Servers – Ensure X Window System is Not Installed

Support > Fixing Checks > Server

06 March, 2026

This check ensures that X Window System (Xorg) is not installed on servers where a graphical interface is unnecessary.

Removing unused GUI components helps reduce the attack surface and improves overall system security.

Check Details

Resource: Server
Check: Verify X Window System is not installed
Risk: Presence of GUI components like Xorg can increase the system’s attack surface and expose unnecessary services.

Ensure you have root or sudo privileges on the system.
Verify if X Window System is installed:
```
grep xorg /etc/cos-package-info.json
```
If the command returns any output, it indicates that X Window System components are present.
Remove X Window System packages based on your Linux distribution:
For RHEL / CentOS / Amazon Linux:
```
sudo yum remove xorg-x11*
```
For Ubuntu / Debian:
```
sudo apt purge xorg*
```
If removal is not feasible due to dependencies (e.g., Java), consider using headless packages instead.
Reboot the system if required:
```
sudo reboot
```
Re-run the verification command to ensure X Window System is no longer installed.
For long-term compliance, ensure that your OS images do not include X Window System packages.