Top Things to Do After Installing Ubuntu 26.04

Things to do after installing Ubuntu 26.04. If you’ve just installed a fresh copy of Ubuntu 26.04 LTS on your machine, congratulations! You are now running one of the most stable and popular Linux distributions in the world. But if you are staring at your screen wondering, “What do I do next?”—you are in the right place.

A fresh Ubuntu installation is like a blank canvas. To get the absolute best experience out of your system, you need to add a few finishing touches.

In this FULL post-installation guide, I’ll walk you through the 18+ essential things Must DO installing Ubuntu 26.04 LTS. From maximizing system performance and installing the best apps to tweaking the GNOME desktop into a modern masterpiece, this guide covers it all.

Part 1: System Updates & Core Drivers

Update Your Ubuntu System

The very first rule of installing any new Linux distribution is to update your system. This ensures you have the latest security patches and software updates directly from the official repositories.

Open your terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T) and run the following command to refresh your source list and upgrade all packages:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Install Proper GPU Drivers

If your machine has a discrete graphics card (like an NVIDIA or AMD GPU), you have to install proprietary drivers to ensure maximum performance for gaming and graphics-heavy workloads.

Ubuntu makes this incredibly easy. Run this command to detect your hardware and see available drivers:

sudo ubuntu-drivers devices

Look for the driver marked as recommended. You can install it manually using APT, or just let Ubuntu automatically install the best option:

sudo ubuntu-drivers install

Note: A system reboot is required after updating GPU drivers.

Install the Nala Package Manager

While the default apt package manager works perfectly fine, download speeds and visual output can sometimes leave a lot to be head ache. Install Nala—a modern, lightning-fast alternative to APT.

Nala supports parallel downloads, chooses the fastest mirrors automatically, and formats the terminal output so it’s beautiful and easy to read.

sudo apt install nala 

Once installed, you can simply use sudo nala install [package] instead of apt.

Install Media Codecs for Audio & Video

Because of restrictions, Ubuntu doesn’t ship with the ability to play certain proprietary media formats (like .mp4, .avi, or .mkv) out of the box.

You can fix this in seconds by installing the ubuntu-restricted-extras package:

sudo apt install ubuntu-restricted-extras -y

Part 2: Software Repositories & Essential Apps

Enable Flatpak & Flathub

Ubuntu pushes its own “Snap” packages by default. If you prefer Flatpak (a widely loved, distro-independent sandboxed app format), it’s highly recommended to set it up right away. Flathub hosts thousands of popular apps like Discord, Spotify, and Android Studio.

Install Flatpak and the GNOME Software plugin:

sudo apt install flatpak gnome-software-plugin-flatpak -y

Next, add the Flathub repository:

flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

Reboot your PC to finalize the setup. You can now install Flatpak apps right from the Software Center!

Install Essential Developer Tools & Packages

Whether you are a developer, a power user, or just someone who occasionally compiles software, having standard build tools is crucial.

Copy and paste the below command to install basic compilers, Git, archive utilities, and fonts in one go:

sudo apt install build-essential git curl perl wget vim nano unzip zip p7zip-full software-properties-common apt-transport-https ca-certificates gnupg fastfetch gcc make cmake htop ffmpeg unrar rar android-tools-adb openjdk-25-jdk python3-pip nodejs npm fstrim libfuse2 duf -y

Install Core Open-Source Fonts

A beautiful desktop requires beautiful typography. Expand Ubuntu’s font library by adding some of the best open-source fonts available:

sudo apt install fonts-noto fonts-noto-cjk fonts-noto-color-emoji fonts-inter fonts-jetbrains-mono fonts-firacode fonts-liberation2 fonts-cantarell -y

Part 3: Customizing the Desktop Experience

Customize the Ubuntu Terminal (Ptyxis + Starship)

Ubuntu now features a sleek terminal called Ptyxis. Let’s make it look incredibly futuristic using Starship, a customizable shell prompt.

1. Install Starship

curl -sS https://starship.rs/install.sh | sh

2. Enable it in Bash: Open your .bashrc file:

nano ~/.bashrc

3. Scroll to the absolute bottom and paste:

eval "$(starship init bash)"

Save (Ctrl + O, Enter) and exit (Ctrl + X). Reload your terminal, change your Ptyxis font to FiraCode Nerd Font, and enjoy your modern prompt!

Also improve the Prompt Style using Presets .. See this LINK

Try the “Fresh” Terminal Text Editor

If you spend a lot of time in the terminal, you know that nano can feel a bit dated. Try Fresh, a modern, lightweight, and incredibly fast terminal text editor optimized for both coding and plain text. It brings modern UI sensibilities right into your command line, skyrocketing your productivity.

