Less is More

X Window Least Server

Requirements

  • Lightweight
    • Fit to a virtual machine (Cheap price plan)
    • Small foot print
    • Low memory usage
    • Lower CPU power needed
  • X Window
    • Availability of GUI is mandatory since I use libraries(DLL) for MS Windows
    • X Forwarding
  • Easy to manage

Ubuntu ISO Image

X Window System

Window Manager

Display Manager(Login)

  • List
  • SLiM
    • Light as its name
    • No more development since 2013
    • No problem for Ubuntu focal(20.04) until now
    • Removed. Actually I don't need DM.

Intallation Order

Warn: It is important to install in order. Install IceWM first before installing xinit. Otherwise, xinit will install all the Gnome.

X Window

$ sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg-core --no-install-recommends --no-install-suggests

  • Size: 393 MB

IceWM

$ sudo apt-get install icewm --no-install-recommends --no-install-suggests

  • Size: 14.3 MB

xinit

$ sudo apt-get install xinit

  • Size: 37.7 MB

Postinstall

  • When you don't need a desktop environmet like me.
    • $ sudo apt-get remove icewm --purge
  • Otherwise, install DM(SLiM).

SLiM (Optional)

$ sudo apt-get install slim

  • Size: 5,494 KB

X Terminal

I tried rxvt-unicode(65.4 MB) first. It soon turned out to be frustrating.

mate-terminal

$ sudo apt-get install mate-terminal

  • Size: 83.5 MB

Editor

gvim

$ sudo apt-get install vim-gtk3

  • Size: 95.1 MB

SSHD

Installation

$ sudo apt-get install openssh-server

  • Size: 6,121 KB

X Forwarding Configuration

  1. $ sudo vim /etc/ssh/sshd_config
  2. Uncomment X11Forwarding, X11DisplayOffset, and X11UseLocalhost
X11Forwarding yes
X11DisplayOffset 10
X11UseLocalhost yes
  1. $ sudo systemctl restart sshd

X Forwarding Client

$ ssh -Y [Account@]<SERVER_URL>

X Forwarding as root

Running a GUI program as root using sudo or su results in an error.