Things to Do After Fresh Installation of Ubuntu

So, Let's say you've just installed Ubuntu after migration from another operating system and want to get best experience to make it more productive, efficient and more enjoyable. These tips will help you add some flavor to your Ubuntu install. So Let's start.

1. Update Your Ubuntu

Although you might have checked the box for downloading and installing update during the installation, more likely there will still be some updates you need to execute. These update will fixed some bugs to provide more stability for your system. Don't wait Ubuntu update manager pop up to remind you. To do that, open the dash by clicking the Ubuntu logo icon or hit the super key (keyboard key with windows icon) type software update on search and click the Software Update Laucher. 

The software will automatically check for newly released updates and install them automatically as shown below.

2. Enable Canonical Partners Repository

Before we go to the next "things todo", i highly advice you to do this step. Doing this will enable you to install several applications which are not available in the default repository. 

• Open dash, type software & Updates and click the icon launcher
• Once it's open, go to Other Software tab and check Canonical Partners box.
• If it prompt ask your password, type your password.
• When it's done, close the program. It will reload the entire software chace.

Doing this before updating your system after fresh installation is also recommended.

3. Install proper graphics drivers

Using proper drivers for your graphics card is important. It will give you better experience for your system without laggy movement graphics in video and gaming. 

To install your graphics driver: 

• Open dash, type Additional Drivers and click the icon launcher
• The new window will appear and automatically search your drivers
• When your proper drivers found, choose your proper drivers that suite your need.
• Click apply changes.
• It will prompt you to reboot your system.
• Reboot and you're done

4. Install Additional Media Codecs

Media is great part of the desktop experience. Whether is for listening music or watching movies, installing media codecs is a must! even though you have checked installing additional codecs during installation,due to some patent issues, all the codecs are not included in the default Ubuntu install.

In order to get additional codecs, follow these steps: 

• Open Ubuntu Software Center
• Search Ubuntu Restricted Extra
• Click Install, it will ask your password
• Allow installation to complete

Additionally, you can also install Ubuntu restricted extras using terminal

• Open  terminal
• Type this command :  sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras
• Hit enter and type your password
• Wait until installation finish.

5. Install VLC Media Players

There is no doubt that VLC is the most awesome  media player. It can play almost media format flawlessly and the most  important, it is open source. To Install VLC, on your terminal type  sudo apt-get install vlc

6. Install Tweaks Tools

With Tweaks tool you can customize your desktop with far more flexibility than you can do with the default options. It allows you to change themes, icons, window layout, and many other features you can explore.

There are two outstanding tweaks tool you can install through standard repository. They are unity-tweak-tool and gnome-tweak-tool. 

Unity Tweak tool

Gnome Tweak Tool

To install them:

• Open Terminal 
• Type sudo apt-get install unity-tweak-tool gnome-tweak-tool
• Type your password 
• Let installation complete

Unfortunately, you won't find any of these tools entry in the dash. 

To open them you have to use terminal using these commands:

unity-tweak-tool 

gnome-tweak-tool 

With each of these tools, you will gain control of your desktop look in the next level.

7. Install Themes and Icons

After installing tweak tools. it's time for you to give a new look for your Ubuntu by installing themes and icons. There are hundreds themes you can choose from the internet or you can try my recommendation themes here. 

8. Install Cloud Service

There are number of cloud services  available for your Ubuntu. One of those services is Dropbox. To install it, download Dropbox installer from their website and choose the package for Ubuntu. 

9. Install Skype

If you had enabled the Canonical Partners repository, as i described before, you should be able to install Skype from Ubuntu. To Install Skype. From terminal type: sudo apt-get install skype

 10. Install Java

To install Java, on terminal type: sudo apt-get install icedtea-7-plugin openjdk-7-jre

11. Install RAR

To install RAR use this command: sudo apt-get install rar

There are more things you still can do it depends on your preferences. To complete this list, please do tell me what else we can do after fresh installation of Ubuntu on comment section bellow. Good Luck.