PVE host desktop env setup and app install

minimun desktop env install part

apt update
apt install --no-install-recommends xorg lightdm icewm slim
apt install vainfo intel-media-va-driver mesa-va-drivers i965-va-driver

add user part

sudo adduser gamer
sudo usermod -aG audio,video,sudo gamer

sudo nano /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf

[Seat:*]
autologin-user=gamer

moonlight install part

apt install flatpak
flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
flatpak install flathub com.moonlight_stream.Moonlight

• backup moonlight config file avoid repairing to Gforce experience
  dir: ~/.var/app/com.moonlight_stream.Moonlight/config/Moonlight Game Streaming Project/Moonlight.conf

cd ~/.var/app/com.moonlight_stream.Moonlight/config/"Moonlight Game Streaming Project"/Moonlight.conf

• the folder name with space should use “” cover

audio part

apt install pulseaudio pavucontrol xdg-desktop-portal

systemctl --user daemon-reload
systemctl --user start pulseaudio

systemctl --user status pulseaudio

flatpak install other app such as chrome

search chrome

flatpak search chrome

• output
  Name Description Application ID Version Branch Remotes
  Google Chrome (unstable) The web browser from Google com.google.ChromeDev 141.0.7367.0-1 stable flathub
  Google Chrome The browser built to be yours com.google.Chrome 139.0.7258.138-1 stable flathub
  …
  …

install

flatpak install flathub com.google.Chrome

GNOME Software part (similar as mintlinux software manager)

1. First, update your package list

sudo apt update

2. Install GNOME Software and the critical Flatpak plugin

sudo apt install gnome-software gnome-software-plugin-flatpak

3. (Optional but Recommended) Install a file manager and other integration bits.

• This makes the “Open With” and other context menus work better.

sudo apt install nautilus

enable keyboard function key

sudo apt install alsa-utils pulseaudio-utils inotify-tools xbindkeys

mkdir -p ~/.bin

chmod +x ~/.bin/volume-control.sh

nano ~/.bin/volume-control.sh

#!/bin/bash

Script to control volume via command line

nano ~/.xbindkeysrc

case "$1" in
    up)
        pactl set-sink-volume @DEFAULT_SINK@ +5%
        ;;
    down)
        pactl set-sink-volume @DEFAULT_SINK@ -5%
        ;;
    mute)
        pactl set-sink-mute @DEFAULT_SINK@ toggle
        ;;
    *)
        echo "Usage: $0 {up|down|mute}"
        exit 1
        ;;
esac

exit 0

Volume Up

“$HOME/.bin/volume-control.sh up”
XF86AudioRaiseVolume

Volume Down

“$HOME/.bin/volume-control.sh down”
XF86AudioLowerVolume

Mute

“$HOME/.bin/volume-control.sh mute”
XF86AudioMute

nano ~/.icewm/startup
xbindkeys &

Restart Your Desktop Session or reboot the host

add font

sudo apt install ttf-mscorefonts-installer fonts-noto-core fonts-noto-cjk fonts-noto-color-emoji
sudo apt install fonts-freefont-ttf fonts-liberation fonts-dejavu fonts-opensymbol
sudo apt install fonts-wqy-microhei fonts-wqy-zenhei
sudo fc-cache -f -v

Full desktop install

sudo apt update
sudo apt install task-xfce-desktop
sudo apt install task-kde-desktop
sudo apt install task-mate-desktop

• remove Networkmanager service immediately otherwise the service will damage the host network

Stop the NetworkManager service immediately

sudo systemctl stop NetworkManager

Disable it from starting at boot

sudo systemctl disable NetworkManager

Mask it to prevent it from being accidentally started by other services

sudo systemctl mask NetworkManager

Restart the proven, working networking service

sudo systemctl restart networking

solve the dns problem after Networkmanage removed
sudo rm /etc/resolv.conf
echo "nameserver 8.8.8.8" | sudo tee /etc/resolv.conf
echo "nameserver 1.1.1.1" | sudo tee -a /etc/resolv.conf

Make the File Immutable

sudo chattr +i /etc/resolv.conf

steamlined

sudo apt install task-xfce-desktop \
 && sudo systemctl stop NetworkManager \
 && sudo systemctl disable NetworkManager \
 && sudo systemctl mask NetworkManager \
 && sudo rm /etc/resolv.conf \
 && echo "nameserver 8.8.8.8" | sudo tee /etc/resolv.conf \
 && echo "nameserver 1.1.1.1" | sudo tee -a /etc/resolv.conf \
 && sudo systemctl restart networking

⚠️ Risks & Warnings
Before installing a desktop on Proxmox VE, consider these points:

Hypervisor Stability

Proxmox is designed as a lean hypervisor. Adding Xorg, LightDM, and full desktops increases complexity and can affect system updates or introduce new vulnerabilities.

Networking Risks

NetworkManager conflicts with Proxmox’s bridge networking. Always disable/mask it after desktop installation.

Locking /etc/resolv.conf (chattr +i) prevents DNS overwrites, but it also blocks legitimate changes (DHCP, VPN, cluster).

