I'm a bit confused about using GUIs with Linux. I understand that when I create a virtual machine and load an ISO, I can access both the terminal and the GUI. However, when I pay for a DigitalOcean server and connect using SSH or PuTTY, I don't have GUI access. Why can't I use the GUI over SSH? I tried following instructions to install a slim graphical interface on Ubuntu, but it didn't work. Do I need to physically own the machine to access the GUI, or is it possible to do so with a VM?
4 Answers
You can use X forwarding or a VNC setup to access a GUI on a remote server. You don’t need to own your own server to do this; there are ways to run a window manager on a remote machine without physical access.
For SSH to work with a GUI, you could use X forwarding (with the -X option) if your local machine runs X, meaning it’s a Linux box. Alternatively, setting up a VNC server on your remote machine and using a VNC client locally is a good solution.
Remember, SSH primarily serves as a secure shell for terminal access. While it can forward X11 graphics, it’s generally slower for rendering complex GUI applications. For a better GUI experience, VNC is often recommended.
Keep in mind that SSH wasn’t designed for GUIs—that’s more in VNC’s wheelhouse. Additionally, many servers run without a GUI to conserve resources since many users prefer terminal interfaces for efficiency.
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