Gui Desktops
General Information
Installing GUI desktops on a minimal base system.
Checklist
- Distro(s): Enterprise Linux 7
- Other: Minimum install
CentOS 7
Pre-req: If you have about a 10GB size partition for /, this will leave about 38% used when installing a GUI over a minimal base install.
Install GNOME
Install the GNOME Desktop
yum groupinstall "GNOME Desktop"
Install KDE
Install the KDE Desktop
yum groupinstall "KDE Plasma Workspaces"
Install XFCE
Install X Windows
yum groupinstall "X Window system"
Install XFCE
yum groupinstall xfce
Install Mate
Install X Windows
yum groupinstall "X Window system"
Install Mate
yum groupinstall "MATE Desktop"
Install Cinnamon
Install X Windows
yum groupinstall "X Window system"
Install a Login Manager
yum install lightdm
- Note: gdm will also work.
Install Cinnamon Desktop
yum install cinnamon
Set Preferred Desktop
Set the preferred desktop system wide for all users.
GNOME
echo "DESKTOP=GNOME" > /etc/sysconfig/desktop
KDE
echo "DESKTOP=KDE" > /etc/sysconfig/desktop
Other Desktops
If using any other desktop besides GNOME or KDE, a few changes to a system config file need to be made.
- vim /etc/X11/xinit/Xclients
GSESSION="$(type -p gnome-session)" STARTKDE="$(type -p startkde)" STARTXFCE="$(type -p /usr/bin/xfce4-session)" STARTCINNAMON="$(type -p /usr/bin/cinnamon-session)" STARTMATE="$(type -p /usr/bin/mate-session)" # check to see if the user has a preferred desktop PREFERRED= if [ -f /etc/sysconfig/desktop ]; then . /etc/sysconfig/desktop if [ "$DESKTOP" = "GNOME" ]; then PREFERRED="$GSESSION" elif [ "$DESKTOP" = "KDE" ]; then PREFERRED="$STARTKDE" elif [ "$DESKTOP" = "XFCE" ]; then PREFERRED="$STARTXFCE" elif [ "$DESKTOP" = "CINNAMON" ]; then PREFERRED="$STARTCINNAMON" elif [ "$DESKTOP" = "MATE" ]; then PREFERRED="$STARTMATE" fi fi if [ -n "$PREFERRED" ]; then exec "$PREFERRED" fi
- Set the preferred desktop
- XFCE
echo "DESKTOP=XFCE" > /etc/sysconfig/desktop
- Cinnamon
echo "DESKTOP=CINNAMON" > /etc/sysconfig/desktop
- Mate
echo "DESKTOP=MATE" > /etc/sysconfig/desktop