10 things I always do after installing Linux – and why you should too

So, you’ve finally installed Linux, and you’re ready to make it your go-to operating system (or at least explore it to find out if it’s a worthy replacement). You might find the OS pretty easy to use out of the gate. Depending on the desktop environment you’ve chosen (such as GNOME, Plasma, Budgie, Pantheon, Cinnamon, etc.), it probably has all the bits and pieces you’re accustomed to on your current computing platform.

Also: The first 5 Linux commands every new user should learn

So, what are the first post-install steps you should take with Linux? I have a checklist I run through before diving in too far. This list should make using Linux even easier than it already is. I recommend you follow it, too.

1. Update the system

Very often, updates will be available after the installation. This is the first thing I always do. There might be a new kernel to install, security patches, or software updates. You should consider this a regular task. (I do it daily!) If the desktop doesn’t automatically prompt me to install updates, I’ll open the GUI app store or do it through the command line. No matter how you accomplish this task, place it at the top of your to-do list so it’s always the first thing you do after installing the OS.

2. Install the applications you need

Sure, this is self-explanatory, but here’s my pro tip for keeping track of the apps you use: I use Google Keep so I always have access to my list. I don’t want to spend time trying to remember all the apps I use, only to find out later that I forgot one. Sure, they’re easy to install, but it’s always good to have that list at the ready. 

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Even better, if you install your apps via the command line, you can create a list of the required commands in Google Keep, and then just copy-paste them. For example, you could have a single command to install all apps you get from the standard repository, like this:

sudo apt-get install gimp libreoffice chromium geary virtualbox mattermost audacity vlc -y

You could then have a command to install all the snap packages you need, like this:

You can do the same thing with Flatpak apps, dnf, pacman, zypper, etc.

3. Permanently mount drives

With every desktop computer I use, there are always multiple external drives attached to the machine. Some of those drives are external and some are added inside the case. It doesn’t matter where those drives live; what matters is that I always have access to them. This can be a bit tricky, depending on your distribution of choice, but if you’re using either GNOME or Plasma, you can take care of this with a GUI. 

Also: How to use the Linux history command – and what it can do for you

In GNOME, for example, you open Disks, select the drive to be automatically mounted, and make sure “Mount at system startup” is checked. You might also want to create a specific mount point for the drive, so you always know where it is.

4. Install a dock

If the desktop environment I’ve chosen (such as GNOME) doesn’t include a dock, I’ll install one. I much prefer a dock over a standard desktop panel because I have better control over the look and feel. For GNOME, you can install the Dash To Dock extension, which works great. You could also install Plank, Cairo Dock, Latte, or KSmoothDock. 

My personal favorite is Cairo because it has so many options for configuration. Many of these docks can be used regardless of what distribution you’ve chosen. Keep in mind, however, that some distributions (such as elementaryOS) already include a dock, and you might not want to double up.  

5. Install media codecs

This can be a bit challenging, depending on your distribution and the codecs you need. If you don’t install them (or your distribution doesn’t install them for you), you might not be able to play the media you want. On Ubuntu (and Ubuntu-based distributions), you can simply install the ubuntu-restricted-extras package (from the Multiverse repository). In Fedora-based distributions, the codecs are found in the RPMfusion repository. 

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6. Enable universal package managers

This is another must for me. There are apps I depend on from both Snap and Flatpak, so I make sure both universal package managers are installed on my distribution. Every distribution can use Flatpak, but not all support Snaps. One of my deciding factors for distribution choice is if it supports both. If you’re on a distribution that includes Snap but not Flatpak, you can install Flatpak with a command like:

sudo apt-get install flatpak -y

For Snap, the command would be:

sudo apt-get install snapd -y

7. Set up a backup

Next, I always set up a backup of specific drives. It doesn’t matter what backup you use (such as Deja Dup, rsync, Pika Backup, etc.), only that you make it happen. I typically only back up specific directories (such as Documents and/or Public) because those are where I store the fires/directories that need to be backed up.

Also: My top 5 user-friendly GUI backup tools for the Linux desktop

8. Create a network share

Because I access files from all machines on my network, I share the ~/Public directory on my desktop. Depending on your distribution of choice, this could be as simple as right-clicking the directory and sharing it from either Network Share or Properties (here’s how to so from different GUIs). If your distribution doesn’t include such a feature, you’ll need to set up Samba from the command line. You can also set up guest access to that directory. 

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Either way, if you need to share a directory to your network for authenticated users or guests, Samba is the way to go. If you find your desktop’s file manager doesn’t include the ability to create a share, make sure to check if there’s an available extension. For example, the GNOME Files file manager (aka “Nautilus”) has the nautilus-share extension, which you can install with:

sudo apt-get install nautilus-share -y

9. Lock it down

Some Linux distributions ship with the firewall disabled. I always recommend enabling it immediately. Depending on your distribution, this could be quite simple. For example, the Ubuntu command to enable the firewall is:

Once you’ve done that, no traffic can get into your desktop unless you explicitly allow it with UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall). For example, you could allow SSH traffic like this:

10. Install the SSH server

Because I always need to be able to access my desktop remotely, I install the OpenSSH daemon, which makes this possible. For example, on Ubuntu-based distributions, the command for this is:

sudo apt-get install openssh-server -y

Once I’ve done that, I might also configure the desktop machine to use a static IP address, so I don’t have to worry about the address changing. If you go with a dynamic address, it can change on you, which means you’d have to find out the new address before you can make the connection. Keep it static, and you’ll always know how to SSH to that machine.

Also: 5 tips for securing SSH on your Linux server or desktop

And those are the first things I always do after installing Linux. All of the above shouldn’t take you more than five or 10 minutes and, once you’re finished, you’re ready to take on anything.