You just installed Ubuntu. The desktop looks clean, the installer did its job, and you’re staring at that default purple wallpaper thinking… now what? If you jump straight into browsing and installing random stuff, you’ll end up with a sluggish, half-configured system in a week. The first hour after installation matters more than most people realize.
This guide walks you through everything you need to do right after installing Ubuntu — from critical system updates and driver setup to app installation, privacy hardening, and performance tweaks. Whether you’re a complete beginner coming from Windows or a seasoned Linux user doing a fresh install, these steps will turn your fresh Ubuntu into a properly tuned machine.
Step 1: Update Your System Immediately
This is non-negotiable. Your installation media was built weeks or months ago. Since then, hundreds of packages have received updates — security patches, bug fixes, performance improvements. Running an outdated system on day one is asking for trouble.
Open a terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run:
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -yThe first command updates your package lists — it tells your system what’s available. The second command actually installs the updates. This might take a while depending on your internet speed and how many packages need updating, so grab a coffee.
While you’re at it, enable automatic security updates so you don’t have to think about this every week:
sudo apt install unattended-upgrades
sudo dpkg-reconfigure -plow unattended-upgradesSelect “Yes” when prompted. This ensures critical security patches get installed automatically without you lifting a finger. You’ll still need to manually run full upgrades periodically, but at least you won’t be running known-vulnerable software.
Step 2: Install Proprietary Drivers
Ubuntu ships with open-source drivers by default, which is great philosophically but sometimes terrible practically — especially if you have an NVIDIA GPU. Open-source NVIDIA drivers (nouveau) work for basic display output, but if you want gaming, video editing, machine learning, or even smooth 4K video playback, you need the proprietary drivers.
Open “Software & Updates,” go to the “Additional Drivers” tab, and let Ubuntu search for available options. Select the proprietary NVIDIA driver (usually the latest recommended version) and click “Apply Changes.” Reboot when it’s done.
For AMD and Intel GPUs, the open-source drivers are actually excellent and usually pre-installed. But it’s still worth checking — sometimes there are firmware packages that improve performance.
Step 3: Install Multimedia Codecs
By default, Ubuntu can’t play certain audio and video formats due to licensing restrictions. You’ll notice this immediately when an MP3 file won’t play or a video stutters. The fix is simple:
sudo apt install ubuntu-restricted-extrasThis installs support for MP3, AAC, H.264, H.265, and other common formats. It also pulls in Microsoft fonts (useful for document compatibility) and Flash support (for the rare site that still needs it). You’ll need to accept a license agreement during installation — just press Tab to select “OK” and Enter to continue.
For DVD playback, add this:
sudo apt install libdvd-pkg
sudo dpkg-reconfigure libdvd-pkgStep 4: Enable Flatpak and Flathub
Ubuntu pushes Snaps heavily, and while Snaps work fine for many apps, the Flatpak ecosystem has a much larger selection — especially for niche and community-maintained applications. Having both gives you the widest possible software catalog.
sudo apt install flatpak
flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepoAfter this, you can install apps from Flathub either through the command line or by installing “Flatpak” plugin for the GNOME Software Center. Some apps are only available as Flatpaks, so this opens up a lot of options.
Step 5: Install GNOME Tweaks and Extensions
GNOME is beautiful out of the box, but it’s also opinionated. GNOME Tweaks lets you customize things that the default Settings app doesn’t expose — themes, fonts, window behavior, startup applications, and more.
sudo apt install gnome-tweaks gnome-shell-extensionsAlso install Extension Manager, which gives you a graphical interface for browsing and installing GNOME extensions:
sudo apt install gnome-shell-extension-managerExtensions worth checking out:
- AppIndicator and KStatusNotifierItem Support — Shows system tray icons for apps like Discord, Slack, etc.
- Dash to Dock — Makes the dash a permanent dock with more customization options.
- Caffeine — Disables the screensaver with one click when you’re watching something.
- Clipboard Indicator — Keeps a history of your clipboard entries.
