately 2GB more memory than the minimal option. Switching between these GNOME setup modes takes only a few terminal commands.
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