Ubuntu Desktop comes pre-loaded with many software packages, so it is pretty usable as is. Every step in this guide is optional; follow only the steps you need.
Note: Use apt-get command instead of apt command if you are running a Ubuntu version older than 16.04 LTS.
Update to Latest Packages
Remove Outdated Unused Packages
Disable Guest Account
Disable User List
Better Vim
SSH Server
SSH Client Session Timeout (Optional)
Firewall
Anti-Virus
User Management
Language Support
LibreOffice Upgrade
Google Chrome
Adobe Flash Player
Archiving Software
VeraCrypt
Mount NFS Volumes Over the Network
Mount Windows Volumes Over the Network
Java
MySQL Client
PostgreSQL Client
Image Manipulation
Audio Player/Editor
Video Player
Video Converter
3D Modeler
Vector Graphics
CD/DVD Burning Application
Virtual Machine Manager for KVM
Remote Desktop
Software Development
sudo apt update
sudo apt dist-upgrade
sudo apt install software-properties-common
sudo apt autoremove
http://ubuntuhandbook.org/index.php/2016/04/remove-guest-session-ubuntu-16-04/
sudo sh -c 'printf "[SeatDefaults]\nallow-guest=false\n" > /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/50-no-guest.conf'
Restart your computer.
Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa uses gdm as the login greeter.
https://help.gnome.org/admin/system-admin-guide/stable/login-userlist-disable.html.en
You can disable the user list shown on the login screen by setting the org.gnome.login-screen.disable-user-list GSettings key.
When the user list is disabled, users need to type their user name and password at the prompt to log in.
Create the gdm profile which contains the following lines:
/etc/dconf/profile/gdm
user-db:user
system-db:gdm
file-db:/usr/share/gdm/greeter-dconf-defaults
gdm is the name of a dconf database.
Create a gdm keyfile for machine-wide settings in /etc/dconf/db/gdm.d/00-login-screen:
[org/gnome/login-screen]
# Do not show the user list
disable-user-list=true
Update the system databases:
# dconf update
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS Desktop installs the vim-tiny package by default, so you might find that Vim sessions do not keep command history. One solution is to install the vim-nox package.
sudo apt install vim-nox
Note that Ubuntu 16.04 LTS Server installs a Vim package that allows Vim command history to work out-of-the-box.
sudo apt install openssh-server
You might need to create the ~/.ssh directory:
mkdir -p ~/.ssh
By default SSH sessions will timeout according to server settings. In order to maintain a long-running SSH session, create or modify ~/.ssh/config and add the following:
ServerAliveInterval 60
ServerAliveCountMax 5
Save and then start a new SSH session
sudo apt install ufw
sudo ufw disable
sudo ufw enable
sudo ufw default deny incoming
sudo ufw default allow outgoing
# localhost
sudo ufw allow from 127.0.0.1 to 127.0.0.1
# SSH from anywhere (OPTIONAL)
# sudo ufw allow ssh
# SSH from subnet (OPTIONAL)
# sudo ufw allow from 192.168.0.0/24 to any port 22
sudo ufw logging medium
sudo ufw status verbose
Install ClamAV:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ClamAV
sudo apt install clamav clamav-daemon clamtk
To update virus definitions:
sudo freshclam
User operations on the username anotheruser:
sudo adduser anotheruser
# Grant sudo (OPTIONAL)
sudo usermod -aG sudo anotheruser
# Require password change on next successful login
sudo chage -d 0 anotheruser
Go to System Settings from the left menu bar and then Language Support. For an initial Ubuntu Desktop installation, the system should prompt you to install missing languages. Click Yes, then add the languages of your choice after focus returns to the dialog box.
Next,
If you use Gnome:
sudo apt install language-selector-gnome
If you use KDE:
sudo apt install language-selector-kde
Install Fcitx:
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and after: sudo apt install fcitx5
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS and before: sudo apt install fcitx
For Chinese:
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and after: sudo apt install fcitx5-chinese-addons
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS and before: sudo apt install fcitx-googlepinyin
Run input method configuration:
im-config
Select fcitx.
Restart your computer.
Click on Keyboard Icon near upper right corner and select ConfigureFcitx; the keyboard will turn in to the Linux penguin Tux. :) Use "Input Methods" tab to add languages of your choice.
Warning: This process takes time, depending on your system hardware and Internet connection speed. On modest hardware and connection in 2017, it takes about 15 minutes.
