Every now and then I upgrade my computer hardware or move to a different machine that requires a fresh installation of the operating system. This is very easy with Xubuntu because most of the programs I want (Firefox, LibreOffice, etc.) come pre-installed and ready to use from before the operating system is installed.

The following is my customization list to get a fresh Xubuntu installation right back where I started in short order. It is provided here both as a quick reminder for myself and as a way to help my friends get to the same place saving a lot of time.

Please note the command line interface (CLI) is used here because it is the most direct way to get a lot of things done with little or no need for menu navigation or clicking. You are welcome to customize your setup through the graphical interface at your own pace. Exploring is encouraged.

Some of the following settings are my personal choices and are not suggested for anyone else without first doing your own research.

<--! Notes sudo gedit /etc/systemd/journald.conf Storage=none MaxFileSec=1day ForwardToSyslog=no ForwardToKMsg=no MaxLevelStore=emerg MaxLevelSyslog=emerg sudo gedit /etc/rsyslog.conf (in the Global Directives section add the following two lines) StandardOutput=null StandardError=null -->

Backup

If you already have Xubuntu installed, start with a backup. There are plenty of good backup programs available in the Ubuntu repository if you need something more than a file copy.

Preparation

The default Xubuntu installation is the quickest way to a functional Linux workstation but may not be the best set of choices for using the same computer long term. One of the changes I like is to separate the operating system from the user data specifically by putting the home directory on a different partition. A very big advantage of this is the ability to completely reformat and reinstall any Linux operating system without touching any of my user data or personal preferences. I still do a regular backup just before installing anything to be extra safe.

It is easier to make a separate partition for the home directory when installing the operating system than after the fact. This requires using the expert or advanced button when the installer prompts for how to prepare the hard drive.

Partition Sizes

The first consideration is the root partition where the operating system and installed applications are stored. This is defined with a single forward slash character (/) in the Mount Point field. All Linux distributions I have tried are lean enough to comfortably work in less than 100 Gigabytes. 20 Gigabytes may be a bit low for a daily workstation with lots of applications installed. The remainder of your storage space can be given the Mount Point of /home formatted as one partition. Some Linux distributions work better with a small swap partition at the end of the drive but most of the newer builds use a swap file. If I create a swap partition I use the rule of thumb of about double the size of the physical memory in my machine.

Installing

• If this is a dual boot machine, install Windows first. Unfortunately this is likely to be the most time consuming part of the process. It typically takes me over an hour to install Windows but that is the easy part. Then starts the long process of downloading drivers followed by many hours of junk software removal, turning off unwanted features, installing, rebooting, patching, rebooting, tweaking, and rebooting to get Windows tame enough to use in my production environment. Do not use the Windows boot menu option if you are presented with a choice while installing Windows.
• Perform the Xubuntu install from the latest live CD, choose a strong password, and reboot to the hard drive when the CD install is complete. This typically takes me a little more than 10 minutes depending on the size of the Linux partition and the speed of the hard drive. The good news is that you can do things like use Firefox on the Internet or play games while the Xubuntu install happens in the background.
• If this is a laptop, go to Settings Manager/Hardware/Additional Drivers and click the Enabled check box next to your wireless or video card. This may prompt for a download. Accept the download and unpack firmware option if it is presented.
• Open the System/Synaptic Package Manager, go to the Settings/Repositories menu and put a check mark in all the Downloadable from the Internet boxes, close the Software Sources box and click the Reload button to make sure the package list is current. Selectively install the following packages along with any dependencies that may be required.
  
  
  1. apparmor-profiles (additional security policies)
  2. conky (light weight desktop information display utility)
  3. gedit (text editor easy for Windows users to understand)
  4. gweled and/or kdiamond (a game I like)
  5. smbnetfs (access Windows network servers and shares)
  6. ubuntu-restricted-extras (extra audio and video media playback stuff)
  7. virtualbox (to run Windows inside a box on your Linux desktop)
  Then after selecting these packages, click the Mark All Upgrades button. Depending on the age of your install disk, this may show a big list of updated packages to install. Click OK and the Apply button to start the download.
  
  Be patient. If a new operating system kernel is part of the download you may need to reboot at the end, so don't get too involved with other stuff yet.

I like to click the Automatically close after the changes have been successfully applied box on the Applying Changes window after the download completes. This keeps it from waiting for your input after the packages download and install.

Customize

While you wait for the new and updated files to download, now is the time to do some user interface customization.

Right click the blank space on the top bar and select Add To Panel. Drag the following icons on to the top bar.

1. System Monitor (real time system state information)
2. Workspace Switcher (shows virtual desktops)

Click the Close button when you are done.

Next go to the Applications menu and right click on the following item to bring up a menu showing Add this launcher to panel.

1. Accessories/Terminal (used for command prompt)

Open a terminal (by clicking the black icon on the top bar) and paste the following text into the command line:

 echo set completion-ignore-case on >> ~/.inputrc
 

Reboot

You may be asked to reboot when all of the packages are downloaded, installed and ready. If you are not asked to reboot, keep going.

Account Configuration

If you installed VirtualBox, goto System/Administration/Users and Groups and click the Unlock button. You will be prompted for your system password. After unlocking, click the Manage Groups button and scroll down and select the vboxusers group (normally the last one) and click the Properties button. Make sure there is a check mark in the box next to your account name or you won't be able to run VirtualBox machines. It is a good idea not to grant this permission to any account that does not need it.

SAMBA Configuration

Open a terminal (by clicking the black icon on the top bar) and copy or type or paste the following command.

 gksudo gedit /etc/samba/smb.conf
 

• Scroll down to the line that starts with wins server = and add the IP address of the IPAD-OS router (or your wins server).
• Scroll down to the line that starts with encrypt passwords = and change the true to false for maximum compatibility. This is relatively safe if you own all of the machines on your LAN. Encrypted SMB passwords are known to be weak (easy to decode) so even in a LAN without complete control, the password encryption does not add much protection.

Save the file and close the editor.

Ubuntu Tweak

The last part is to get Ubuntu Tweak from ubuntu-tweak.com and follow their installation directions. This tool gives the average Ubuntu user the power to keep their system clean and running at top speed without having to know or remember a long list of detailed maintenance commands. I know these commands and have spent countless hours over the years doing normal maintenance that this program does with a few clicks. If you are using the Long Term Support (LTS) version of any Ubunutu related distribution this tool is important to keep from running out of space when your root partition is too small.

First published 2008-07-21. The last major review or update of this information was on 2020-01-19. Your feedback using the form below helps us correct errors and omissions on this page.