6 Things to do with a fresh Ubuntu 21.10 installation

Now that you have installed Ubuntu, it’s time to tweak and customize the operating system to your liking. That is the beauty of Linux based operating systems, that you may add features that did not originally come packaged into it. Let’s explore 6 Things to do with a fresh Ubuntu 21.10 installation.

1. Check for Updates & Upgrades

The most important thing to do is to check for updates and upgrade the system if available. The easiest way to do so would be through the terminal with a single line of code.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

2. Install Proprietary Drivers

Be sure to install any possible proprietary drivers to speed up your system and to ensure that it runs as optimally as possible. Open the application menu by either clicking the button on the bottom left of your screen; or by pressing the windows key. Then search for “software & updates” and move to the Additional Drivers tab and select the drivers that are available for your system.

3. Install Media Codecs

Media codecs help you play videos and audios, most of them come install by its better to install all available codecs to avoid any potential headaches later on. Enter the code below in your terminal.

sudo apt install ubuntu-restricted-extras libdvdnav4 gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad gstreamer1.0-plugins-ugly libdvd-pkg -y

4. Upgrade your Bluetooth Codec

There are many Bluetooth codecs that give you improved wireless audio quality over Bluetooth’s default SBC codec such as APTx or Sony’s LDAC which offer CD-like audio quality. The commands below will do that for you.

For Ubuntu 19.10, 20.04, 20.10, 21.04, 21.10:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:berglh/pulseaudio-a2dp
sudo apt update
sudo apt install pulseaudio-modules-bt libldac

For Ubuntu 18.04, 18.10, 19.04:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:eh5/pulseaudio-a2dp
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install pulseaudio libavcodec58 libldac pulseaudio-modules-bt

Note: Please do remember to reboot your system for changes to take effect.

5. Install Usefull Apps

If you are new to Linux and need some recommendations as to which apps are amazing and you should install them. I have compiled a list of some of the apps you may want to install which I recommend are;

• VLC – Media Player

sudo apt install VLC -y

• OnlyOffice Desktop Editor – Document Editing Suite

Download the OnlyOffice package from their official website by clicking here, then double-click and install it.

• Moonlight – Nvidia Game streaming

sudo snap install moonlight

• Steam – Game Client

sudo apt install steam -y

• MailSpring – Email Client

sudo snap install mailspring

• Franz – Chat Client

Download the Franz package from their official website by clicking here, then double-click and install it.

• Gnome Weather – Weather App

sudo apt install gnome-weather

• Gnome Contacts – Contacts App

sudo apt install gnome-contacts

• Skype – Video Conferencing App

wget https://repo.skype.com/latest/skypeforlinux-64.deb

sudo dpkg -i skypeforlinux-64.deb

• Atom – Code Editor

sudo snap install atom --classic

6. Gnome Shell Extensions

You absolutely have to look into and use GNOME EXTENSIONS as they will enhance your overall experience using Ubuntu or any other gnome based desktop. You can tweak and enhance the capabilities of your desktop environment easily and quickly. Gnome Shell extensions are definitely one of the top 6 Things to do with a fresh Ubuntu 21.10 installation.

Check out how to install Gnome Shell Extensions here and get a list of our recommended extensions to install.