Users need to make some small adjustments to the OS

Apr 24, 2015 09:14 GMT  ·  By

Now that Ubuntu 15.04 has been officially released, we can advise new users regarding a few extra steps that they need to take in order to get the most out of their system.

It's not complicated to modify Ubuntu, and many users choose to make some changes to their operating system, but there are a number of steps that can be taken in order to greatly improve the overall experience. Don't get me wrong, you can use Ubuntu as it is, but that doesn't mean things can't be better.

These few steps won't teach you how to tweak your system or to make changes to it, like installing a new theme or icon pack. This guide will ensure that new users find out about some of the stuff that needs to be done (or that can be done), but which is not advertised or shared in any official way.

Ubuntu is user-friendly

Not everyone likes Ubuntu or Unity, but there is one thing that most people can agree on. Ubuntu is user-friendly, so it's not all that difficult to make changes to it. Most of the packages can be installed with Ubuntu Software Center, so users don't really need the terminal, although we recommend it.

The first thing you need to do after the installation is to enable a repository named Canonical Partners, which can be done from Software & Updates. You will need this repository to install all kind of apps.

The second thing you need to do after you boot into Ubuntu is to install a package called Ubuntu Restricted Extras. For legal reasons, Ubuntu can't bundle in the installation some packages, like certain codes, fonts, or Flash. Canonical can provide them from the repositories, but that means that users need to install them by hand. Open a terminal and enter the following command:

code
sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras
Another step would be to install proprietary drivers for your hardware. If you're a gamer, for example, you might want to install the NVIDIA drivers from the repositories. Just open Software & Updates, go to the latest tab named Additional Drivers and choose what you need.

Users might also want to get a proper messaging program. Ubuntu comes with Empathy by default, but it's an old version and even the GNOME devs are considering dropping it from their stack. Open Ubuntu Software Center and look for Pidgin. It's a better solution in every way possible.

Last, but not least, users should enable multiple desktops, which is an awesome feature and extremely useful. They are not active by default, so users need to right open System Settings, access Appearance, then Behaviour and click on the Enable Workspaces.

These are just a few steps available to users that make a significant difference in the way they experience this operating system. Enjoy!