20 Things to do after installing Ubuntu Linux
Sep 4, 2008 by Anurag Bansal 
106 Comments 
Posted under: Apps & Software, Howto, Reviews, Web & Social
106 Comments Posted under: Apps & Software, Howto, Reviews, Web & Social
Generally, in any operating system when you first install it fresh, you don’t get all the goodies. You have to install and download various applications and install them to make it suitable for your personal taste and requirement. Same is the case with Ubuntu as well. Unlike Windows, you have email client (Evolution) and an office suite (OpenOffice.org) by default loaded when you first install it. (Microsoft wants you to buy them separately and install it. But that’s a different debatable topic.)In fact you are better off with default Ubuntu installation without a need for further customization and installation. However if you are like me, you want even more, more and more…
So I have prepared a list of applications and plugins I need to install after I fresh install Ubuntu.
Tip: If you don’t want to install every application you loaded on Ubuntu everytime you upgrade or reinstall Ubuntu, create a SEPARATE partition for HOME. Having a separate HOME partition makes your life lot easier going forward, believe me.
I have prepared the below list based on my personal choice and requirement, your taste and requirements might vary. But the below mentioned applications are Best in Class for Ubuntu loving people. And you may at least want to try them once. Here is a step by step list for my Ubuntu customization:
Go to Applications -> Add/Remove Programs. From the drop down on right, select All available applications. Now select the following applications’ checkbox from the list:
- Advanced CCSM: To enable eyecandy effects such as shown below and much more than that. You will forget Vista I am sure once you use it. You may even get different wallpapers on different desktops. How to get different wallpapers on each workspace. Check out this post.
- Avant Windows Navigator (AWN): This will give you a dock same as in Mac. See the image with bottom deck of icons on desktop.
- Gstreamer Extra Plugins: Gstreamer plugins are required for media playback and all. Because I am sure you would definitely have some mp3 and all. This is for providing the system rquired codecs.
- Ubuntu Restricted Extras: These extras will provide you many plugins and add-ons required for Mozilla Firefox and other applications to run smoothly. Extras include Java, Flash player, Browser media plugins and lot of other things. Check description for complete list while installing.
- MS Core fonts: You won’t find Times New Roman and other Microsoft propreitary fonts in Ubuntu. So this plugin will install those fonts on your Ubuntu machine.
- Mozilla Thunderbird: If you are a great fan of Thunderbird email client, then install this application for your email client. Else you can use Evolution -the default email client in Ubuntu.
- Lightning: If you installed Thunderbird, then you will definitely need to install Lightning which adds a calendar to Thunderbird. (Thunderbird by itself lacks Calendar functionality.)
- Firefox Add-on: I am sure you need to install lots of Firefox add-ons. I am writing another post to cover that topic separately. Here are the 50 Firefox add-ons you should DEFINITELY use.
- gtkRecordMyDesktop: This one is good if you want to create a quick tutorial of some application or something else running on your machine. This application catures everything you are doing on your screen. It’s a good application for bloggers like me.
- Scribus: Scribus is good for those who want to create Newsletter, Magazine and similar looking material. It is a Desktop Publishing tool which has got a cool set of features.
- Samba: If you have more than one computer in your house, you would definitely wanna make a Home network or at least wanna share files between the two. Samba enables you to do that easily.
- Yahoo! Zimbra Desktop: Zimbra is a new one in the list of applications to be installed on Ubuntu. It is another email client which has got cool features and makes you able to read your Yahoo and other emails with ease. Zimbra has got everything you will need from a Desktop email client. For complete features, read this post.
- Miro: Miro is a video player which can play any video file and best of all you can save Youtube videos. To install the latest Miro, follow the instructions mentioned on Miro webpage.
Quick tip:
Add “deb http://ftp.osuosl.org/pub/pculture.org/miro/linux/repositories/ubuntu hardy/” (without quotes) to the Third Party repositories. Reload and install miro by searching in Synaptic. - Wine: Wine enables you to run most of the Windows applications on Ubuntu. Install it as mentioned on WineHQ site.
Quick Tip:
Open Terminal-> Copy and paste “wget -q http://wine.budgetdedicated.com/apt/387EE263.gpg -O- | sudo apt-key add -” to add key.
Copy and paste “sudo wget http://wine.budgetdedicated.com/apt/sources.list.d/hardy.list -O /etc/apt/sources.list.d/winehq.list”
Type “sudo apt-get update”.
Type “sudo aptitude install Wine”
- Google Earth: You don’t need any detail for it. Go and install Google earth as mentioned in this post.
