aptitude install xorg xfce4 xdm


#minimal graphics:
 aptitude install xorg
#window manager:
 aptitude install xfce4
or
aptitude install fluxbox fluxconf
or
aptitude install openbox obconf openbox-themes

aptitude install xdm

============================
Install the packages necessary for a graphical GNOME desktop.

When you boot into the system after you complete step one, all you will get is a text-based system. If you are used to the graphical desktop, this may be a little disconcerting, but do hang in there! The next step is to use apt-get to install the packages necessary for a graphical GNOME desktop.

The packages that you will need are:

    * gdm
    * gnome-applets
    * gnome-control-center
    * gnome-icon-theme
    * gnome-menus
    * gnome-panel
    * gnome-session
    * gnome-terminal
    * menu
    * metacity
    * nautilus
    * synaptic
    * x-window-system-core


The packages listed here are related to the X window system and the GNOME desktop environment, with the exception of nautilus, which is a graphical file manager, and synaptic, which is an application that makes it easier for you to install other applications and packages in future (sort of like a graphical front-end to apt-get).

In a nutshell, the two commands you will have to run from the command line (either as root, or using sudo) are

apt-get update

and

apt-get install gdm gnome-applets gnome-control-center gnome-icon-theme gnome-menus gnome-panel gnome-session gnome-terminal menu metacity nautilus synaptic x-window-system-core

Once that is done, reboot, and you should get a graphical log in prompt this time.

There you have it. A graphical desktop installation for Ubuntu without all the heavy applications.
-----------------------------


very compact version

apt-get install xserver-xorg-video-vesa xfonts-scalable xfonts-utils xfs  xfonts-100dpi xfonts-75dpi xfonts-base fluxbox xdm