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Things to do after installing Ubuntu

Ubuntu comes with apps and tools that might not be the best for your needs.

This small guide will help you to make Ubuntu at the level you want.

See our Post install scripts if you want to create an automated script.

Update

Let's make sure we have all the latest updates (not upgrades)

sudo apt-get update

Default Editor

Setup your favorite editor (like VIM)

sudo update-alternatives --config editor

Auto Sudo

If you don't like to type your password everytime you run the sudo command, here's how to disable it:

sudo visudo

Add this line at the end:

MyUserName ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL

SSH keys

Generate your SSH keys

mkdir ~/.ssh
chmod 700 ~/.ssh
cd .ssh
ssh-keygen -t rsa

Install Useful Apps

sudo apt-get install vim git secure-delete
sudo apt-get install flashplugin-installer
sudo apt-get install p7zip-rar p7zip-full unace unrar zip unzip rar

Purge Unwanted Apps

sudo apt-get purge empathy-common empathy*
sudo apt-get purge transmission-* shotwell* totem*
sudo apt-get purge account-plugin-* friends*
sudo apt-get remove unity-webapps-common
sudo apt-get purge thunderbird*
sudo apt-get purge gnome-orca
sudo apt-get purge gnomine gnome-sudoku gnome-mahjongg

Fix slow connection in ssh

sudo sed -i 's/GSSAPIAuthentication/#GSSAPIAuthentication/g' /etc/ssh/ssh_config
sudo sed -i 's/GSSAPIDelegateCredentials/#GSSAPIDelegateCredentials/g' /etc/ssh/ssh_config

Customize even more

gEdit

gsettings set org.gnome.gedit.preferences.editor auto-save false
gsettings set org.gnome.gedit.preferences.editor create-backup-copy false
gsettings set org.gnome.gedit.preferences.editor display-line-numbers true
gsettings set org.gnome.gedit.preferences.editor highlight-current-line true
gsettings set org.gnome.gedit.preferences.editor display-right-margin true
gsettings set org.gnome.gedit.preferences.editor scheme "'oblivion'"
gsettings set org.gnome.gedit.preferences.editor tabs-size 4
gsettings set org.gnome.gedit.preferences.editor auto-save false
gsettings set org.gnome.gedit.preferences.editor bracket-matching false
gsettings set org.gnome.gedit.preferences.editor create-backup-copy false
gsettings set org.gnome.gedit.preferences.editor display-line-numbers true
gsettings set org.gnome.gedit.preferences.editor display-right-margin true
gsettings set org.gnome.gedit.preferences.editor highlight-current-line true
gsettings set org.gnome.gedit.preferences.editor insert-spaces false
gsettings set org.gnome.gedit.preferences.editor scheme 'oblivion'
gsettings set org.gnome.gedit.preferences.editor wrap-mode 'none'
gsettings set org.gnome.gedit.preferences.editor tabs-size 4
gsettings set org.gnome.gedit.preferences.ui statusbar-visible true

Customize nautilus

#gsettings set org.gnome.nautilus.preferences always-use-location-entry true
gsettings set org.gnome.nautilus.list-view use-tree-view true
gsettings set org.gnome.nautilus.preferences click-policy "'double'"
gsettings set org.gnome.nautilus.preferences default-folder-viewer "'list-view'"
gsettings set org.gnome.nautilus.preferences enable-delete false
gsettings set org.gnome.nautilus.preferences show-directory-item-counts 'never'
gsettings set org.gnome.nautilus.preferences thumbnail-limit 512000

Disable the HUD when pressing the ALT key

dconf write /org/compiz/profiles/unity/plugins/unityshell/show-launcher '""'
dconf write /org/compiz/integrated/show-hud "['disable']"
gsettings set org.compiz.integrated show-hud "['l']"

Unity Features

gsettings set com.canonical.Unity always-show-menus false
gsettings set com.canonical.Unity.ApplicationsLens display-available-apps false
gsettings set com.canonical.Unity.ApplicationsLens display-recent-apps false
gsettings set com.canonical.Unity.Lenses remote-content-search none
gsettings set com.canonical.Unity.Lenses disabled-scopes "[]"
gsettings set com.canonical.indicator.power show-percentage true
gsettings set com.canonical.indicator.power show-time true
gsettings set com.canonical.unity-greeter background-color '#241916'
gsettings set com.canonical.unity-greeter background '/usr/share/backgrounds/warty-final-ubuntu.png'
gsettings set com.canonical.unity-greeter draw-grid true
gsettings set com.canonical.unity-greeter draw-user-backgrounds true
gsettings set com.canonical.unity-greeter font-name 'Ubuntu 11'
gsettings set com.canonical.unity-greeter indicators ['ug-accessibility', 'com.canonical.indicator.keyboard', 'com.canonical.indicator.session', 'com.canonical.indicator.datetime', 'com.canonical.indicator.power', 'com.canonical.indicator.sound', 'application']
gsettings set com.canonical.unity-greeter logo '/usr/share/unity-greeter/logo.png'
gsettings set com.canonical.unity-greeter onscreen-keyboard false
gsettings set com.canonical.unity-greeter play-ready-sound false
gsettings set com.canonical.unity-greeter screen-reader false
gsettings set com.canonical.Unity.ApplicationsLens display-available-apps false
gsettings set com.canonical.Unity.ApplicationsLens display-recent-apps false
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.privacy remember-recent-files false
gsettings set com.canonical.Unity home-expanded 'Expanded'

Calculator

gsettings set org.gnome.calculator accuracy 9
gsettings set org.gnome.calculator angle-units 'degrees'
gsettings set org.gnome.calculator base 10
gsettings set org.gnome.calculator button-mode 'advanced'
gsettings set org.gnome.calculator number-format 'automatic'
gsettings set org.gnome.calculator show-thousands false
gsettings set org.gnome.calculator show-zeroes false
gsettings set org.gnome.calculator source-currency ''
gsettings set org.gnome.calculator source-units 'degree'
gsettings set org.gnome.calculator target-currency ''
gsettings set org.gnome.calculator target-units 'radian'
gsettings set org.gnome.calculator word-size 64

Date and time

gsettings set com.canonical.indicator.datetime custom-time-format '%l:%M %p'
gsettings set com.canonical.indicator.datetime show-auto-detected-location false
gsettings set com.canonical.indicator.datetime show-calendar true
gsettings set com.canonical.indicator.datetime show-clock true
gsettings set com.canonical.indicator.datetime show-date true
gsettings set com.canonical.indicator.datetime show-day true
gsettings set com.canonical.indicator.datetime show-events true
gsettings set com.canonical.indicator.datetime show-locations true
gsettings set com.canonical.indicator.datetime show-seconds true
gsettings set com.canonical.indicator.datetime show-week-numbers false
gsettings set com.canonical.indicator.datetime show-year true
gsettings set com.canonical.indicator.datetime time-format '24-hour'
gsettings set com.canonical.indicator.datetime timezone-name ''
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.datetime automatic-timezone false
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface clock-format '24h'

Nautilus

gsettings set org.gnome.nautilus.list-view use-tree-view true
gsettings set org.gnome.nautilus.preferences default-folder-viewer 'list-view'
gsettings set org.gnome.nautilus.preferences show-image-thumbnails 'local-only'
gsettings set org.gnome.nautilus.preferences sort-directories-first true

Install tweak tools

sudo apt-get install unity-tweak-tool gnome-tweak-tool

Disable security and privacy

This is all done in the "System Settings" under the "Security and Privacy" tab.

Grive2

Please see our How to install Grive2 in Ubuntu

Clean

sudo apt-get autoremove
sudo apt-get autoclean