Install GNOME Tweaks & Extension Manager

To truly unlock GNOME’s customization potential, you need these two graphical tools:

sudo apt install gnome-tweaks gnome-extension-manager -y

• GNOME Tweaks: Allows you to change system themes, add minimize/maximize buttons, and center new application windows.
• Extension Manager: Use this to browse and install community-made extensions.

Add System-Wide Blur Effects

WANT your Linux desktop to look like macOS or Windows 11? Open the Extension Manager and search for Blur My Shell.

Once enabled, open its settings and turn on blur for your app grid, top panel, dash & APPS. It instantly gives Ubuntu a polished, premium aesthetic.

Other recommended extensions: Astra Monitor, Clipboard Manager, V-Shell, and Coverflow Alt-Tab.

Fine-Tune Ubuntu Settings

Don’t forget to visit Ubuntu’s native settings menu to tweak your daily workflow:

• The Dock: Go to Appearance > Dock. Disable “Panel Mode” to shrink the dock into a floating macOS-style launcher. Move it to the bottom or right.
• Display: If text is too small on 1080p/4K monitors, go to Displays and enable Fractional Scaling (e.g., 125%).
• Accessibility: Turn on Large Text or increase cursor size if needed.
• Touchpad: Go to Mouse & Touchpad, enable “Tap to Click,” and adjust your scrolling direction.

Part 4: Browsing, Gaming, and AI

Optimize Firefox & Install Google Chrome

Firefox is fantastic, but out of the box, it needs two quick tweaks:

1. Go to Firefox Settings > General, and check “Open previous windows and tabs”.
2. Search for “DRM” in settings and ensure “Play DRM-controlled content” is checked (essential for Netflix and Spotify).

Pro Tip: If you need Chrome -based web development tools, download the official Google Chrome .deb file from Google’s website and install it via your package manager.

Set Up Linux Gaming (Steam & Proton)

Gaming on Linux has never been better. To play your favorite Windows games on Ubuntu, you just need Steam.

sudo apt install steam-installer -y

Once installed, open steam to setup runtime environment. Then log in, go to Steam Settings > Compatibility, and check “Enable Steam Play for all other titles.” This activates Proton, a compatibility layer that lets Windows games run seamlessly on Linux.

Automate Tasks with Opencode

Step into the future by setting up Opencode, a free AI agent for Ubuntu. Once installed, Opencode acts as a personal terminal assistant. You can use simple natural language prompts to ask it to fix broken packages, manage services, or troubleshoot system errors without needing to Google the answers.

Run Local AI with LM Studio

Prefer your AI private and offline? Download the LM Studio AppImage. This brilliant tool lets you browse, download, and run open-source Large Language Models (like Gemma 4 or Llama 3) entirely on your local hardware. You can chat with it, analyze images, or even link it to VS Code for offline coding assistance!

Part 5: System Maintenance & Performance

Safeguard Your Data (Backups & Snapshots)

Never skip backups. Setting up a robust backup strategy on Ubuntu requires two distinct tools:

• Pika Backup: Install this from Flathub. It is the most user-friendly way to back up your personal files (Documents, Photos) to a USB drive or cloud storage with optional encryption.
• Timeshift: This is for backing up your operating system. If a bad update breaks your PC, Timeshift rolls your system back in time

sudo apt install timeshift -y

Optimize Battery Life & CPU Performance

Laptop users and desktop power users have different needs. Pick one of the following tools (do not install both, as they will conflict!):

Option A: For Max Battery Life (Laptops) Install TLP, an advanced power management tool that quietly optimizes your battery in the background.

sudo apt install tlp tlp-rdw -y
sudo systemctl enable tlpsudo systemctl start tlp

Option B: For Max Performance (Desktops/Gaming) Use auto-cpufreq to intelligently monitor and squeeze maximum computational power out of your CPU. It offers a great “Performance Mode” for gaming and compiling code.

(Bonus: Need low-latency audio or responsive robotics? Install the new Real-Time Kernel, now widely available to Ubuntu users!)

sudo apt install ubuntu-realtime

Conclusion

And there you have it your Ubuntu 26.04 LTS system is now fully updated, graphically optimized, backed up, and ready for anything you throw at it. By taking the time to install essential codecs, fine-tune GNOME, and set up modern package managers like Flatpak and Nala, you’ve transformed a basic installation into a powerhouse workstation.

What is the first app you always install on a fresh Linux setup? Let me know in the comments below! If you found this post-install guide helpful, be sure to bookmark it for your next distro-hop or share it with a friend who is new to Linux.