So you’ve finally installed Linux and are ready to make it your go-to operating system (or at least explore it to find out if it’s a worthy replacement). You might find the operating system fairly easy to use right out of the box. Depending on the desktop environment you’ve chosen (like GNOME, Plasma, Budgie, Pantheon, Cinnamon, etc.), it probably has all the features you’re used to.
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So what are the first few post-installation steps you should take with Linux? I have a list that I go through before I get too deep into it. This list should make using Linux even easier than it already is.
Let’s look at that list.
1. Update the system
Very often, there will be updates available after installation. This is the first thing I always do. You might find a new kernel to install, security patches, or software updates. This should be considered a regular task (I do it daily). If the desktop doesn’t automatically prompt me to install updates, I’ll open the app store from the GUI or do it via the command line. No matter how you accomplish this task, put it at the top of your to-do list so that it’s always the first thing you do after installing the OS.
2. Install the applications you need
This is pretty self-explanatory, but here’s my pro tip for keeping track of the apps you use: I keep a list of all the apps I use in Google Keep, so I always have access to them. I don’t want to waste time trying to remember all the apps I use, only to find out later that I forgot one. Sure, they’re easy to install, but it’s always good to have that list handy.
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Better yet, if you install your apps via the command line, you can create a list of the required commands in Google Keep and then copy and paste them. For example, you could have a single command to install all the apps you get from the standard repository, like this:
sudo apt-get install gimp libreoffice chromium geary virtualbox mattermost audacity vlc -y
Then you could have a command to install all the snap packages you need like this:
You can do the same with Flatpak applications, Not available, Pac-Man, zipper, etc
3. Mount the units permanently
On every desktop computer I use, there are always several external drives connected to the machine. Some of those drives are external, and some are added inside the case. It doesn’t matter where those drives are, just that you always have access to them. This can be a bit tricky, depending on the distribution you choose, but if you use GNOME or Plasma, you can get around it with a graphical user interface.
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For example, in GNOME, open Disks, select the drive to be automatically mounted, and make sure that “Mount at system startup” is checked. You can also create a specific mount point for the drive, so you always know where it is.
4. Install a dock
If my chosen desktop environment (such as GNOME) doesn’t include a dock, I install one. I much prefer a dock to a standard desktop panel because I have better control over the appearance. For GNOME, you can always install the dock. Dash To Dock Extensionwhich works very well. You can also install Plank, Cairo Dock, Latte or KSmoothDock.
My personal favorite is Cairo because it has so many configuration options. Many of these docks can be used regardless of the distro you’ve chosen. Keep in mind, though, that some distros (like elementaryOS) already include a dock and you may not want to duplicate it.
5. Install multimedia codecs
This can be a bit tricky, depending on your distribution and the codecs you need. However, if you don’t install them (or your distribution doesn’t install them for you), you may not be able to play the media you want. On Ubuntu (and Ubuntu-based distributions), you can simply install the ubuntu restricted extras package (from the Multiverse repository). On Fedora-based distributions, the codecs are located in the RPMfusion repository.
6. Enable universal package managers
This is another one of the apps I need. There are apps that I depend on so much Snap and FlatpakSo I make sure that both universal package managers are installed on my distribution. All distributions can use Flatpak, but not all of them support Snaps. One of my deciding factors for choosing a distribution is whether it supports both. If you’re on a distribution that includes Snap but not Flatpak, you can install Flatpak with a command like this:
sudo apt-get install flatpak -y
For Snap, the command would be:
sudo apt-get install snapd -y
7. Set up a backup
Next, I always set up a backup of specific drives. It doesn’t matter which backup you use (like Deja Duprsync, Pika Backup, etc.), just do it yourself. I usually only backup specific directories (like Documents or Public) because that’s where I keep the files or directories that need to be backed up.
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Since I access files from all machines on my network, I share the ~/Public directory on my desktop. Depending on the distribution you choose, this could be as simple as right-clicking the directory and sharing it from the network share or Properties (Here’s how to do it from different GUIs). If your distribution does not include such a feature, you will need to configure it Samba from the command lineYou can also configure guest access to that directory.
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Either way, if you need to share a directory on your network for authenticated or guest users, Samba is the best option. And if you find that your desktop file manager doesn’t include the ability to create a share, be sure to check to see if an extension is available. For example, the GNOME Files file manager (aka “Nautilus”) has the nautilus-share extension, which can be installed with:
sudo apt-get install nautilus-share -y
9. Block it
Some Linux distributions come with the firewall disabled. I always recommend enabling it immediately. Depending on the distribution, this can be quite simple. For example, on Ubuntu, the command to enable the firewall is:
Once you’ve done that, no traffic will be able to enter your desktop unless you explicitly allow it with UFW. For example, you could allow SSH traffic like this:
10. Install SSH server
Since I always need to be able to access my desktop remotely, I install the OpenSSH daemon, which makes this possible. For example, on Ubuntu-based distributions, the command for this is:
sudo apt-get install openssh-server -y
Once you’ve done that, you could also configure the desktop machine to use a Static IP Addressso I don’t have to worry about the address changing. If you choose a dynamic address, it can change, which means you’ll have to figure out the new address before you can connect. Keep it static and you’ll always know how to access that machine via SSH.
Also: 5 Tips to Secure SSH on Your Linux Server or Desktop
And those are the first things I always do after installing Linux. All of the above shouldn’t take you more than five or ten minutes, and once you’re done, you’ll be ready to tackle anything.