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Essential Tweaks After Installing Ubuntu

Linux•18 October 2024

Setting up Ubuntu 24.04 (whether it's on a standard x86 laptop or an M1 MacBook Air with Asahi Linux like in my case)? Here's my go-to list of essential customizations to get everything running just the way I like it.

Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts

Start by tailoring your keyboard shortcuts. Head over to Settings > Keyboard and select "View and Customize Shortcuts." Here are my key tweaks:

Launchers:

  • Web browser: Super+W
  • Search: Super+Space
  • Move window to workspace 1: Shift+Super+1
  • Move window to workspace 2: Shift+Super+2
  • Move window to workspace 3: Shift+Super+3
  • Move window to workspace 4: Shift+Super+4
  • Switch to workspace 1: Super+1
  • Switch to workspace 2: Super+2
  • Switch to workspace 3: Super+3
  • Switch to workspace 4: Super+4

System:

  • Quick settings menu: Super+X

Windows:

  • Close window: Super+Q
  • Maximize window: Disabled
  • Restore window: Disabled
  • Tile windows: Disabled

Custom Shortcuts:

  • Launch Nautilus (nautilus): Super+F
  • Launch Terminal (gnome-terminal): Super+T
  • Launch Terminal (gnome-terminal): Super+Return

Enable Compose Key for Special Characters

Need to type special characters more easily? Go to Settings > Keyboard, find Special Character Entry, and enable the Compose Key. I like setting it to Right Alt.

Setting Up Secure Shell (SSH)

Secure remote access is essential. To set up SSH:

  1. Fire up a terminal with Ctrl+Alt+T, then install the openssh-server package: 
    sudo apt update
sudo apt install openssh-server
  2. Check if the SSH service is running: 
    sudo systemctl status ssh
  3. If you're running a firewall (UFW), make sure SSH is allowed through: 
    sudo ufw allow ssh

Renaming Your Device (Hostname)

Easily change your device's name. Go to Settings > System > About and adjust the hostname. Don't forget to press Enter to save your changes.

Installing Essential Packages

Fresh install? I always start by grabbing some essential tools. Here's my must-have list:

  • zsh
  • wget
  • git
  • cmake
  • build-essential
  • htop
  • lm-sensors
  • neofetch

Install them all at once:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install zsh wget git cmake build-essential htop lm-sensors neofetch

Changing the Default Shell

If you're like me and prefer zsh over the default bash, you'll appreciate how Oh My Zsh elevates the terminal experience. Oh My Zsh is a community-driven framework that makes zsh more powerful and enjoyable to use, thanks to its themes, plugins, and customization options. To install Oh My Zsh, simply run the following command:

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

Center New Windows by Default

Annoyed by new windows not opening in the center? Fix it with this command:

gsettings set org.gnome.mutter center-new-windows true

Gnome Terminal Color Palette

Not a fan of the default terminal color palette? Here's how to change it:

  1. Open a new terminal, click the hamburger menu in the top-right corner of the menu bar, and select Preferences.

  2. In the sidebar, under Profiles, select Unnamed, then go to the Colors tab.

  3. Scroll down to the Palette section, and in the "Built-in schemes" dropdown, select XTerm, my personal favorite for a cleaner look.