Setting up Ubuntu from scratch
This is mostly to help me remember what I like to do when setting up Ubuntu on a new computer, but maybe other folks will find it useful too. I’ll probably update it over time.
- Update Ubuntu
sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
- Install frequently-used software (recommended for all)
sudo apt-get install vim flashplugin-nonfree msttcorefonts ubuntu-restricted-extras pidgin pidgin-otr thunderbird
- Install less-frequently-used software (my personal list)
sudo apt-get install hugin bitpim audacity wine lame vorbis-tools dia meld
- Remove software I don’t want
sudo apt-get remove f-spot
- Make sure SSH connections stay open
- Enable the TrackPoint (ThinkPad specific)
- Configure Firefox
- Allow backspace to go back in history
Goto about:config in the location bar and setbrowser.backspace_action= 0 - Allow smaller tabs (more tabs at once)
Goto about:config in the location bar and setbrowser.tabs.tabMinWidth= 15 - Move navigation buttons, reload button, location bar, and search box onto the menu bar (aka minimalist Firefox) and hide navigation and bookmarks toolbars
- Under Edit > Preferences, turn off download manager, turn off password manager, always show tab bar
- Install addons
- Allow backspace to go back in history
- Install EditPlus in Wine
- Keyboard remapping
Goto System > Preferences > Keyboard > Layouts > Layout Options- Ctrl Key Positions > Make CapsLock an additional Ctrl
- Alt/Win key behavior > Control is mapped to the Win-keys
- Compose key position > Right Ctrl”
- Set up “LAMP” for local web development (optional)
Also check out: Adventures in Linux with Ubuntu and the Ubuntu Guide. Everything else is just apt-get install and a lifetime of learning.


5 comments
Braden
Heh, I did this myself this week.
The minimalist toolbar is brilliant, and Last Tab seems really nice. (Firefox comes one step closer to a full operating system.) Thanks.
You’re using vi and you have CapsLock as a Ctrl instead of Escape? xkeycaps for the win.
justin
Actually I just use vi/vim for in-terminal editing. Most of my code I write gets written in EditPlus (thanks to Wine).
Kenneth Reitz
I need to make a list like this. What’s more fun, though, is making your own bootable install image with the changes already made :D
justin
Kenneth—and update it every 6 mos? Nah. Well I’m not installing Ubuntu fresh all that often. But I’d love to see a set of instructions on how to appropriately script the changes I’ve described here. The apt-get ones would be easy. Not sure about FF and the various conf file changes.
justin
As of Ubuntu 9.10, the annoying
pcspkrmodule is blacklisted (yay!), so I’ve removed the following from my standard list of instructions:Turn off the PC speaker beep/bell
Then at the bottom add:
I also made the following updates, based on recent usage, and changes to Ubuntu since I wrote this.