Ubuntu
Set up Ubuntu by downloading the appropriate Software and follow the onscreen instructions. Launch “Software Updates” (normally it is launched by Ubuntu on Start-Up) and update all packages.
For those who prefer the command line:
sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install aptitude sudo aptitude update sudo aptitude safe-upgrade
Optional Changes
For command line text editing (optional):
sudo aptitude install vim
Using the z-shell is optional. However it has some improvements over the standard bash shell, such as a better auto completion, advanced search in command history and nice git/svn integration.
sudo aptitude install zsh wget -O .zshrc http://git.grml.org/f/grml-etc-core/etc/zsh/zshrc sudo cp .zshrc /root/ && sudo cp .zshrc /etc/zsh/zshrc sudo chsh -s /bin/zsh root && chsh -s /bin/zsh $USER
After that log out/in to change the shell.
User Interface
For those who don't like the Ubuntu Unity desktop:
sudo aptitude remove appmenu-gtk appmenu-gtk3 appmenu-qt sudo aptitude install gnome-panel sudo aptitude install gnome-shell
To move the buttons to the right side
sudo aptitude install gconf-editor
Press ALT+F2 and type “gconf-editor” to run it. Open “/apps/metacity/general” in the side pane and change the Field “button_layout” to
:minimize,maximize,close
After a restart and selecting “Gnome Classic” when logging in, the shared top menu bar is gone and instead each window has its own menu. Alternatively you can also select Gnome at the login screen for the Gnome 3 standard interface (different to Ubuntu Unity).
TIPP: To edit the panels (when using gnome-panel) you have to press the ALT-Key while right-clicking on the panel.
Graphics
Launch “Additional Drivers”, update to current Nvidia Driver.
Launch “Nvidia Display Settings” and configure Displays according to your setup. Make sure that you click on “Save to X Configuration File”, otherwise all changes will be lost on restart.
Tricks
If you have ever trouble connecting to a device maybe restarting usb helps: (source: http://tuxtweaks.com/2010/01/restart-usb-in-ubuntu-jauntykarmic/)
sudo modprobe -r usb_storage; wait; sudo modprobe usb_storage