Ubuntu Desktop vs Server
Among other operating systems, Ubuntu remains one of the most liked for Linux installs. To satisfy the requirements of every user, there are many variations of Ubuntu which include a desktop and a server version.
As long as you have the same release numbers, they are basically identical. The primary difference is in the intended purpose of the software package.
The desktop version is for users interested in a personal computer suitable for word processing, internet browsing, multimedia playback and gaming.
It is fundamentally a general purpose operating system for the masses. It, however, does not compare to the server version that is designed specifically to perform as a web server for hosting files, web pages, etc.
The Graphical User Interface (GUI) is a critical part of personal computers. Ubuntu’s desktop version comes default with the Gnome GUI but you can switch to KDE or X if you want to. The server version does not come with any GUI.
A server is not physically accessed for regular use. Only maintenance is done and a GUI is not only pointless, but it can also consume resources that should be devoted to the server.
The same reasoning applies regarding any software, such as office tools, media applications, and internet browsers and for the other desktop versions all are available, but none are available on desktop version.
Just as with servers, the server version comes with everything required for hosting a site. The web server software comes under the LAMP collection (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP), whose products are known to any admin of a web server. Such things are absent in the desktop version unless installed by the user.
It is important to understand that this distinction does not need to be permanent because both versions can be interchanged by installing or uninstalling software packages.
Beginners who want to set up a server but want the convenience of a GUI interface can use either one of the versions and install a GUI or LAMP afterwards.
Summary:
- The desktop edition is set up to function as a normal operating system whereas the server edition is set up to function as a web server.
- The desktop edition comes with a GUI by default while the server edition does not come with it.
- The desktop edition has a lot of non-standard programs installed that are not available in the server edition.
- The desktop edition does not have Apache, MySQL and PHP which are standard in the server edition.