Ubuntu with GUI on Rackspace Cloud Server as VNC Remote Desktop

Ubuntu with GUI on Rackspace Cloud Server as VNC Remote Desktop is a guide to install and work on powerful server with up to 48 GB of RAM and GUI from devices. Previously we published the preface to Linux Graphical Desktop on Rackspace Cloud, that article is quite important for the newbies. In this guide we will show you, how to Ubuntu with GUI on Rackspace Cloud Server as VNC Remote Desktop.

 

Getting Started With Ubuntu with GUI on Rackspace Cloud Server

 

For Ubuntu with GUI, we can use either Debian or Ubuntu flavor to have the setup. As Ubuntu is most commonly used Linux Desktop OS and has wide support from the community, we are showing the example with Ubuntu.

You will need a Rackspace Cloud Account. We are showing the example to Ubuntu with GUI on Rackspace Cloud Server on Next Generation Cloud Server, where you can use up to 30 GB of RAM (at $1.20/hr ) or if you want use First Generation Cloud Server, it can be as low as   $0.015 /hr for  256 MB RAM.

 

Steps for installing Ubuntu with GUI on Rackspace Cloud Server

 

If you are using Windows OS, use PuTTY like SSH/Telnet client for initial command line works. Create a server from your account :

We have used  Ubuntu 12.04 LTS (Precise Pangolin) for this guide to install Ubuntu with GUI on Rackspace Cloud Server on the next screen :

 

2 GB RAM will be a good to start, you can scale up or down the RAM at any time. After clicking the create button, the server building process will start and you will get the prompt of password proving window. Copy it to a text editor like notepad and after the build process is complete :

 

 

Now open Terminal (Mac / Linux) or PuTTY (Windows) and use the IP to connect :

 

Your username is root (so login as root) and the Password is that you have copied :

 

 

Its updated as Rackspace updates the mirror 4 hourly, still as convention, update it :

 

apt-get update

 

Press Enter or return key. For the next generation Cloud Server, the fastest mirror will be Rackspace Internal Repo and it will get updated. It is (I always say it) better to restart the server after the update, although its not mandatory.

 

Type :

 

sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list

 

This is to add enable the universe and multiverse repositories in Ubuntu. It will look like this for Rackspace :

 

 

control key is referred to using ^ in nano. Uncomment like written here :

 

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Repositories/CommandLine

 

Press ctrl plus X from keyboard to exit and save.

 

For GNOME desktop, type this and hit enter :

 

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop

 

Even with Rackspace’s server, it will take a bit time, you probably will need to press Y once when prompted.

(If your Internet connection get disconnected, it will be a mess, keep it working by loading a light webpage like Google search on browser.)

 

We need a Remote Desktop Server to install,  TightVNC for Linux is a perfect for the purpose :

 

apt-get install tightvncserver

 

Now how the graphics should look :

 

vncserver :1 -geometry 1024x768 -depth 16 -pixelformat rgb565

 

Use a secure and fool proof password, otherwise its very easy to hack the server. Edit the Startup file :

 

root@server:~# nano ~/.vnc/xstartup

 

Make it looking like this by editing :

 

Save it. Start SSH :

 

start ssh

 

or use :

 

 /etc/init.d/ssh start

 

 

Download this software and install on Windows Computer :

 

http://www.tightvnc.com/download.html

 

And please follow their instruction, otherwise this guide will become bigger. Just to give you a bit real enthusiasm :

 

Yes this is the part of the post on editing side and that software where we will use Ubuntu with GUI on Rackspace Cloud Server.

For Rackspace the remote host usually would be in this format (ignore the only IP above in the field) :

 

IP::5901

 

For this example, this is it :

 

 

Wow, see your Ubuntu with GUI on Rackspace Cloud Server as VNC Remote Desktop (Notice this post in background) :

 

 

 

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