Step 6: Configure Your Privacy Settings
Ubuntu collects some telemetry data by default. Whether you’re okay with this or not is a personal choice, but you should at least know where the controls are.
Go to Settings → Privacy and review everything:
- File History & Trash: Set automatic trash emptying to a reasonable interval (30 days is fine).
- Screen Lock: Enable automatic screen lock and set a timeout that makes sense for your environment.
- Diagnostics: Toggle “Send error reports to Canonical” on or off based on your preference.
- Location Services: Turn this off unless you have a specific app that needs it.
For deeper privacy control, disable the Amazon web app that sometimes comes pre-installed:
sudo apt remove ubuntu-web-launchers 2>/dev/null; trueStep 7: Set Up a Firewall
Ubuntu comes with UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall) installed but not enabled. On a desktop system, you probably don’t have many open ports, but enabling the firewall is a good habit — especially if you ever connect to public Wi-Fi.
sudo ufw enable
sudo ufw default deny incoming
sudo ufw default allow outgoingThese commands enable the firewall, block all incoming connections by default, and allow all outgoing connections. If you need to allow specific services (like SSH), you can add rules:
sudo ufw allow ssh
sudo ufw allow 80/tcpCheck your firewall status anytime with:
sudo ufw status verboseStep 8: Install Your Essential Apps
Now comes the fun part. Here’s a solid starter kit of apps that cover most use cases:
Browsers: Firefox is pre-installed and excellent. If you prefer Chrome or Brave, download them from their official websites. For Vivaldi fans, it’s available as a Snap.
Communication:
sudo snap install discord
sudo snap install telegram-desktopProductivity: LibreOffice comes pre-installed, and it handles most document formats well. If you need Microsoft Office compatibility for complex documents, OnlyOffice is worth trying:
sudo snap install onlyoffice-desktopeditorsMedia: VLC is still the king of media players — it plays literally everything:
sudo apt install vlcDevelopment: VS Code is available as a Snap, or you can install it from Microsoft’s repository for the full experience:
sudo snap install code --classicImage Editing: GIMP for Photoshop-level work, or Pinta for simpler tasks:
sudo apt install gimp
sudo apt install pintaStep 9: Configure Fractional Scaling
If you have a high-DPI display (like a 4K laptop screen), everything might look tiny by default. Ubuntu supports fractional scaling, but you need to enable it first.
For Wayland (the default), go to Settings → Displays and select your preferred scaling percentage. If the options you want aren’t available, enable experimental fractional scaling:
gsettings set org.gnome.mutter experimental-features "['scale-monitor-framebuffer']"After running this, log out and log back in. You should see scaling options like 125%, 150%, and 175% in the display settings.
Be aware that fractional scaling can cause slight blurriness with X11 applications. If you find it unacceptable, consider switching to integer scaling (200%) and adjusting font sizes instead.
Step 10: Set Up Timeshift for Backups
This is the step most people skip and then regret. Timeshift creates system snapshots that let you roll back to a previous state if something breaks. Think of it as System Restore from Windows, but actually reliable.
sudo apt install timeshiftLaunch Timeshift and configure it:
- Select RSYNC as the backup mode (unless you use Btrfs, then use BTRFS mode).
- Choose an external drive or a separate partition as your backup destination.
- Set the schedule — weekly snapshots with 2-3 retained copies is a good balance.
- Exclude your home directory (use a separate backup tool for personal files).
The first snapshot will take a while, but subsequent ones are incremental and fast. When (not if) you break something — a bad driver update, a botched configuration change, an extension that tanks your desktop — you’ll be grateful you have this.
Step 11: Optimize System Performance
A few tweaks can noticeably improve how responsive your system feels:
Reduce swappiness: Ubuntu is aggressive about moving data from RAM to swap, which can slow things down if you have plenty of memory. If you have 8GB+ of RAM, lower the swappiness:
echo "vm.swappiness=10" | sudo tee -a /etc/sysctl.conf
sudo sysctl -pEnable zram: zram creates a compressed swap space in RAM, which is much faster than disk-based swap:
sudo apt install zram-configDisable unnecessary startup applications: Open “Startup Applications” and uncheck anything you don’t need running at boot. Fewer startup items = faster boot times and less resource usage.
