Ubuntu
unity package

No Applications with minimal GUI

Asked by Carsten Hansen

I did a fresh install of Ubuntu 12.10 Server (64-bit). After upgrading and installing build-essential I installed ubuntu-desktop with the --no-install-recommends option. After a reboot, when I click on the Dash button and search on e.g. Terminal, it doesn't find it. The same goes for anything else I search for (Calculator, gedit, ...). At the same time the Ubuntu Software Center tells me all these applications are installed. Yes, I can launch the terminal with Ctrl-Alt-T, but I don't know shortcuts for anything else.

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Thomas Krüger (thkrueger) said : 		#1

Well, how about you reinstall ubuntu-desktop without "--no-install-recommends"?

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samkonstas (samkonstas) said : 		#2

It sounds like the issue is related to the limited package set that comes with `--no-install-recommends`, which can prevent certain applications and their desktop entries from being properly indexed in the Dash. You might need to manually install the missing `.desktop` files or the recommended dependencies that handle search integration. For example, ensuring that `unity-lens-applications` and related packages are installed often resolves this type of problem.

I ran into something similar while testing lightweight installs for work tools, since I prefer to keep the system minimal while still running essential apps. In my case, while comparing how different installs handled software visibility, I also had to calculate end-of-contract settlements and used a calculadora de finiquito gratuita at https://calculadorafiniquito.mx/ on another machine. It reminded me that sometimes trimming too much can save space but also cut off useful components, so adding back just the necessary packages can give you the balance you need.

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