There’s a unique satisfaction that comes with a fresh operating system install. Ubuntu 24.04 LTS boots up clean, fast, and full of potential. But a stock installation is just the starting point—a blank canvas. To transform it from a generic desktop into a personalized powerhouse tailored for development, productivity, and comfort, a series of deliberate steps are required. This is the process of making the system truly yours, equipping it with the right tools, tweaking the settings for a perfect workflow, and shaping the user interface to feel like home.

Over the years, I’ve refined a personal checklist that I run through after every new Ubuntu installation. It’s a comprehensive guide that has evolved from a simple list of commands into a battle-tested script for creating my ideal work environment. In this post, I’m sharing that entire cheat sheet with you. We will cover everything from essential system updates and must-have software to powerful terminal customizations with Oh My Zsh, essential GNOME extensions for a streamlined desktop experience, and a robust setup for developers including Docker and Kubernetes tools. Whether you’re a newcomer to Ubuntu or a seasoned user looking for new ideas, consider this your roadmap to a perfectly configured system.

Check and Install Package Updates

The following commands update the package lists, show upgradable packages, perform the upgrade, and remove any old, unused packages.

Three different package manager front-ends are shown.

Using Apt (the standard Ubuntu package manager)

1. Refresh package lists
2. List upgradable packages
3. Upgrade all packages
4. Remove unused dependencies

1

sudo apt update && sudo apt list --upgradable && sudo apt upgrade && sudo apt autoremove

Using Nala (a more user-friendly front-end for Apt)

Same as above, but with Nala’s parallel downloads and clearer output

1

sudo nala update && sudo nala list --upgradable && sudo nala upgrade && sudo nala autoremove

Using Aptitude (another powerful front-end for Apt)

Same as above, but using Aptitude for the upgrade process

1

sudo aptitude update && sudo apt list --upgradable && sudo aptitude upgrade && sudo apt autoremove

Install Software and Tools:

Install a collection of essential command-line and GUI tools.

• nano: simple text editor;
• nala/aptitude: apt front-ends;
• git/wget/curl: download/version control tools;
• mc: terminal file manager;
• copyq: clipboard manager;
• filezilla: FTP client;
• neofetch/inxi: system information tools;
• remmina: remote desktop client;
• make: build tool;
• htop: process viewer;
• gnome-sushi: Nautilus file previewer;
• zsh: alternative shell;
• duf: disk usage utility;
• powerline/fonts-powerline: status line styling for shells;
• pavucontrol: advanced audio control;
• pipewire-pulse: PulseAudio compatibility for PipeWire.

 1
 2
 3
 4
 5
 6
 7
 8
 9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22

sudo apt install \
  nano \
  nala \
  aptitude \
  git \
  wget \
  curl \
  mc \
  copyq \
  filezilla \
  neofetch \
  remmina \
  inxi \
  make \
  htop \
  gnome-sushi \
  zsh \
  duf \
  powerline \
  fonts-powerline \
  pavucontrol \
  pipewire-pulse

System Tuning

Install tools for advanced GNOME desktop configuration.

• gnome-system-tools: legacy admin tools;
• dconf-editor: low-level settings editor;
• gnome-tweaks: essential customization tool;
• chrome-gnome-shell: browser integration for extensions.

1

sudo apt install gnome-system-tools dconf-editor gnome-tweaks chrome-gnome-shell gnome-shell-extensions

Installing additional support for archivers

Add support for various archive formats like .rar, .7z, .ace, etc.

1

sudo apt install p7zip-rar rar unrar unace arj cabextract

Google Chrome

• https://www.google.com/intl/de_de/chrome/

Manual installation of Google Chrome browser.

• Download the .deb file from the official website.
• Use dpkg to install the downloaded .deb package.

1

sudo dpkg -i google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb

Enpass

• https://support.enpass.io/app/getting_started/installing_enpass.htm

Install the Enpass password manager from its official repository.

