No GUI after installation

[Gregory_NZL]

I have installed Debian 7.4 in Virtualbox but can only access the CLI on first boot. I chose to install the Debian desktop environment from the installation options and am perplexed as to what has gone wrong. Is anybody else experiencing this problem on a new install?

[mardybear]

Debian desktop environment

There is no such thing as a Debian desktop environment. If you completed a minimal install it doesn't come with a desktop environment, just command line. So then you need to use the apt-get command to install a desktop environment or window manager.

If you installed a version of Debian with a desktop environment, such as gnome, KDE, LXDE, then it is likely you have an issue with your X window system.

If you are booting to a CLI prompt without error messages then based on the limited information you provided the most likely cause is that a deskop environment is not yet installed.

Can you login with your user name/password at the boot command prompt? If yes then type 'startx' (no quotes) to see if an X window system is available.

Exactly which Debian version did you install?

mardybear

[Gregory_NZL]

Hi Mardybear thanks for your reply

I am attempting to install Debian 7.4 Wheezy. I am pretty sure I downloaded the complete installation image debian-7.4.0-i386-CD-1.iso.

In Software Selection I see Debian desktop environment and not much else. http://imgur.com/K2KlDZ3

I can log in with my credentials and 'startx' seems to load what looks like another shell or cli without error.

Have I chosen the wrong installation media, as I am not sure why I cannot choose to install the graphical desktop environment?

[mardybear]

I've never installed via the debian-7.4.0-i386-CD-1.iso through to the 8th CD route.

From the installation guide:

As CDs have a rather limited capacity by today's standards, not all graphical desktop environments are installable with only the first CD; for some desktop environments a CD installation requires either network connectivity during the installation to download the remaining files or additional CDs.

http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/i ... 01.html.en

From your present installation, which sounds like a base system, you can either:

1 Use apt-get install commands to install the desktop environment or window manager of your choice. Example:

Code: Select all

su

-then enter root password

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apt-get install xfce4 xfce4-goodies

-install the desktop environment of your choice

2 Start again and install one of the single install CDs that already have a desktop environment:
-debian-7.4.0-i386-kde-CD-1.iso
-debian-7.4.0-i386-lxde-CD-1.iso
- debian-7.4.0-i386-xfce-CD-1.iso

http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/7.4.0/i386/iso-cd/

mardybear

[kiyop]

Follow the above post of mardybear, if you want to use xfce4.

I only add that you should install display manager, if any display manager is not installed yet and if you want to see GUI login manager after booting your PC.
For example, if you want to install xdm (X display manager),

Code: Select all

su -
TYPE ROOT PASSWORD
apt-get update
apt-get install xdm

Replace xdm with another display manager package name such as gdm, ldm, kdm and so on.
The list of display manager is on https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Display_Manager although it is for arch linux.

lightdm may be good.
https://packages.debian.org/wheezy/lightdm

[canoad56]

Kiyap;

I have installed the display manager as you suggested. For me it was the SDDM for KDE desktop but still nothing. I know I have installed the KDE desktop upon installation of Debian. I chose that particular installation, but still after boot it goes to a plain terminal. What's up, this is the second installation and the same thing.

[arochester]

@canoad56

Please note that you have posted to a thread which was made in February 2014.

Start a new thread about your problem?

[Head_on_a_Stick]

I miss kiyop & mardybear