How to upgrade from Ubuntu minimal?

Question

I have just installed Ubuntu minimal because it would fit on a cd. Now, all I get is the command line. What can I do to upgrade everything so it is the full-fledged OS, as if I had installed it from the normal ISO file instead of minimal?

Solution 1

Choose your flavor and then:

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop

or

sudo apt-get install kubuntu-desktop 

or

sudo apt-get install xubuntu-desktop

etc... That's all there is to it.

Solution 2

There is no such thing as "ubuntu minimal". The mini.iso refers to the size of the iso, not what it installs. The image is small because it only contains the installer itself, and it downloads everything that it installs. You have the same system you would had you used the desktop cd.

Solution 3

Not sure, but this should install all you need:

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop unity compiz-plugins-extra ubuntu-restricted-extras

That should install the usual Ubuntu desktop, with the additional codecs for flash player etc. ubuntu-restricted-extras does the following, taken from Software Center:

This should install all the graphical features, so that when you reboot, it should boot to a graphical screen, and you should be able to login in to the Unity Desktop.
Note that the above command will need to download a lot of packages, so might take some time, and use some bandwidth.

Comments

[nux]

you want to update the system and applications

[Xtremesupremacy3]

having never installed minimal, I assume it comes with apt. If so, have you tried sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop?

[Wayne Gemmell]

You can run unminimize to change it back to normal system. Well, that's what's advertised anyway. The unminimize command will install the standard Ubuntu Server packages if you want to convert a Minimal instance to a standard Server environment for interactive use. wiki.ubuntu.com/Minimal

[Braiam]

Unless he selected not to install it.

[psusi]

@DKBose, Yes, that's what I said?

[psusi]

@Braiam, huh? Not to install what?

[Braiam]

In the tasksel if he start messing around is probably that he do not install anything apart of the essential packages.

[psusi]

@Braiam, ahh, I must have missed the part about the command line somehow... in that case, Wilf's answer is better.

[Braiam]

Actually only ubuntu-desktop is necesary.

[gggggeg]

Thank you. How come you answered this so long after I posted it?

[rakslice]

If there is no "ubuntu minimal", what does the "Minimal Installation" checkbox do?

[Example person]

@gggggeg I found a new way btw.