elementary OS 5.1 Hera

1-elementary-os-apps.md

elementaryOS Apps and Configs

This guide has been updated for elementaryOS v5.0+.

Enbale PPA support

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get -y install software-properties-common

Install original plank dock

Elementary OS comes with a patched version of plank dock with limited features

sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:ricotz/docky
sudo apt-get install -y plank
# configure
plank --preferences

Plank addons

• Themes,Themes 2
• auto plank
• separator

Elementary tweaks

sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:philip.scott/elementary-tweaks 
sudo apt-get install -y elementary-tweaks

7Z, RAR file support to File Roller

sudo apt-get install -y rar unrar p7zip-full p7zip-rar

Task manager

sudo apt-get install -y gnome-system-monitor htop

Google Chrome Web Browser

• Download Page, Direct link to Stable and Beta OR

wget -q -O - https://dl-ssl.google.com/linux/linux_signing_key.pub | sudo apt-key add -
sudo sh -c 'echo "deb [arch=amd64] http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome.list'
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y google-chrome-stable

VLC Media Player

sudo apt-get install -y vlc

Kingsoft WPS Office (~80MB download)

Libre Office (~180 MB download)

sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:libreoffice/ppa
sudo apt-get install -y libreoffice

TLP Laptop battery saver

sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:linrunner/tlp
sudo apt-get install -y tlp tlp-rdw
sudo tlp start

• TLP saves its configs to /etc/default/tlp, advanced users can go and adjust settings there.
• For example; un-comment this line DEVICES_TO_DISABLE_ON_STARTUP

GIMP Image editor

sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:otto-kesselgulasch/gimp
sudo apt-get install -y gimp

xfburn - CD and DVD burning application

sudo apt-get install -y xfburn

xfburn does not support multi-session disks

dConf-Tools

sudo apt-get install -y dconf-tools

Disk usage analyzer

sudo apt install -y baobab

gParted

sudo apt-get install -y gparted

ISO Master

sudo apt-get install -y isomaster

BleachBit

sudo apt-get install -y bleachbit

uGet Download Manager

sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:plushuang-tw/uget-stable
sudo apt install -y aria2 uget

unetbootin

sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:gezakovacs/ppa
sudo apt-get install -y unetbootin

WoeUSB

sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:nilarimogard/webupd8
sudo apt install -y woeusb

Spotify desktop app

• https://www.spotify.com/int/download/linux/

gDebi

sudo apt-get install -y gdebi

Synaptic Package Manager

sudo apt-get install -y synaptic

E4defrag (Defrag ext4 partations)

# check if your first partation needs defragmentation
sudo e4defrag -c /dev/sda1 

Ubuntu Restricted extras

# Full install
sudo apt-get install -y ubuntu-restricted-extras

# Selected install - Codecs only
sudo apt-get install -y gstreamer1.0-fluendo-mp3 gstreamer1.0-libav gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad gstreamer1.0-plugins-ugly libavcodec-extra

Grub Customizer

sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:danielrichter2007/grub-customizer
sudo apt-get install -y grub-customizer

guFw Firewall

sudo apt-get install -y gufw
# OR (If u dont need a GUI program)
sudo ufw enable
sudo ufw deny ssh

Filezilla

sudo apt-get install -y filezilla

HandBrake media convertor

sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:stebbins/handbrake-releases
sudo apt-get install -y handbrake-gtk

Selene Media Encoder

sudo apt-add-repository -y ppa:teejee2008/ppa
sudo apt-get install -y selene

Audio Recorder

sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:audio-recorder/ppa
sudo apt-get install -y audio-recorder

Submlime text 3

wget -qO - https://download.sublimetext.com/sublimehq-pub.gpg | sudo apt-key add -
echo "deb https://download.sublimetext.com/ apt/stable/" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/sublime-text.list
sudo apt-get update 
sudo apt-get install -y sublime-text

Virtual Box

sudo apt install virtualbox virtualbox-ext-pack

gnome disk

sudo apt-get install -y gnome-disk-utility

PulseAudio Volume Control

sudo apt-get install -y pavucontrol

Update manager (you may not need this)

sudo apt-get install software-properties-gtk 
sudo apt-get install update-manager

Wingpanel addons

• https://github.com/camellan/placesindicator
• https://github.com/mdh34/elementary-indicators
• https://github.com/PlugaruT/wingpanel-indicator-sys-monitor
• https://github.com/maze-n/indicator-daynight
• https://github.com/indikeeper/indikeeper
• https://github.com/ele-l10n-cjk/wingpanel-indicator-inputmethod
• https://github.com/maze-n/indicator-daynight

2-tweaks.md

Scratch text editor configs

• Dont autosave files on change

File manager configs

• Disable single click
• Dont remember tabs

Music player (noise) configs

• Dont write metedata to files

Misc

• Show battery percentage
• Disable all animations

Disable OS auto updates source more

• Edit /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/20auto-upgrades file and update these lines

APT::Periodic::Update-Package-Lists "0";
APT::Periodic::Download-Upgradeable-Packages "0";
APT::Periodic::AutocleanInterval "30";
APT::Periodic::Unattended-Upgrade "0";

Disable App Center running in background

• Open gnome-session-properties from terminal
• Uncheck the "App Center Deamon" entry to disable it

Disable Guest session

sudo sh -c 'printf "[SeatDefaults]\nallow-guest=false\n" > /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/50-no-guest.conf'

