OT - setting up ubuntu headless machine w/vnc/ssh/etc

> This is well off-topic but I'm pretty sure somebody here will have done
> this, so -
>
> I have a  second hand lenovo i7 box that I need to install ubuntu 18.04 on
> and configure to use headless via vnc and ssh. It needs to be 18.04 in
> order to maintain compatibility with a work related server. It needs to be
> headless so I can stick in my server room and vnc to it from my iMac like
> i do with all the other machines.
>
> Now I really thought this should be simple but it turns out to be a pain.
> I installed the desktop version and started reading about how to configure
> it. Supposedly you can turn on vnc from the settings tool but that didn't
> work and it appears a few gazillion other people found the same. I tried
> recipes from several other sources that didn't work.
>
> I thought I'd try the server install instead - surely that  would at least
> have ssh set up? Nope. More reading of web article claiming "it's easy!"
> only to find that things refuse connections, display blank vnc windows,
> take several minutes to boot, lock up the commandline when telling a
> systemd servce to start... lots of 'fun'.
>
> Advice other than "install
> <other OS>
> " welcome for reasons mentioned above. Thank goodness it was never this
> annoying to get Pi's working in this manner!
>
> In the good news side, the 'work related' thing is converting a VW system
> to Squeak, so maybe this isn't as off- topic as might be thought.
>
> tim
> --
> tim Rowledge;

> On 2020-06-01, at 3:09 PM, Paul DeBruicker <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> How anyone would find this out from their website I've no idea but there are
> two different official  "server" install iso's for Ubuntu 18.04.4.  The one
> that I think is easier to use is the "ubuntu-18.04.4-server-amd64.iso" one &
> not the "ubuntu-18.04.4-live-server-amd64.iso" The live one lets you test
> out the desktop environment without installing.  The non-live one just dumps
> you into the debian installer (but installs ubuntu).
>
> You can get the non-live server iso here:
> http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/releases/18.04/release/
>
> The installer documentation is here:
> https://help.ubuntu.com/18.04/serverguide/installing-from-cd.html
>
> Step 15 in the directions lets you pick "package tasks" (see
> https://help.ubuntu.com/18.04/serverguide/installing-from-cd.html#install-tasks)
> You want Open SSH server and I think there is one for "Basic Ubuntu Server"
> that you also want. But I'm not sure whats included in that.   You can also
> choose the "manually select packages" option and install whatever VNC
> packages
> (https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-install-and-configure-vnc-on-ubuntu-18-04)
> you need at that time or after you login/ssh in.  
>
>
>
>
>
> timrowledge wrote
>> This is well off-topic but I'm pretty sure somebody here will have done
>> this, so -
>>
>> I have a  second hand lenovo i7 box that I need to install ubuntu 18.04 on
>> and configure to use headless via vnc and ssh. It needs to be 18.04 in
>> order to maintain compatibility with a work related server. It needs to be
>> headless so I can stick in my server room and vnc to it from my iMac like
>> i do with all the other machines.
>>
>> Now I really thought this should be simple but it turns out to be a pain.
>> I installed the desktop version and started reading about how to configure
>> it. Supposedly you can turn on vnc from the settings tool but that didn't
>> work and it appears a few gazillion other people found the same. I tried
>> recipes from several other sources that didn't work.
>>
>> I thought I'd try the server install instead - surely that  would at least
>> have ssh set up? Nope. More reading of web article claiming "it's easy!"
>> only to find that things refuse connections, display blank vnc windows,
>> take several minutes to boot, lock up the commandline when telling a
>> systemd servce to start... lots of 'fun'.
>>
>> Advice other than "install
>> <other OS>
>> " welcome for reasons mentioned above. Thank goodness it was never this
>> annoying to get Pi's working in this manner!
>>
>> In the good news side, the 'work related' thing is converting a VW system
>> to Squeak, so maybe this isn't as off- topic as might be thought.
>>
>> tim
>> --
>> tim Rowledge;
>
>> tim@
>
>> ; http://www.rowledge.org/tim
>> Useful random insult:- Looks for the "Any" key.
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> Sent from: http://forum.world.st/Squeak-Dev-f45488.html
>
>