desktop-base software package provides common files for the Debian Desktop, you can install in your Ubuntu 16.10 (Yakkety Yak) by running the commands given below on the terminal,
$ sudo apt-get update $ sudo apt-get install desktop-base
desktop-base is installed in your system.
Make ensure the desktop-base package were installed using the commands given below,
$ sudo dpkg-query -l | grep desktop-base *
You will get with desktop-base package name, version, architecture and description in a table
| Distro | Ubuntu 16 10 yakkety yak |
| Section | X Window System software |
| Package | desktop-base |
| Version | 8.0.2ubuntu1 |
| Description | common files for the Debian Desktop |
| Sub Section |