Try: sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop

He may also need to install xserver for his graphics card.

Ubuntu Server is distributed with no GUI, so it can do its server tasks most
efficiently. However, if you want a system that can *test* server functions,
such as testing a web site, you can install all the server functions into Ubuntu
desktop. So, for example, my desktop system has Apache and Mysql running all the
time. Takes a little bit of memory, but I have lots.

Most people run real servers with no monitor or keyboard, and use SSH to control
them from another computer.

Thanks for your reply, I will try that, yes I can see why it is fast now in
regards to your comments about efficiency. Thank you again for your feedback.

Not running Ubuntu server here, but I connect to mine with a web
browser, and control it with a nice GUI interface without having
to load or do anything special on the client or the server. Perhaps
Ubuntu server is the same?

There is software you can load to do that... phpsysadmin I think is one for
viewing the hardware of your system. There are others for administrative
features.

Which reminds me, webmin is a nice tool for remotely managing ubuntu
servers. Also other linux distros, and other unix e.g. bsd, solaris,
hp-ux etc.

Here's an install guide -

www.kelvinwong.ca/.../installing-webmin-on-ubuntu-server-10-04-lts\
-lucid/

Server has no GUI, that's the big difference between the desktop edition and
the server edition. You can install Gnome or KDE, but the assumption its
that it is neither necessary nor desirable for routine server operations.

GUI's consume CPU cycles and reduce stability. That's why Microsoft Servers
were never as stable as Novel's in the days when I worked as a net admin, 10
years ago.

The old Novel servers were legendary for their stability, often sitting with
neither keyboard nor monitor attached. One is reported to have sat untouched
for four years giving perfect service and only rebooted when the power went
off.