I recently installed Ubuntu server, which is just a plain terminal setup (headless) without a GUI. I'm trying to build my own desktop environment using Xorg, i3, xterm, and other necessary tools. I got i3 running, but when I press **mod + enter**, it only shows a watch cursor and does not launch a terminal. I checked with ChatGPT, and it mentioned that **xterm requires an X server to run**, but since I can use i3, I must be in a graphical environment. I'm confused about whether I need to set up a GUI to open a terminal or if there's something else I should configure. Any insights?
2 Answers
If you're running i3, you're actually in a graphical environment! The terminal might not be launching because of a configuration issue. Check your i3 config file to make sure the key binding for launching the terminal is set correctly. It should look something like `bindsym $mod+Return exec --no-startup-id xterm`. Adjust it if needed!
Exactly! Try that and see if it works.
Double-check your i3 config file, just in case. You might need to specify a different terminal program if xterm isn't working for you. If you made any changes, restart i3 to see if that helps!
I got it working! Thanks for the advice.
It currently says `bindsym mod + return exec i3-sensible-terminal`. Should I change it to xterm like you suggested?