10 things to do after installed ubuntu 14.04 LTS

Ubuntu 14.04 LTS (Trusty Tahr) has been released and I’m sure you are about to install it, I’ve put together a few ideas for what to do after installation in order to make it work better for you. here’s a list of 10 useful things to do to get a near perfect desktop.

1. See what’s new?

Ubuntu 14.04 LTS (Trusty Tahr) like any new release of Ubuntu there are a host of new changes, features and updated apps to check out. We’ve put together a short video, viewable below, that will bring you bang up to speed with all the essential new bits and pieces.

2. Check for update and upgrade package

After installed Ubuntu 14.04 LTS (Trusty Tahr) now that we’ve added all those new sources, you’re going to need to check for updates.

comment: sudo apt-get update

Now that we’ve finished adding places to get updates from and secured them, it’s time to update what you already have.

comment: sudo apt-get upgrade

Some updates are bigger than others. This command is for the huge ones.

comment: sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

3. Install Essentials Package

Below you can find a breakdown of what each package does. This is the step that most frequently goes wrong and you should read what your terminal prints out before confirming. You may end up removing something you don’t want to if there is a conflict.

sudo apt-get install synaptic vlc gimp gimp-data gimp-plugin-registry gimp-data-extras y-ppa-manager bleachbit openjdk-7-jre oracle-java8-installer flashplugin-installer unace unrar zip unzip p7zip-full p7zip-rar sharutils rar uudeview mpack arj cabextract file-roller libxine1-ffmpeg mencoder flac faac faad sox ffmpeg2theora libmpeg2-4 uudeview libmpeg3-1 mpeg3-utils mpegdemux liba52-dev mpeg2dec vorbis-tools id3v2 mpg321 mpg123 libflac++6 totem-mozilla icedax lame libmad0 libjpeg-progs libdvdcss2 libdvdread4 libdvdnav4 libswscale-extra-2 ubuntu-restricted-extras ubuntu-wallpapers*

4. Install Additional Driver

After you update and upgrade package of Ubuntu 14.04 TLS (Trusty Tahr)  if the Additional Drivers dialogue has not opened, and does not appear as an icon in the system tray, you may not require any Additional Drivers. However, if you wish to check, you can simply search for and open Additional Drivers. It will automatically check for the latest drivers for your system as it opens. This may take a few seconds.

5. Explore Ubuntu Software Center

Right from login you’ll find pretty much every app you might need is preinstalled: Ubuntu comes loaded with software for browsing the web (Mozilla Firefox), checking e-mail (Thunderbird), listening to music (Rhythmbox)  and chatting with mates (Empathy Instant Messenger).

But while these are all perfectly useful apps they may not be your favourites. The Ubuntu Software Centre is your storefront for finding, browsing and installing extra apps, including some big-name choices like:

1. VLC – Versatile media player
2. Steam – Game distribution platform
3. Dropbox – Popular, cross-platform cloud storage service
4. GIMP – Advanced image editor
5. Chromium – open-source version of Google Chrome

There are also a number of fantastics apps you might not have heard of before — but since most apps are free, don’t be scared to try things out!

6. Install Ubuntu App Indicators (applets)

– Variety is more of a fully featured application than just a simple AppIndicator, but I’ll add it here anyway since I’m sure many of you will love it.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:peterlevi/ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install variety

– Cpufreq Indicator is the equivalent of the old GNOME CPU frequency scaling applet which can be used for changing the CPU frequency on-the-fly. Install it in Ubuntu by clicking the button below:

sudo apt-get install indicator-cpufreq

– Unity Tweak Tool allows you to change various Unity settings, like auto-hide behavior, tweak the Dash, the Unity Launcher or HUD, change window snapping and hot corner settings, change the GTK and icon theme, access various font settings and more.

sudo apt-get install unity-tweak-tool

7. Integrate with social media

Facebook, Twitter, Google Talk, Gmail… Chances are you use them all, and a whole bunch more besides. Getting them all set up in Ubuntu 14.04 is easy using the Online Accounts hub.

Open the System Settings application and click the ‘Online Accounts’ item in the grid. Click ‘add network’, select the service from the list, and login. You’ll be able to decide which applications you have installed can make use of it. For example, you can stop Empathy logging into Facebook chat, but allow photo uploading to it through Shotwell.

8. Make Your own style

Moka Icon Theme

Moka (named after a Moka coffee pot for no particular reason) is my favourite alternative Ubuntu icon set right now.

It (sort of) takes the best of Faenza and the Ubuntu Touch mobile icons and mixes it with a dash of simplicity seen in the raft of iOS7/Windows Modern UI sets that have sprung up of late. Download

9. Install useful software via ppa

VLC media player:

sudo apt-get install vlc

Install rar. I don’t know what this is but a lot of people seem to recommend it

sudo apt-get install rar

gimp image manipulation program

sudo apt-get install gimp

gnome tweak tool and unity tweek tool

sudo apt-get install gnome-tweak-tool

sudo apt-get install unity-tweak-tool

Install pidgin if you want.

I didn’t but a lot of people like it.

sudo apt-get install pidgin

Install skype

Install Skype if you want. This is a huge installation and will take a few minutes.

sudo sh -c ‘echo “deb http://archive.canonical.com/ quantal partner” >> /etc/apt/sources.list’

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install skype

Install Adobe Flash plugin

sudo apt-get install flashplugin-installer

The, spend the next hour trying to get that to work consistently.

Install some Codecs and Enable DVD Playback:

sudo apt-get install gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly libxine1-ffmpeg gxine mencoder libdvdread4 totem-mozilla icedax tagtool easytag id3tool lame nautilus-script-audio-convert libmad0 mpg321 libavcodec-extra

sudo /usr/share/doc/libdvdread4/install-css.sh

10. Firewall for Ubuntu

Ubuntu don’t need Anti-virus but Firewall is important for any kind of Operating System. UFW is installed by default in Ubuntu but it is command line and disabled by default. You can install best firewall GUFW enable and manage it graphically.

sudo apt-get install gufw

After installation open Dash and Search “GUFW” to configure it.