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.

For any professional working with Linux, the command line is the primary tool, and knowledge of its commands is their professional arsenal. While Linux has thousands of utilities, 90% of day-to-day diagnostic and troubleshooting tasks can be solved with a small but powerful set of commands. Mastering this set is what distinguishes an experienced administrator, enabling them to tackle any problem quickly and confidently.

In this post, I have compiled that very time-tested arsenal for you. This isn’t just a random list; it’s a structured cheat sheet created for practical application. All the commands are grouped by the type of problem you’re trying to solve—from checking disk space and analyzing network traffic to inspecting running processes and diving deep into system logs. Bookmark this page, and it will become your trusted guide, helping you quickly get from the question, “What happened?” to the answer, “Here’s the problem.”