- Skype: Download the latest Skype and install by double-clicking on it. Follow the prompts on screen.
- Gizmo Project: If you don’t like Skype, you might want to try Gizmo which is another application for internet based calls.
- Linux Back-port Modules: This is for those having issues with Wi-fi LED light not lighting while Wi-fi is in use. Just search for Linux Back-port Modules and install it through Synaptic. After you restart your system, wi-fi LED will lit.
- Songbird: Songbird is a open source alternative for iTunes and Windows Media Player with very cool features and customization possibilities. Install Songbird 0.7 as mentioned in my other post.
- Go to System ->Preferences ->Appearance ->Visual Effects and select Extra. That will activate your Video card driver. In my case it is NVIDIA. The changes will take place after you restart.
Finally restart your machine just to make sure everything is working properly. BTW, if you happen to install any Linux kernel update, you will have to restart anyways. If you want you might want to remove the older kernels to save some space and some clutter from the booting menu.
Over to you:
Now tell me if your selection of application on Ubuntu is different from mine.? If yes, then what applications you would suggest me to try. Or simply if the post was helpful for new Ubuntu users.
Hey, one more thing, this post is the 100th post of 2008.
Hey, one more thing, this post is the 100th post of 2008.
Update # 1 (11/16/08) : 50 Firefox Add-ons list added.
Update # 2 (11/16/08) : This article just appeared on Front Page of Digg.com. Thanks everyone for all those Diggs and comments.
Update # 2 (11/16/08) : This article just appeared on Front Page of Digg.com. Thanks everyone for all those Diggs and comments.
hi dear I have Ubuntu operating system and my system was getting problem so as i belong to less developed area of less developed country Pakistan and have no any kind of know how about new technology, to get rid of this problem I restore my system and i loosed all my data meanwhile. That data has much of importance for me so can you guide me in simple words that can i recover that data and how can i recover that data please in simple steps. May God give you happiness and prosperity.
kind Regard:
Saami Awan. (Awan_heartbeat@yahoo.com) please inform me
*Hi Saami,*
*If you restore your system using Windows restore utitlity, I am sorry to say that you have lost all your data on the hard drive.*
*If you hadn’t done so, it was easy to regain access to all the data on the hard drive by booting into Ubuntu Linux using a Ubuntu Live CD.* *Please follow the ubuntu tag on this blog to learn more about better way of installing Windows and Linux side by side and never loose your data again.*
*Thanks
*
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just go to windows you will find many many more then this
Lol youre as braindead as rock if you think that
+Isha Mitchum - might be worth reading? "20 Things to do after installing Ubuntu Linux" http://t.co/AmYYZfp
uhmm… the last one, number 20. by system i’m guessing you don’t mean System Settings, ‘cos I cant find visual effects from there.. thanks for all your tips though!
I am a beginner but it is obvious to me your guidance is very useful to many.
I didn’t want to read and just pass by indifferently.
Thank you
20 Things to do after installing Ubuntu Linux | Knowliz http://t.co/3pXfPVF via @knowliz
[...] while back I stumbled upon (using the sweet Firefox plug-in, StumbleUpon), this discussion of the 20 things you should do, or the applications you should install, after perfor…. Now, I’m primarily a Mac person, but if I need to use Linux for basic or desktop needs, [...]
20 Things to do after installing Ubuntu Linux | Knowliz http://ff.im/-rGLsK
20 Things to do after installing Ubuntu Linux | Knowliz http://bit.ly/14wcRJ
You should update the list now. Most of them are still great though! I find that there are newer and better things you could add or use to replace some things on your list.
You should try gnome-do with docky instead of avant windows navigator. IT ROCKS!!!!
can u please tell how to add the linux-backports-modules for ubuntu 10.04 a couple come up in the synaptic manager and i dont know which ones to choose. Some of them say to ”You likely do not want to install this package directly. Instead, install the linux-backports-modules-wireless-generic meta-package, which will ensure that upgrades work correctly, and that supporting packages are also installed. thx for ur help and on the great article u wrote
In 10.04 you don’t need to install back-port module. Everything which comes by default on ubuntu now is pre configured so you don’t need to do any customization at all.
Hope it helps.
just found this list its awesome so now im asking myself why am i using windows again!?!?!?
Thanks, this helped me now i’ve installed ubuntu and was looking for things to do. Keep it up!
@ashwaninair Once you installed ubuntu.. go through this! this will help you! http://bit.ly/8XXNfi #ubuntu @addthis
20 Things to do after installing Ubuntu Linux http://bit.ly/1dIUPy #technomania
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Why SAMBA and not NFS? What about MC? Gotta have Midnight Commander.
