Linux Post-Install: My Essential Setup Guide

Fresh Linux install? Welcome to the real work. Here’s what I do to turn a barebones system into my daily driver.

Software Manager Essentials

First round of apps I always install:

Productivity & Files

• Bitwarden – Password manager I can’t live without
• FreeFileSync – File synchronization between drives and network locations
• Obsidian – Note-taking and knowledge management
• OnlyOffice – LibreOffice alternative, better compatibility with Word/Excel files

Media & Creativity

• GIMP – Image editing (Photoshop alternative)
• VLC – Media player that plays everything
• Cheese – Webcam app for video calls
• Meld – Visual file diff/merge tool

Utilities

• Diodon – Clipboard manager (Win+V to paste history)
• Emote – Emoji picker (Win+. to open)
• qbittorrent – Download manager

Development

• Python3-full
• Git (usually pre-installed)

Browser Setup

My browser stack:

• Chrome – Primary browser for Google ecosystem
• Firefox – Privacy-focused alternative
• Mullvad VPN – For privacy on public networks

Firefox Tweaks

I add custom search engines and set up these extensions:

• uBlock Origin – Ad blocker
• OneTab – Save tab clusters for later

Keyboard & Input

Custom Shortcuts

Keyboard Layout

Add German and Arabic keyboards for multilingual typing.

System Applets

• Automatic Dark/Light Themes – Follows sunset automatically
• System Monitor – CPU/RAM in the panel
• Calendar – Synced with Google Calendar

Making It Feel Like Home

Show Hidden Files & Extensions

Turn on in file manager view settings. Makes everything less mysterious.

Screensaver & Lock Screen

Disable the default clock and background images. Keep it clean.

Print Screen

Configure to capture selected area (not full screen) and save directly to Desktop:

gsettings set org.gnome.gnome-screenshot auto-save-directory "/home/$USER/Desktop"

Connectivity

Remote Desktop

Remmina – One client for RDP, VNC, SSH, and more.

Smart TV Streaming

Gnome Network Displays – Cast screen to TV via WiFi.

VirtualBox

For running Windows apps when Linux alternatives fail. Install Guest Additions for proper integration.

File Sync: FreeFileSync

My backup workflow:

1. Set up paired folder comparisons
2. Configure Meld as the diff tool:

   meld "%local_path%" "%local_path2%"
   

3. Schedule bidirectional syncs for important folders

Linux Drivers

After a fresh install, back up your drivers:

# Find current kernel version
uname -r

# Backup modules
sudo rsync -av /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/ ~/driver_backup/

# Backup firmware
sudo rsync -av /etc/modprobe.d/ ~/driver_backup/
sudo rsync -av /lib/firmware/ ~/driver_backup/

Mounting Drives on Boot

External drives need to mount automatically. Here’s the method I use:

1. Find the UUID

sudo blkid

2. Add to /etc/fstab

UUID=YOUR-UUID /mnt/drive exfat defaults,uid=1000,gid=1000,umask=000 0 2

3. Test without rebooting

sudo mount -a

exFAT tip: If you’re mounting for Ollama or other services, use the correct UID/GID (find with id username).

Voice Dictation

Want Voice-to-Text? Try these options:

• Speech Note (Flatpak) – Quick and easy
• Whisper-Obsidian Plugin – For voice notes inside Obsidian
• nerd-dictation – Open-source alternative to Dragon

Flatpak App Management

For sandboxed apps, install Flatseal to manage permissions without getting messy.

Common Issues & Fixes

Anki won’t open (Qt/X11 error)

Install missing XCB libraries:

sudo apt-get install libxcb-xinerama0 libxcb-xinerama0-dev libxcb-cursor0

Fingerprint login not working

Usually a driver issue—check Settings > Privacy > Login.

What’s Missing?

Still on my list:

• Full disk encryption setup
• Better backup strategy (offsite)
• Custom dotfiles management

What’s your post-install ritual? Drop a comment below with your must-have apps.