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Probably not the same demand. Anyone using windows probably does so for the GUI and using Linux shines via command line..
In saying that, you can generally install a GUI on any Linux VPS with a oneliner for apt/yum/etc
Edit:
Example:
sudo apt install xubuntu-coreWill install an xfce environment and all other extras from xubuntu.
Add --no-install-recommends if you want to have it super minimal.
If clients do not know how to install GUI, how they will be able to manage that server? If there will be any issues with Linux, I can guarantee, that client will ask to fix it by the company support, even server is unmanaged. It will be a potential problem that no one wants So if you do not know how to manage Linux, Windows is the best option for you.
Waste of resources. Even a lightweight desktop is memory better used in production. Remote Linux desktops so rarely qualify as production for anyone's use case, when compared to pubic facing application servers.
What purpose would there be to install a GUI on a VPS? You mean for remote access only?
the question doesn't imply production
Yes only for RDP. Windows takes more resources so having Linux GUI will serve the purpose with less resources.
Maybe no one wants to maintain more templates on top of having the ones for the OSs, considering there are a number of different Linux Desktop environments/variants?
I use Linux desktop as RDP (mainly python programming and streaming chart)
As mentioned above, it is pretty easy to install xfce (or any other desktop environment) using command line. Google “tasksel”
I'm going to try RDP today. I installed XFCE on one of my Debian VPS. My main concern is speed and lag.
Try using NoMachine
I would suggest using at least 4GB memory.
You'd need to maintain several different templates for each OS - e.g one person might want gnome and another KDE.
Providing a base template and the customer installing their own desktop environment if they want one is much more manageable.
Plus, lack of demand. Most people using Linux are happy enough to run with command line for servers.
Most hourly providers have snapshot feature.
You can install the GUI once and snapshot the disk.
In the future, you can create a new server with the snapshot.
The snapshot would incur storage fees, and it would not auto-update system packages, so you need to update the packages by periodically re-creating the snapshot.
The other option is installing and configuring the GUI via cloud-init script.
(I hear it's powerful but haven't tried it.)
You don't pay for storage, and the server would start with latest system image, but booting time will be longer and you pay for that time.
The snapshot method is useful if you need to prepare a large number of remote desktop servers, such as one server for each student in a training classroom.
The cloud-init method is useful if you need a handful of servers and you don't mind waiting 5~10 minutes.
Right now I am using one of Vultr's Windows instance that costs $0.06/hour. I used it for about an hour then took snapshot. Snapshot is still running after 15 minutes so don't know when it will stop. Once done then I will destroy the instance and later restore it from snapshot when needed.
Will also trying installing GUI on Linux to see how it goes.
Thanks, yes nomachine is what I will use, but didn't realize it might need 4GB. I have a 4GB VPS, so I'll install XFCE on that one.
4GB memory suggestion wasn’t due to NoMachine. It is just 4GB memory provides smoother GUI desktop experience especially when multiple programs are running.
I have used NoMachine with 2GB Linux GUI desktop (used for basic usage) … with no issues
Thanks for the feedback. I need a smooth experience, so it's better to install it on my 4 or 8GB VPS.
Running Linux GUI desktop
screen resolution 2048x1200
https://i.ibb.co/CwYb8q1/Linux-Desktop.jpg
You use the VPS as your main machine for work?
The need for a GUI linux on a remote VPS is very limited. That being said, IIRC a few providers such as online.net do provide desktop versions.
The script linked in my signature solves this issue though.