• Add the Enpass repository to your system’s sources.
• Download and add the repository’s GPG key for verification.
• Update package lists and install Enpass.

1
2
3

echo "deb https://apt.enpass.io/  stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/enpass.list
wget -O - https://apt.enpass.io/keys/enpass-linux.key | sudo tee /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/enpass.asc
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install enpass

PhpStorm

• https://www.jetbrains.com/de-de/phpstorm/download/#section=linux

Manual installation of JetBrains PhpStorm IDE.

• Extract the downloaded tarball.
• Move the extracted folder to /opt, a common directory for optional software.

1
2

tar -xzf PhpStorm-2025.1.3.tar.gz
sudo mv PhpStorm-25* /opt/phpstorm

• Final step: Open PhpStorm and use its internal tool to create a .desktop file for the application menu.

1

`PhpStorm` > `Tools` > `Create Desktop Entry`

DeaDBeeF Audio Player

• https://deadbeef.sourceforge.io/download.html
• https://sourceforge.net/projects/deadbeef/files/travis/linux

Install the DeaDBeeF audio player from a downloaded .deb file.

1

sudo apt install ./deadbeef-static*amd64.deb

Terminal

Terminal themes:

• https://mayccoll.github.io/Gogh/

Install a terminal color scheme using the “Gogh” script.

• This script downloads and runs an installer that offers many themes.

1

bash -c  "$(wget -qO- https://git.io/vQgMr)"

Azu

Adjusting GNOME Terminal preferences.

1
2
3

`Terminal` > `Preferences` > `General` > `Enable the menu acceleration key` > `OFF`
`Terminal` > `Profile +` > `Azu` > `Set as default`
`Terminal` > `Profile` > `Initial terminal size` > `126 columns` > `44 rows`

Install Z-shell (Oh My Zsh)

Install the Oh My Zsh framework for managing Zsh configuration.

1

sh -c "$(wget -O- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)"

Install plugins:

Clone the zsh-autosuggestions plugin (suggests commands as you type).

1

git clone https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-autosuggestions ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-~/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/plugins/zsh-autosuggestions

Clone the zsh-syntax-highlighting plugin (highlights shell commands).

1

git clone https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-syntax-highlighting.git ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-~/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/plugins/zsh-syntax-highlighting

Enable Oh-my-zsh plugins

Edit the Zsh configuration file to enable the installed plugins.

1

nano ~/.zshrc

Ensure your personal bin directory is in the system’s PATH.

1

export PATH=$HOME/bin:/usr/local/bin:$PATH

Add the new plugins to the plugins array in .zshrc.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

plugins=(
    git
    kube-ps1
    zsh-autosuggestions
    zsh-syntax-highlighting
    command-not-found
)

Fix very slow paste

Edit .zshrc to fix a common issue where pasting text into the terminal is slow.

1

nano ~/.zshrc

Add this line to disable a Zsh feature that can cause paste lag.

1

DISABLE_MAGIC_FUNCTIONS=true

Install Gnome Extensions

Install base packages required for GNOME Shell Extensions.

1

sudo apt install gnome-shell-extensions gnome-menus gir1.2-gmenu-3.0

Below is a list of recommended GNOME Shell Extensions. They can be installed from the website.

Dash to Panel

• https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/1160/dash-to-panel

Merges the top bar and dash into a single, configurable panel.

Arc Menu

• https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/3628/arcmenu

A traditional application menu for GNOME.

Caffeine

• https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/517/caffeine

Prevents the screen from locking or the system from suspending.

Steal my focus window

• https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/6385/steal-my-focus-window

Prevents windows from stealing focus.

Astra Monitor

• https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/6682/astra-monitor/

A system monitor extension for the top bar.

Install Flatpak

Install Flatpak, a universal package management system.

1

sudo apt install flatpak

Add the Flathub remote, which is the main repository for Flatpak apps.

1

flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

Note: A system restart is required to complete the setup and integrate Flatpak with the software center.

