Ubuntu – Minimal cd missing option for Minimal Ubuntu Desktop install

The bare bones minimal would be

sudo apt-get install xfce4

If you do not install a log in manager (slim, gdm, light-gdm, etc) you will not have a graphical login screen, and in that case you can either startx or xfce4-session

Depending on how much or little you wish to configure, you may want to go with lightdm ;)

If you need assistance configuring your xfce4 session (from the command line or with a log in manager) post back.

You will almost certainly wish to install additional fonts and additional xfce packages. Many of the extras are "plugins" , ie "xfce4-foo-plugin"

Either search for the packages, or if you prefer, install the "goodies" package

http://packages.ubuntu.com/precise/xfce4-goodies

Additional packages to consider (IMO) might be firefox, synaptic, squeeze, xfburn

Text editors , personally I prefer gedit as it has a number of features, but leafpad or mousepad are more traditional / lightweight (but scant features).

The following would give you a nice (IMO), minimal setup, adapt the packages as you wish.

sudo apt-get install xfce4 xfce4-goodies xfce4-mixer gedit squeeze synaptic xfburn lightdm audacious audacious-plugins

Other plugins listed here

http://packages.ubuntu.com/cgi-bin/search_packages.pl?keywords=xfce&searchon=name&subword=1&version=all&release=all

Add in a few fonts and multimedia as required and you would be good to go.

I suggest that you start from an old style server iso file (with the Debian installer), that you find at

cdimages.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/releases/bionic/release/

• Install a minimal system (without any extry program package).

• Boot into the minimal system and install Ubuntu desktop

  sudo apt update
  sudo apt full-upgrade
  
  sudo apt install ubuntu-desktop
  

  After rebooting you should have Ubuntu. I don't know what you mean by a minimal installation, and I don't know why you want to start from Ubuntu Server.

  You can install a simple window manager instead of the Ubuntu desktop to get a very light graphical system, that you can start with startx,

  sudo apt install fluxbox xinit xterm
  

  or you try with

  sudo apt install --no-install-recommends ubuntu-desktop
  

  which might produce what you want.

• You get other light-weight desktop environments via

  sudo apt install lubuntu-core
  
  sudo apt install xubuntu-core