Clean up unnecessary packages: After all your installations, remove packages that are no longer needed:
sudo apt autoremove
sudo apt autocleanStep 12: Configure Git and SSH (For Developers)
If you do any development work, set up Git and SSH keys right away:
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your.email@example.com"
eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519Then add your public key to GitHub, GitLab, or wherever you host your code:
cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pubCopy the output and add it to your account’s SSH key settings. You’ll never have to type your password for Git operations again.
Step 13: Install Microsoft Fonts (For Document Compatibility)
If you work with documents that were created in Microsoft Office, you’ll run into font compatibility issues. Calibri, Arial, Times New Roman — documents using these fonts will look wrong or substitute ugly alternatives.
The ubuntu-restricted-extras package (from Step 3) includes the Microsoft core fonts, but for the newer fonts (Calibri, Cambria, etc.), you’ll need to extract them from a Windows installation or a Microsoft Office trial. Alternatively, the Carlito and Caladea fonts are open-source metric-compatible replacements:
sudo apt install fonts-crosextra-carlito fonts-crosextra-caladeaThese aren’t identical to Microsoft’s fonts, but they’re close enough that documents will reflow correctly.
Step 14: Set Up Night Light
If you use your computer in the evening, Night Light is a must. It reduces blue light emission, which helps with sleep quality and reduces eye strain.
Go to Settings → Displays → Night Light and enable it. Set a schedule — sunset to sunrise works well if your location services are enabled, or set custom hours. Adjust the color temperature to your preference (warmer is easier on the eyes but looks more orange).
Step 15: Customize Your Terminal
If you spend any time in the terminal, a few quick customizations make it dramatically more pleasant. Ubuntu’s default terminal is functional but plain — here’s how to make it yours.
First, install some useful tools that should honestly come pre-installed:
sudo apt install htop neofetch tree jq unziphtop is a much better process manager than the default top. neofetch displays your system info with a nice ASCII logo (yes, it’s purely cosmetic, but it’s fun). tree shows directory structures in a visual tree format. jq is essential for parsing JSON data from APIs and command outputs.
Next, set up some aliases to save yourself hundreds of keystrokes. Open your .bashrc file:
nano ~/.bashrcAdd these at the end:
alias ll='ls -alF'
alias la='ls -A'
alias l='ls -CF'
alias ..='cd ..'
alias ...='cd ../..'
alias update='sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y'
alias cleanup='sudo apt autoremove && sudo apt autoclean'
alias ports='ss -tuln'
alias myip='curl -s ifconfig.me'Save the file and run source ~/.bashrc to apply the changes immediately. Now you can type update to run a full system update, ll for a detailed file listing, or myip to quickly check your public IP address.
Step 16: Explore the App Center
Ubuntu’s App Center has improved dramatically in recent releases. Take some time to browse through it. You’ll find apps for just about everything — from note-taking (Obsidian, Joplin) to video editing (Kdenlive, Shotcut) to music production (Ardour, Audacity).
Don’t limit yourself to what you used on Windows or macOS. Part of the fun of Linux is discovering alternatives that might actually be better for your workflow. Kdenlive is genuinely powerful for video editing. OBS Studio is the gold standard for streaming and screen recording. GIMP, while different from Photoshop, is incredibly capable once you learn its quirks.
The Bottom Line
Setting up Ubuntu properly takes about an hour — maybe two if you’re being thorough. That hour pays for itself many times over in a smoother, more secure, and more productive experience over the months and years that follow.
The most important steps are the first three: update your system, install proper drivers, and get your codecs. Everything else can be done gradually as you discover what you need. But don’t skip Timeshift. Seriously. Future you will be grateful.
Welcome to Ubuntu. It only gets better from here.