Install Flatpak Apps:

Warehouse

• https://flathub.org/de/apps/io.github.flattool.Warehouse

A tool to manage Flatpak applications, including their data and permissions.

1

flatpak install flathub io.github.flattool.Warehouse

Flatseal

• https://flathub.org/apps/com.github.tchx84.Flatseal

A graphical utility to review and modify permissions for your Flatpak applications.

1

flatpak install flathub com.github.tchx84.Flatseal

Gear Lever

• https://flathub.org/de/apps/it.mijorus.gearlever

Manage AppImages and integrate them into your system.

1

flatpak install flathub it.mijorus.gearlever

Haruna Media Player

• https://flathub.org/de/apps/org.kde.haruna

A video player built with Qt/QML and libmpv.

1

flatpak install flathub org.kde.haruna

Bruno

• https://flathub.org/de/apps/com.usebruno.Bruno

An open-source API client, alternative to Postman/Insomnia.

1

flatpak install flathub com.usebruno.Bruno

Pika Backup

• https://flathub.org/de/apps/org.gnome.World.PikaBackup

A simple backup tool based on BorgBackup.

1

flatpak install flathub org.gnome.World.PikaBackup

Disk Usage Analyzer (Baobab)

• https://flathub.org/apps/org.gnome.baobab

A graphical tool to analyze disk space usage.

1

flatpak install flathub org.gnome.baobab

System Settings

Adjusting various system settings via the GUI.

 1
 2
 3
 4
 5
 6
 7
 8
 9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17

# Enable extended input sources (e.g., for phonetic layouts) in Tweaks.
`Tweaks` > `Keyboard` > `Show Extended Input Sources` > `ON`

# Add a specific Russian phonetic keyboard layout.
`Settings` > `Keyboard` > `Input Sources` > `Add Input Sources` > `Russian (Germany, phonetic)`

# Disable the automatic screen lock.
`Settings` > `Privacy & Security` > `Screen Lock` > `Automatic Screen Lock` > `OFF`

# Show more information in the top bar clock.
`Settings` > `System` > `Date & Time` > `Week Day` > `ON`
`Settings` > `System` > `Date & Time` > `Date` > `ON`
`Settings` > `System` > `Date & Time` > `Seconds` > `ON`
`Settings` > `System` > `Date & Time` > `Week Numbers` > `ON`

# Open the language support utility to install additional language packs.
`Settings` > `System` > `Manage Installed Languages` > `Install / Remove Languages...`

Add “Create New Document” option to Nautilus File Manager

This adds options to the right-click context menu in Nautilus.

Navigate to the user’s Templates directory.

1

XDG_TEMPLATES_DIR=$(xdg-user-dir TEMPLATES) && cd "$XDG_TEMPLATES_DIR"

Create empty files that will serve as templates.

1

touch 'New Text File.txt' && touch 'New Markdown File.md'

Nautilus Copy Path/Name

• https://github.com/chr314/nautilus-copy-path

Install a Nautilus extension that adds “Copy Path” and “Copy Name” to the context menu.

Install dependencies for Nautilus Python extensions.

1

sudo apt install python3-nautilus python3-gi

Clone the extension’s repository.

1

git clone https://github.com/chr314/nautilus-copy-path.git

Navigate into the directory and run the installer.

1

cd nautilus-copy-path && make install

Custom Hot Keys

Setting up a custom keyboard shortcut. Task Manager Ctrl+Alt+Delete

1

gnome-system-monitor

Fonts

https://github.com/mozilla/Fira

Common system-wide font directories.

• /usr/share/fonts
• /usr/local/share/fonts

Install Microsoft fonts

Install the popular Microsoft Core Fonts package (Times New Roman, Arial, etc.).

1

sudo apt-get install ttf-mscorefonts-installer

Manually Install Fonts

A script to manually install fonts from .ttf files.

Create a custom directory for your fonts.