@torofrog That's cool man. Welcome to Ubuntu world. Let me know if you need any help. Tips for you http://bit.ly/txHPP
Hi Anurag,
Thanks for this post. I needed some of these programs on my machine.
Can you suggest a simple to use webpage editor (other than Kompozer) which is WYSIWYG. I used dreamweaver on windows longtime back and something similar for ubuntu would be great.
Neeraj
Hi Neeraj,
I did some research and looks like people use BlueFish as well for HTML editing. You may want to check it out. Some of the advantages are:
* unlimited undo/redo,
* automatic tag closing for HTML and XML documents,
* syntax highlighting, and
* numerous external plugins.
And obviously as you mentioned Kompozer is one mostly used.
Hope that helps.
Your wallpaper with the ocean, clouds, and pier is beautiful! Is it available online for others?
@Steve,
You can get download this wallpaper from http://drop.io/Knowliz/asset/drifting
Cheers
Anurag Bansal
This is awsome but one question does songbird sync with my iPod cause ive been having trouble with amarok and iTunes is being gay (ive got wine). Please if anyone has feedback
yeap i’ve done some of them before.
it seems that i have lots left out.
thx for sharing.
- Essential:
VLC
gparted
- Fun:
Celestia
- For economists (and other disciplines):
texlive
kile
Gretl (econometric software)
Using Ubuntu for the first time today.
Found this very useful, thanks.
Muito obrigado meu amigo. Eu realmente aprecio o seu comentário.
Using Google Translation..
Cheers
Anurag Bansal
Hi Obrigado pelo post, muito simples e fácil de entender. Obrigado Novamente.
@Neil:
If you follow the links provided in the article, you will get directions for some of them.
Whatever doesn't have a link are available in Ubuntu Synaptic. Just search with the name mentioned by going to Applications -> Add/Remove… after you have installed Ubuntu.
I think it is just about selecting the package and hit apply to install it.
In case, more details installation instructions are required, please drop me a mail.
Thanks
It would have been great if you wrote down how to actually add/tweak the programs you mentioned.
One program that every linux installation should come with standard is kdocker. Kdocker doesn’t have an interface, so it “fits” in any theme, and it helps your favorite apps that aren’t quite at their peak of maturity yet by allowing you to create an icon at the top of your screen that they can minimize to.
Try it! (sudo apt-get install kdocker)
Great tips…i am looking to install linux,need some guide.but this will help me something…
Thanks for this very interesting and useful tips.. this really helped me out..!
Escoofield –
http://alotofit.com
Have Fun!
Hi There,
Feedback from so many people helped me to find out there was some issue with the site.
I am not a web guy though I was able to tweak a little bit here and there.
Instead of screwing it up even more, I have changed the theme.
I will appreciate, if you can provide me the feedback now. If it loads faster or the site still Sucks.
Thanks
Thought I would like to have different wallpaper on each workspace, but no easy access to desktop contents killed that for me!!!
Already did most those of those, but some good ones there
Yeah. My list is completely different, naturally, because everyone’s different. Gnome-Do, awn trunk, Banshee from the dev branch, Zen kernel, ALSA drivers from alsa-project.org, downgrade Wine to 1.1.3 off of WineHQ, install Ruby from source, install DVD Styler and tovid, install all the blasted codecs to work with the file formats the rest of the world insists on using, install VLC and set GNOME’s file associations to use it instead of the stupid movie player, and I’m leaving out the mundane things like installing lame from the official sources (they have a debian folder so you can dpkg-buildpackage it) and mp3gain, grip, and so on.
On my wife’s laptop, there’s also editing xorg.conf to make sure it doesn’t freeze when trying to use the UniChrome hardware, patching ALSA to work with the headphone and mic jacks, and replacing Metacity with xfwm4 so we can run awn. Thankfully, on Ubuntu it’s no longer necessary to build separate wireless drivers for her laptop, so…good times.
Gnome-Do
my eyes, it burns
Why are there never any articles about what to install on Windows, on the digg front page?
Unless you play UT2k4, or Quake 3, or Doom 3. All have linux installers.
Only being able to play a handful of games versus an entire library of thousands of games is a huge difference. I consider the latter “playing games” while the former is more in line with “slacking off at work”
Depends on your definition of “playing games.” I’m not a gaming junkie, so the games that are native, plus games which actually will run under Wine, tend to suffice for me…but you know, whatever floats your boat.