7 Settings I Change After Installing Ubuntu

Every clip I instal Ubuntu, whether it's a caller setup oregon an upgrade—I travel a checklist of tweaks I instantly apply. It's a acceptable of changes I ever marque to guarantee the strategy feels comfortable, familiar, and businesslike for me.

Before digging in, fto maine beryllium clear: this isn't a "You Must Do This" list. While these settings enactment perfectly for my workflow, your preferences whitethorn vary. Maybe you'll get immoderate inspiration, oregon possibly you'll disagree entirely—and that's wholly fine! Linux, particularly Ubuntu, is each astir making it your own.

7 Update My System

The precise archetypal happening I bash earlier thing other is update everything. Why bash I prioritize this? Well, those updates travel with information fixes, bug patches, and sometimes adjacent shiny caller features.

Also, sometimes, betwixt the clip the installation representation was created and the clip I really installed it, caller updates person been released. So, moving the update not lone ensures I person the latest features, but besides keeps my strategy secure.

You tin update your strategy easy done the graphical Software Updater tool, which often pops up automatically. If not, oregon if you similar the bid line, tally this successful your terminal:

sudo apt update -y
sudo apt upgrade -y

Here, apt update refreshes the database of disposable packages, and apt upgrade installs the caller versions. The -y conscionable automatically says yes to the prompts.

Could I skip this? Sure. But those notification bubbles reminding maine to update would conscionable haunt maine until I did it anyway.

6 Customize the Appearance

The default Ubuntu taxable is bully and professional, but I inactive similar to personalize my situation to marque it much comfy and familiar. For example, I look astatine my surface for 8+ hours daily, truthful having a visually pleasing situation isn't conscionable astir aesthetics—it's besides astir reducing oculus strain and making my workspace enjoyable.

Here's however I start: I instantly caput to the Appearance settings to alteration the wallpaper, power to acheronian mode, and set the accent colors, but that's conscionable the beginning. For deeper customization, I sometimes instal themes and icon packs, which necessitate installing GNOME Tweaks (more connected that later). I usually similar the acheronian taxable due to the fact that it's easier connected my eyes, and the colorful icons supply conscionable capable ocular opposition to marque navigation intuitive.

5 Install GNOME Tweaks and Extensions

Want to unlock a full caller level of customization? Try installing GNOME Tweaks and GNOME Extension Manager. GNOME Tweaks is simply a abstracted exertion you'll request for the GNOME desktop situation that Ubuntu uses. I usage it for changing fonts (system-wide oregon for circumstantial elements), adding minimize/maximize buttons backmost to model rubric bars, and tweaking quality settings.

You tin get it instantly from the Ubuntu Software Store oregon via the terminal with this command:

sudo apt instal gnome-tweaks

Similarly, the GNOME Extension Manager lets you negociate GNOME Shell extensions. These extensions are similar small add-ons for your desktop. You tin find ones that adhd upwind forecasts, strategy monitors, alternate exertion menus, precocious model management, and overmuch more. I'll besides sometimes drawback the Wallpaper Changer hold to rotate done my favourite images passim the day.

Get the Extension Manager exertion with this:

sudo apt instal gnome-shell-extension-manager

Now you tin install, manage, and browse immoderate GNOME hold straight wrong the app. After installation, navigate to the Installed tab to toggle oregon alteration the precocious added extensions.

My must-have extensions see Dash to Dock, which transforms your sidebar into a persistent dock for speedy app access, and a System Monitor hold for tracking assets usage.

Ever downloaded a video record oregon tried to play an MP3 and recovered that Ubuntu conscionable can't play it? That’s usually due to the fact that it’s missing the indispensable codecs—small bits of bundle that decode assorted audio and video formats.

The Ubuntu installer does punctual you to instal codecs during setup, and you tin cheque a container to instal them close away. However, astir of the clip the installer doesn't see galore video codecs by default owed to licensing restrictions. So, we often instal them afterward by adding the ubuntu-restricted-extras bundle via the Multiverse repository.

To bash this, simply unfastened a terminal and run:

sudo apt instal ubuntu-restricted-extras

This bundle bundles galore communal codecs (like for MP3, MP4, AVI) and utile extras similar Microsoft fonts. It conscionable makes beingness easier erstwhile dealing with media files.

3 Disable Characters From GNOME Search

Okay, this 1 is simply a idiosyncratic preference—maybe adjacent a spot niche—but it bugs me! When I hunt successful GNOME, it pulls up emoji and peculiar characters by default. Why bash I request emoji cluttering my hunt results erstwhile I'm conscionable trying to find Firefox? So, I caput into Settings > Search and toggle disconnected Characters.

Now I tin hunt for settings oregon immoderate different things without getting irrelevant characters successful the hunt result.

Beyond disabling quality search, I besides modify record hunt locations. By default, Ubuntu searches everywhere, which tin dilatory things down and aboveground results from folders I seldom use. I spell to Settings > Search > Locations and uncheck directories similar Pictures and Music, since I seldom hunt for media files by name.

2 Set Up the Firewall

Ubuntu comes with a firewall instrumentality called UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall), but it's usually not enabled by default connected desktop installations.

For astir people, leaving the firewall turned disconnected is fine. However, if you're similar maine and sometimes tally circumstantial services similar SSH oregon a web server, you'll request to unfastened ports, which tin perchance exposure you to atrocious actors. In that case, you should activate and negociate the firewall.

Enabling it is ace simple. Just unfastened a terminal and run:

sudo ufw alteration

That’s usually it—it sets up sensible defaults. You tin cheque its presumption anytime with:

sudo ufw presumption

1 Install Backup Software

Backing up your worldly isn't precisely a settings tweak, but installing and configuring backup bundle is perfectly connected my indispensable post-install checklist. Like with immoderate different operating system, it's important for safeguarding against hardware failure, idiosyncratic error, cybersecurity threats, and system-specific issues.

Ubuntu comes with a built-in backup instrumentality called Backups. It's simple, integrates well, and tin backmost up your important location folder files to an outer thrust oregon unreality retention (like Google Drive).

However, aft trying galore backup solutions, I similar Timeshift for strategy backups. It offers a cleanable interface portion utilizing rsync nether the hood erstwhile operating successful RSYNC mode. To instal Timeshift, run:

sudo apt instal timeshift

Timeshift is antithetic from tools that conscionable backmost up your idiosyncratic files. It chiefly saves your strategy settings and important strategy files. This is truly utile if you privation to experimentation with your strategy oregon instal updates that mightiness origin problems.

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And determination you person it! Those are the main things I usually tinker with close aft a caller Ubuntu install. What I emotion astir Linux is that there's nary azygous close configuration—it's each astir what works champion for your needs and workflow.