1

sudo mkdir -p /usr/local/share/fonts/my_fonts

Copy your .ttf font files into the new directory.

1

sudo cp *.ttf /usr/local/share/fonts/my_fonts

Set the correct ownership and permissions for the font files and directory.

1
2
3

sudo chown root:staff /usr/local/share/fonts/my_fonts -R \
&& sudo chmod 644 /usr/local/share/fonts/my_fonts/* -R \
&& sudo chmod 755 /usr/local/share/fonts/my_fonts

Rebuild the system’s font cache so the new fonts are recognized.

1

sudo fc-cache -fv

Synaptic

• https://help.ubuntu.com/stable/ubuntu-help/addremove-install-synaptic.html.en

Install Synaptic, a graphical package manager, and Gdebi, for installing local .deb files.

1

sudo apt install synaptic gdebi

Install Synaptic Quick-Search filter

This indexes packages and enables a faster search filter in Synaptic.

1

sudo apt-get install apt-xapian-index && sudo update-apt-xapian-index -vf

How to disable Ctrl+Shift+U?

Problem

In the default “Ibus” input method, Ctrl+Shift+U is a shortcut to enter Unicode characters directly, which can conflict with shortcuts in other applications (like IDEs).

Solution

Disable this shortcut using the IBus preferences utility.

Launch the IBus preferences panel from the terminal.

1

ibus-setup

• Go to the Emoji tab.
• Find the Unicode code point: entry and click the three dots (…) to edit its shortcut.
• In the dialog, click Delete to remove the keybinding, then OK.
• Close the IBus Preferences window. The change takes effect immediately.

Change background to solid color

Use gsettings to change the desktop background to a solid color instead of an image.

Clear the image URIs for both light and dark modes.

1
2

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background picture-uri ""
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background picture-uri-dark ""

Set the desired solid color.

1

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background primary-color '#232f3e'

Global Git ignore

Set up a global .gitignore file to exclude common files (like IDE folders) from all Git repositories on your system.

Create the global ignore file in your home directory.

1

touch ~/.gitignore

Open the file to add patterns to ignore (e.g., the .idea folder from JetBrains IDEs).

1

nano ~/.gitignore

1

.idea

Configure Git to use this file globally.

1

git config --global core.excludesFile '~/.gitignore'

Install Docker

• https://docs.docker.com/engine/install/ubuntu/

Uninstall old versions

Remove any old or conflicting Docker packages.

1

for pkg in docker.io docker-doc docker-compose docker-compose-v2 podman-docker containerd runc; do sudo apt-get remove $pkg; done

Install using the apt repository

Add Docker’s official GPG key for package verification.

1
2
3
4
5

sudo apt-get update \
    && sudo apt-get install ca-certificates curl \
    && sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings \
    && sudo curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc \
    && sudo chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc

Add the Docker repository to your system’s Apt sources.

1
2
3
4
5

echo \
  "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu \
  $(. /etc/os-release && echo "$VERSION_CODENAME") stable" | \
  sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null \
    && sudo apt-get update

Install the latest versions of the Docker packages.

1

sudo apt-get install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin

(Post-installation) Add your user to the ‘docker’ group to run docker commands without sudo.

1

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

Note: You must log out and log back in for this group change to take effect.

Additional Software

ONLYOFFICE Desktop

• https://www.onlyoffice.com/download-desktop.aspx

A free office suite. Download from the official website.

RcloneBrowser (Ubuntu Software)

• https://kapitainsky.github.io/RcloneBrowser/

A GUI for the powerful rclone command-line cloud storage tool.

Grsync

A graphical user interface for rsync, a powerful file-syncing tool.

1

sudo apt install grsync

Blueman - Bluetooth Manager

An advanced Bluetooth manager, often more reliable than the default.

1

sudo apt install blueman

Access files and folders on Ext from Windows

List of Windows tools that can read Linux (Ext4) filesystems.

