Ubuntu 24.04 It is already among us. We will have to wait if we want to update from the same operating system, especially those who intend to make the leap from an LTS version, but the images can now be downloaded. The time has come when we write an article with suggestions on what to do after installing it from scratch, although we warn that this post is very similar to others we have written in the past.
Among the latests Moravia's compositions things to do after installing Ubuntu 24.04 we are going to add one that is perhaps better not to do, but since in Linux we are the ones who decide, we will basically explain how to revert a change that comes with Noble Numbat. I like it, but if anyone wants to see what was before, they can. Let's go with the suggestions.
Adjust the software we need in Ubuntu 24.04
Update the packages
Ubuntu 24.04 Noble Numbat has been officially available for just a few hours. Even so and although it is not likely, yes there may be a new package to update. What you need to do is open the Software Update application and apply all the patches. Another way to do this is to open a terminal and type:
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
This will make more sense if you read this article after at least a few days.
Eliminate what we are not going to use
Ubuntu 24.04 comes with a minimal installation option, but also with a "complete" one. The games are no longer installed by default, but There's probably something we're not going to use. and is taking up meaningless space. The easiest thing is to take a look at what is installed, write down what we don't want, go to the Application Center, search for that app and delete it. It is best to do it with GNOME Software, but it is not installed by default.
As we will explain later how and why to install GNOME Software, what we can do is open the official GNOME software center, go to the installed section and, from there, delete what we consider bloatware.
Install software that we miss
This is something that we can do as we need. For example, if we know that we are going to use Visual Studio Code, we can install it directly, but we can install many other software when we are going to use it. This way we avoid having to remember a long list of programs.
Among the recommended, VLC, Kodi or LibreOffice if we install the minimum version.
Install additional drivers in Ubuntu 24.04
This could be part of the previous point, but it is not exactly the same. If we have a team with special hardware, or simply with an NVIDIA card, you have to open Software and Updates, "More drivers" tab and see if anything appears. If so, we can install it.
From my point of view, it is often unnecessary, since it works well after installing it from scratch. But it is worth it if we want to improve video game performance, for example, and our graphics card does not work well with the default driver.
Install GNOME Software and add support for flatpak packages
Although App Center has greatly improved the previous Snap Store and has taken more steps forward in Ubuntu 24.04, it is still a snap store with support for Debian packages. Does not support flatpack which are widely used in the GNOME community, and it does not show the installed packages either.
The solution is to install the official GNOME store and add support for flatpak packages in it. Snaps are supported out of the box. In this tutorial file explains how to do it.
Recommended: activate some options in Ubuntu 24.04
It is worth activating Night light, which changes the tones of the screen so that the body "understands" that it is getting dark and begins to relax. This option is in Configuration/Monitors/Night light, and you can indicate the time and warmth. We can also choose the energy profile from Settings / Energy, as long as we are on a laptop. You can choose between consuming less, a middle ground or prioritizing performance. In the energy section we can also make it show the percentage of battery that we have left.
Customize your Ubuntu 24.04
If we don't feel good in our work environment, bad. We have to work comfortably, even if that work is not always related to a job. Ubuntu has options to change some settings from the Appearance section, from where we can change the position of the dock, change the wallpaper or the theme so that it becomes dark.
Use the DEB version of Firefox
As in past versions, and we think it will be like this forever, Firefox is only available as a snap in Ubuntu 24.04. In a somewhat unexpected move, Mozilla released its own version in traditional format, uploaded it to a repository and even explained how to use it and why it is better than snap. There is more information on our sister blog LXA.
Enjoy GNOME 46
Many of the new features of Ubuntu 24.04 are related to GNOME 46, the new version of its graphical environment.
Recover the 9 square logo (NO!)
This is the change that we had said it was better not to make, but since we are the ones who decided... Ubuntu 24.04 includes its logo in the application launcher, which replaces the previous icon with 9 boxes. I like it better this way, but if someone wants to revert the change, they can do the following:
- En this GitHub commit we find the information about the change, and there we can get the previous icon.
- We make a backup copy of the current icon.
- We take the icon with the 9 squares and move it to /usr/share/icons/Yaru/scalable/actions with the name view-app-grid-symbolic.svg.
Enjoy your Ubuntu 24.04
And with everyone, part of these changes or others that you make, enjoy the new operating system for the next six months to five years.