Display hidden auto-start entries

sudo sed -i 's/NoDisplay=true/NoDisplay=false/g' /etc/xdg/autostart/*.desktop

Now run gnome-session-properties in terminal to see full list

• Disable Onboard, Orca screen reader, Personal File Sharing and Maya Deamon

Tune swappiness

# temporarily
sudo sysctl vm.swappiness=10

# parmanent, require reboot
echo 'vm.swappiness=10' | sudo tee -a /etc/sysctl.conf

Fix time differences between Ubuntu and Windows (Dual Boot) - Source

timedatectl set-local-rtc 1

Speed up apt-get update with parallel

# Create a file
sudo nano /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/99parallel

# Add these lines and save 
APT::Acquire::Queue-Mode "access";
APT::Acquire::Retries 3;

Remove language related ign from apt-get update - Source

echo 'Acquire::Languages "none";' | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/00aptitude

Set file roller compression level to maximum

dconf write /org/gnome/file-roller/general/compression-level "'maximum'"

3-remove-apps.sh

#!/bin/bash
set -e


# List of apps to remove
declare -a APPS_TO_REMOVE=(
"epiphany*"
"maya-calendar*"
"evolution-data-server"
"audience*"
"pantheon-mail*"
"gnome-orca*"
"ubiquity-slideshow-elementary"
)


## Loop through the above array
for i in "${APPS_TO_REMOVE[@]}"
do
echo -e "\e[96m Uninstall: $i  \e[39m"
sudo apt-get remove --purge -y $i    
done

# Clean up
sudo apt-get -y autoremove
sudo apt-get -y clean

4.install-bum.md

Install BootUpManager

# install dependencies
sudo apt install build-essential intltool
sudo apt install libgtk2-perl

## compile from source
wget https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+archive/primary/+sourcefiles/bum/2.5.2-1/bum_2.5.2.orig.tar.gz
tar xzvf bum_2.5.2.orig.tar.gz
cd bum-2.5.2/
./configure 
make
sudo make install
cd ..
rm  -rf bum-2.5.2/
sudo bum

https://persepolisdm.github.io/
for better download manager based on aria2 with chrome and firrefox extension

Well, thanks for the gist, but I downloaded grub-customizer, but it could not launch. I launched it in terminal and it showed me "libatkmm-2.4.so.1 can not be found" or something like this. So I'm just wondering whether you could start it up?

@tevenfeng
I just installed grub-customizer and i didn't faced any issue. I launched it from Applications menu drawer.

thank you for the super useful gist

Yea - I know this is old, but this comes up in one of the first searches of elementary, OS, Plank, magnify, zoom, features, ....etc . So here is the easy answer if you are running Elementary OS Hera ... remove Plank (sudo apt remove plank) then go to the AppCenter and download/install Docky .... DONE!

I just want to remove the dock and not replace it with anything. Will there be bugs because if that? Seems to be really tied in.

Then I really wish the app switcher was more like gnome, kde, MacOS, etc. where it's just icons you sift through instead of full preview.

Would be so curious if anyone else has done these tweaks

@mkellyxp
Please ask your question at
https://elementaryos.stackexchange.com/
You will find more community members there.

I don't think plank is tied with OS.
i found this, not tested . ⚠️

Yea - I know this is old, but this comes up in one of the first searches of elementary, OS, Plank, magnify, zoom, features, ....etc . So here is the easy answer if you are running Elementary OS Hera ... remove Plank (sudo apt remove plank) then go to the AppCenter and download/install Docky .... DONE!

Alternatively, to keep using Plank instead of Docky in Hera, you can rebuild from source. The following worked for me:

https://www.reddit.com/r/elementaryos/comments/fd6fgd/zoom_effect_reveal_removed_from_the_plank/flpzu9z

Copied below in case post deleted

Install

cd ~/Downloads
wget https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+archive/primary/+sourcefiles/plank/0.11.89-1/plank_0.11.89.orig.tar.xz
tar -xf plank_0.11.89.orig.tar.xz
cd plank-0.11.89/
sudo apt-get install -y libglib2.0-dev valac libgnome-menu-3-dev libxml2-utils libgtk-3-dev libgee-0.8-dev libbamf3-dev libwnck-3-dev
./configure
make
sudo make install
sudo apt-get install --reinstall plank libplank*

killall plank && plank&

# At this point the Icon Zoom option is available again in Plank Preferences.

However, at this point, after a restart, my autostart applications were taking FOREVER to launch. (Like 30 seconds after boot or something) I found the following in my syslog.

Mar 28 01:41:09 jchun-desktop gnome-session[1451]: gnome-session-binary[1451]: WARNING: Application 'plank.desktop' failed to register before timeout
Mar 28 01:41:09 jchun-desktop gnome-session-binary[1451]: WARNING: Application 'plank.desktop' failed to register before timeout

I don't know what it means, but after looking at the plank.desktop file, I noticed that it had a Phase associated with it. I'm guessing because it is a part of a specific phase, it blocks until the registration of plank fails, which holds up the rest of my apps from autostarting. I haven't done extensive testing, but I was able to fix it by editing /etc/xdg/autostart/plank.desktop

Comment out/remove the following line:

# X-GNOME-Autostart-Phase=Panel

Save and restart. Even though I still get the register errors, the dock seems to be working perfectly and my apps autostart on-time as well, so no complaints so far.

Uninstall/revert instructions.

cd ~/Downloads
cd plank-0.11.89/
sudo make uninstall
sudo apt-get install --reinstall plank libplank*
killall plank && plank&