• Linux Reader
• Ext2Read

Fix: GNOME Sushi freezes system when previewing OpenDocument

GNOME’s file previewer (Sushi) may freeze on OpenDocument files (e.g., .odt).

Installing unoconv provides the necessary backend to fix this.

1

sudo apt install unoconv

Detach Child Pop-up windows from Parent

A tweak to make modal dialogs (like “Save As…”) appear as separate, movable windows.

1

gsettings set org.gnome.mutter attach-modal-dialogs false

Add AppImage support

Install libfuse2, a common dependency required to run many AppImage applications.

1

sudo apt install libfuse2

My GRUB config

Customizing the GRUB bootloader, often to set the correct resolution.

Use xrandr to find your monitor’s native or preferred resolution.

1

xrandr

Edit the GRUB configuration file.

1

sudo nano /etc/default/grub

Set the kernel video mode to your desired resolution (e.g., 2560x1440).

1

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash video=2560x1440"

Update GRUB to apply the changes.

1

sudo update-grub

Update the initramfs (initial RAM filesystem).

1

sudo update-initramfs -u

Reboot to see the changes.

1

sudo reboot

Scale GRUB menu on 4K displays

If the GRUB menu itself is too small on a high-resolution display, you can set its resolution.

Edit the GRUB configuration file.

1

sudo nano /etc/default/grub

Add these lines to set a lower resolution for the GRUB menu text.

1
2
3

GRUB_GFXMODE=800x600
GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD=keep
GRUB_TERMINAL=gfxterm

Update GRUB to apply the changes.

1

sudo update-grub

QT Applications Style

Improve the look of Qt-based applications so they integrate better with the GNOME (GTK) theme.

Install Qt5 style plugins.

1

sudo apt install -y qt5-style-plugins

Set an environment variable to tell Qt apps to use the GTK2 theme engine.

1

echo "export QT_QPA_PLATFORMTHEME=gtk2" >> ~/.profile

Visual Studio Code

• https://code.visualstudio.com/download

MuonSSH

A modern SSH client. Download from GitHub releases.

• https://github.com/devlinx9/muon-ssh/releases

kubectl

Install the Kubernetes command-line tool.

Download the latest stable release binary.

1

curl -LO https://dl.k8s.io/release/`curl -LS https://dl.k8s.io/release/stable.txt`/bin/linux/amd64/kubectl

Make the binary executable.

1

chmod +x ./kubectl

Move the binary to a directory in your PATH (e.g., a personal bin folder).

1

sudo mv ./kubectl ~/bin/kubectl

minikube

• https://minikube.sigs.k8s.io/docs/start/?arch=%2Flinux%2Fx86-64%2Fstable%2Fdebian+package

Install Minikube, a tool for running a local Kubernetes cluster.

Download the .deb package for the latest release.

1

curl -LO https://storage.googleapis.com/minikube/releases/latest/minikube_latest_amd64.deb

Install the downloaded package.

1

sudo dpkg -i minikube_latest_amd64.deb

System Maintenance / Cleanup

A routine for system cleanup and backup.

• lsblk - List disks and partitions.
• duf - Check disk usage status.
• bleachbit - System cleanup (e.g., with BleachBit).
• rsync, Synology Drive - Backup / File backup (e.g., with rsync or a dedicated tool like Synology Drive).
• Restart if core system components were updated.

And there you have it—a comprehensive blueprint for transforming a fresh Ubuntu installation into a powerful, personalized workstation. The true power of a list like this isn’t in following it verbatim, but in using it as a solid foundation to build upon. I encourage you to treat this guide as a starting point: feel free to pick and choose, substitute your favorite tools, and discard what doesn’t fit your unique workflow. Ultimately, the goal is to craft a system that feels like an extension of yourself—one that gets out of your way and empowers you to do your best work. I hope this guide saves you time and helps you achieve exactly that.

Enjoy your newly configured, powerful, and uniquely personal Ubuntu desktop