Migrating from Ubuntu Desktop to Server

Migrating from Ubuntu Desktop to Server can be a daunting task, especially if you are not familiar with the command line interface. However, with a bit of guidance, the process can be relatively straightforward. This article will guide you through the steps of migrating from Ubuntu Desktop to Server without losing your data.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, it’s important to note that you should always back up your important data before making any major changes to your system. This is to ensure that you can recover your data in case something goes wrong during the migration process.

Installing Tasksel

The first step in the migration process is to install tasksel. Tasksel is a Debian/Ubuntu tool that installs multiple related packages as a co-ordinated “task” onto your system.

You can install tasksel by opening your terminal and typing the following command:

sudo apt-get install tasksel

In this command, sudo is used to run the command with root privileges, apt-get is the package handling utility in Ubuntu, and install is the command to install a new package. tasksel is the name of the package we want to install.

Using Tasksel to Install Ubuntu Server

Once tasksel is installed, you can use it to install Ubuntu Server. To do this, type the following command to open tasksel:

sudo tasksel

In the tasksel interface, use the arrow keys to navigate and select “Ubuntu Server” by pressing the spacebar. Then, press Enter to continue. Tasksel will then download and install the necessary packages for Ubuntu Server.

Rebooting Your System

After the installation is complete, you can reboot your system to start using Ubuntu Server. To do this, you can use the following command:

sudo reboot

Removing Ubuntu Desktop Packages

At this point, your system will have both Ubuntu Server and Ubuntu Desktop packages installed. If you want to remove the desktop packages and have a clean Ubuntu Server installation, you can use the following commands:

sudo apt-get remove ubuntu-desktop
sudo apt-get autoremove

In these commands, remove is used to remove a package, and autoremove is used to remove packages that were automatically installed to satisfy dependencies for other packages and are now no longer needed.

However, be cautious when using tasksel to remove packages, as it may remove all packages needed for a specific task, even if you installed them manually.

Conclusion

Migrating from Ubuntu Desktop to Server is a relatively straightforward process if you follow the steps outlined in this article. However, always remember to back up your data before making any major changes to your system. If you encounter any problems during the migration process, you can refer to the Ubuntu community documentation or ask for help on the Ubuntu forums.

Please note that the provided steps are specifically for Ubuntu 14.04 LTS. If you are using a different version, the commands or package names may vary.

sudo apt-get remove ubuntu-desktop
sudo apt-get autoremove