Security Exposure

Running browsers (Chrome) or Moonlight on the host exposes it to user-space exploits. Normally, Proxmox hosts are hardened and run no desktop apps.

System Overhead

Full desktops (especially KDE) pull in many unnecessary services (Bluetooth, Avahi, CUPS) that consume RAM/CPU. XFCE is the lightest choice.

Storage Usage

Fonts, Flatpak runtimes, and desktop packages consume space on / (which is often small in PVE installs). If / is on ZFS, this also inflates snapshot/backup size.

Recommendation

For long-term stability:

Run Moonlight/Chrome inside a VM or container instead of on the host.

Keep the host minimal and dedicated to virtualization.

If you must run a desktop on the host, use a lightweight option (XFCE) and monitor system logs/resources.

Disable power save

Disable auto update

restart the desktop from hibernation

systemctl restart lightdm

Turn OFF the Desktop

systemctl stop lightdm
systemctl set-default multi-user.target

What this does:

• stop lightdm: Stops the graphical login manager, which kills Xorg and all GUI apps.
• set-default multi-user.target: Makes your system boot headless (no desktop) by default.
• You’ll stay in a text console (tty) and Proxmox web UI remains accessible over the network.
• Your iGPU will no longer be in use by Xorg, making passthrough to a VM possible.

Check which processes are using the GPU

lsof /dev/dri/*

• If nothing is using the GPU, this should return no output.
• If you see processes like Xorg or gnome-shell, the desktop isn’t fully stopped.

Turn ON the Desktop Again

systemctl start lightdm
systemctl set-default graphical.target

What this does:

• Starts LightDM and your graphical session again.
• Sets the system to boot to the desktop by default.

Quick One-Time Switch

If you just want to temporarily switch modes without changing defaults:

# Go headless (no GUI)
systemctl isolate multi-user.target

# Go back to desktop
systemctl isolate graphical.target

• This doesn’t change boot defaults, it only switches the current session.

Action	Command
Stop desktop (headless)	systemctl stop lightdm && systemctl set-default multi-user.target
Start desktop	systemctl start lightdm && systemctl set-default graphical.target
Quick switch (no default change)	systemctl isolate multi-user.target or systemctl isolate graphical.target

batch deploy

sudo apt install --no-install-recommends xorg lightdm icewm slim vainfo intel-media-va-driver mesa-va-drivers i965-va-driver flatpak pulseaudio pavucontrol xdg-desktop-portal task-kde-desktop gnome-software gnome-software-plugin-flatpak nautilus alsa-utils pulseaudio-utils inotify-tools xbindkeys

Using Ctrl + Alt + F2 switch back the pve cli console after stop lightdm by

systemctl stop lightdm

Key combo	Switches to
Ctrl + Alt + F1	tty1 (CLI)
Ctrl + Alt + F2	tty2 (CLI)
Ctrl + Alt + F3–F6	other ttys
Ctrl + Alt + F7	back to GUI (if LightDM running)

1. What “tty” means
   tty stands for Teletypewriter — a term from old mainframe days when people used physical terminals (keyboards + screens or paper printers) connected to a computer.

In modern Linux, “tty” refers to a virtual terminal (text console) where you can log in and interact with the system — basically a command-line interface (CLI).

2. Virtual consoles in Linux
   When your system boots, the Linux kernel automatically creates several virtual text consoles, typically tty1 through tty6.
   Each corresponds to a different text login screen.

You can think of them like tabs for CLI sessions that run in parallel, except they’re on different key combos:

Virtual terminal	Access keys	Typical usage
tty1	Ctrl + Alt + F1	Default system login console
tty2	Ctrl + Alt + F2	Another CLI console
tty3–tty6	Ctrl + Alt + F3–F6	Extra CLI sessions
tty7	(or sometimes tty1 on newer distros)	Usually used by graphical desktop (LightDM/Xorg)

3. How LightDM fits in
   When you start LightDM:

• It launches on a specific virtual terminal (often tty7).
• That terminal is taken over by the graphical X server (no text login there anymore).
• Your keyboard/screen are bound to that X session.

When you stop LightDM:

• The graphical session ends.
• Nothing replaces it on tty7.
• So you just see the last framebuffer output (frozen screen).

Meanwhile, tty1–tty6 are still running quietly in the background, waiting for you to switch to them (Ctrl+Alt+F2, etc.).

4. To summarize
   | Concept | Description |
   | -------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
   | tty | A text-based terminal device (real or virtual). |
   | tty1–tty6 | Text consoles with login prompts (via getty). |
   | tty7 | Usually used for GUI session (LightDM/Xorg). |
   | Ctrl+Alt+Fn | Switch between them. |
   | systemctl stop lightdm | Stops GUI (Xorg on tty7), leaving that VT blank until you switch back to a CLI tty. |

Add Pingyin input

sudo apt-get install fcitx im-config

im-config ## choose fcitx

sudo apt-get install fcitx-googlepinyin

#choose fcitx keyboard icon, choose “Text Entry Setting”
#in the opned windows, click “+” icon
#search “pinyin” and Google Pinin" will come out
#if cannot not be used immediately, log out once