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:libreoffice/ppa
sudo apt update
sudo apt install python-software-properties ttf-ubuntu-font-family
sudo apt dist-upgrade
sudo apt autoremove
You can revert LibreOffice to stock version in Ubuntu main repository
sudo apt install ppa-purge && sudo ppa-purge ppa:libreoffice/ppa
https://itslinuxfoss.com/install-google-chrome-ubuntu-22-04/
https://linuxize.com/post/how-to-install-google-chrome-web-browser-on-ubuntu-20-04/
As of September 2020, keeping google-chrome.list in /etc/apt/sources.list.d no longer produces an error running apt command.
https://linuxize.com/post/how-to-install-google-chrome-web-browser-on-ubuntu-18-04/
https://www.linuxbabe.com/ubuntu/install-google-chrome-ubuntu-16-04-lts
Press CTRL+ALT+T to open a terminal window, then edit sources.list file with nano text editor. You need to enter your password.
sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list
Use the down arrow key to scroll to the bottom of this file. Copy the following APT line and paste it at the end of the file.
deb [arch=amd64] http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main
Press CTRL+O to save the file. Then press CTRL+X to exit out of this file. After that, enter the following command to download Google's signing key.
wget https://dl.google.com/linux/linux_signing_key.pub
Then use apt-key command to add it to your keyring so the package manager can verify the integrity of Google Chrome package.
sudo apt-key add linux_signing_key.pub
Now update package list and install the stable version of Google Chrome.
sudo apt update
sudo apt install google-chrome-stable
Check if the file google-chrome.list exists in /etc/apt/sources.list.d. If it exists, then remove the deb pacakge entry we added just now from /etc/apt/sources.list file. Leaving two identical deb entries in different .list files under the /etc/apt directory will produce an error like "Target ... is configured multiple times" every time you run sudo apt update command.
WARNING: STOP using Flash Player!
Still, no knowledge should be forbidden. So if you are really sure you want to enable Flash:
sudo apt install flashplugin-installer
sudo apt install p7zip-full
sudo apt install p7zip-rar
Download VeraCrypt from the current location:
Warning: VeraCrypt was hosted on CodePlex, which is shutting down soon:
https://veracrypt.codeplex.com/
https://aka.ms/codeplex-announcement
Extract VeraCrypt setup binaries:
tar xjf veracrypt-1.19-setup.tar.bz2
Setup VeraCrypt Console:
./veracrypt-1.19-setup-console-x64
Setup VeraCrypt GUI:
./veracrypt-1.19-setup-gui-x64
Click "Search your computer" widget on upper left corner and type veracrypt to launch VeraCrypt
Make sure dmsetup package is installed to avoid an error when mounting VeraCrypt volumes:
sudo apt install dmsetup
Ignore "Possible missing firmware" warnings.
sudo apt install nfs-common
sudo apt install cifs-utils
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS (maybe earlier) out-of-the-box will mount, read, and write local NTFS volumes.
http://www.webupd8.org/2015/02/install-oracle-java-9-in-ubuntu-linux.html
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/java
sudo apt update
sudo apt install oracle-java9-installer
sudo apt install oracle-java9-set-default
http://www.webupd8.org/2012/09/install-oracle-java-8-in-ubuntu-via-ppa.html
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/java
sudo apt update
sudo apt install oracle-java8-installer
sudo update-alternatives --config java
sudo nano /etc/environment
At the end of this file, add the following line for Java 8:
JAVA_HOME="/usr/lib/jvm/java-8-oracle"
Save and exit the file, and reload it.
source /etc/environment
This command should return the path you just set:
echo $JAVA_HOME
sudo apt install mysql-client
sudo apt install mysql-workbench
sudo apt install postgresql-client
Install GIMP:
sudo apt install gimp
sudo apt install audacity
sudo apt install vlc
# RECOMMENDED but optional to install all licensed codecs
sudo apt install ubuntu-restricted-extras
# OPTIONAL
# sudo apt install browser-plugin-vlc
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:stebbins/handbrake-releases
sudo apt update
sudo apt install handbrake-gtk handbrake-cli
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:thomas-schiex/blender
sudo apt update
sudo apt install blender
Install Inkscape via PPA for Ubuntu 16.04 LTS and later:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:inkscape.dev/stable
sudo apt update
sudo apt install inkscape
sudo apt install k3b
Use Remmina remote desktop application packaged with Ubuntu.
If for some reason Remmina isn't packaged. do the following:
sudo apt-add-repository ppa:remmina-ppa-team/remmina-next
sudo apt update
sudo apt install remmina remmina-plugin-rdp remmina-plugin-gnome libfreerdp-plugins-standard
sudo apt install ssh-askpass
sudo apt install virt-manager
Please refer to Ubuntu Desktop For Software Development