Desktop

[battlenut]

Hi All,

New to this single board computer scene and to the Linux scene as well. I like the OS, after using windows for so long makes things a little difficult. So my question is  I have tested all the OS images for the Rockpro64, only one goes to desktop(thats the LXDE image). is there a way to get the rest of the images to a desktop? they only show terminal for me, is that how it is supposed to be? I would like to get a debian or ubuntu(normal version I guess) how do I get the minimal images to that? just asking for help. thanks in advance.

[Luke]

Yes, thats how its meant to be and that is the reason why those images are called 'minimal'. You can install any desktop environment on-top of those of course, be it Mate, XFCE or KDE, etc.,

[battlenut]

You answered my question perfectly. Can you then point me in the direction so I can learn how to do that?  thanks in advance.

[Pitcrawler]

In the minimal image, you can run the script in /usr/local/sbin/ called install_desktop.sh. It can install either mate, i3, gnome, xfce4 or lxde.

So say you want the gnome desktop, you'd go:
cd /usr/local/sbin
sudo ./install_desktop.sh gnome

[battlenut]

In the minimal image, you can run the script in /usr/local/sbin/ called install_desktop.sh. It can install either mate, i3, gnome, xfce4 or lxde.

So say you want the gnome desktop, you'd go:
cd /usr/local/sbin
sudo ./install_desktop.sh gnome

Thanks, Currently I have to go to work. I will give this a try when I get home. Thanks again.

[jwcolby54]

In the minimal image, you can run the script in /usr/local/sbin/ called install_desktop.sh. It can install either mate, i3, gnome, xfce4 or lxde.

So say you want the gnome desktop, you'd go:
cd /usr/local/sbin
sudo ./install_desktop.sh gnome

So can this be written up in a wiki or getting started?

[jwcolby54]

Yes, thats how its meant to be and that is the reason why those images are called 'minimal'. You can install any desktop environment on-top of those of course, be it Mate, XFCE or KDE, etc.,

May I say that the OP stated he was new to this stuff.  I am not exactly new to this stuff, in fact I started programming back in the days before CPM, and then worked up through CPM, DOS and so forth.  I've been around.

But I will say that NOWHERE that I have stumbled across so far does it EVER explain what any of the images do.  Not a hint.

so "that is why the images are called 'minimal" is snarky to say the least.  How am I (or the OP) supposed to know what "minimal" means?

It is that attitude that tells that person who is new to this "you don't know enough to be here so go away."

How about someone actually goes in and documents what each build does?  So we don't have to be super users to buy one of these things and can get something useful out of it.

[jwcolby54]

In the minimal image, you can run the script in /usr/local/sbin/ called install_desktop.sh. It can install either mate, i3, gnome, xfce4 or lxde.

So say you want the gnome desktop, you'd go:
cd /usr/local/sbin
sudo ./install_desktop.sh gnome

Pitcrawler,

Thanks for that.  I did that and it went away for a long time and did a ton of downloads and installs of stuff... and when I rebooted I am right back to where I started.  It has added a handful of "mate" things to the menu but it did not just start the mate environment.  Or maybe mate is "minimal" too?  But no, I think it is just where I started,

Do I have to do something to get the Mate desk top to start up?  If so can it be done automatically?

Thanks for your assistance,

JWColby

[evilbunny]

Do I have to do something to get the Mate desk top to start up?  If so can it be done automatically?

I have done it recently, but you could do the following:

Code:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install task-mate-desktop