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Ubuntu 26.04, code-name Resolute Raccoon, was finally released! Here are some top things to do after installed the new Ubuntu desktop to make it ready for use.<\/p>\n
It’s been many years, GNOME still does NOT have a out-of-box graphical option to create new documents in file manager. Though, it’s easy to enable this feature by putting a file into user’s Template<\/b> folder.
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To do so, launch Text Editor<\/b> and create a new empty document. Then, press Ctrl+Shift+S<\/b> to open save file dialog. Finally, choose save it to Home -> Templates<\/b> with whatever file-name you want to display as ‘New Document’ sub-menu option.<\/p>\n
The default “Printer” page in Settings is OK for basic use.<\/p>\n If you have a printer physically connected to the Ubuntu computer, then you may open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command to install the graphical CUPS configuration tool:<\/p>\n Tips:<\/b> run Then, search & launch Printers<\/b> app to get more controls, such as share printer, remote admin, policies, and default print options.<\/p>\n By going to For more, install extension manager<\/b> either by running the command below in terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) or by using App Center (filter by Debian package):<\/p>\n Then you may launch extension manager<\/b>, and open preferences dialog for the Ubuntu Dock extension, which includes many more configure options for the left panel\/dock:<\/p>\n If you chose the “Default\u00a0Selection<\/b>” option while installing Ubuntu 26.04 desktop, then you’ll see that many default applications are NOT pre-installed!<\/p>\n To install them back, simply launch App Center<\/b>, then search and install the apps below one by one (mostly filtered by Debian package).<\/p>\n Or, open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run commands below instead (run Also, the Software & Updates<\/b> utilities has been removed from the default install. If you want, install it back either from App Center, or by running the command below in terminal:<\/p>\n Due to legal reason, Ubuntu does not include some media codec for video\/audio playback, Microsoft TTF fonts, and RAR archive supports.<\/p>\n To get them, press Ctrl+Alt+T<\/b> to open up a terminal window, and run command:<\/p>\n While downloading & installing the MS fonts, it will prompt to accept licence, use Tab<\/b> key to highlight OK and hit Enter.<\/p>\n Flatpak is a popular package format runs in sandbox environment. Tons of applications support Linux through Flatpak package.<\/p>\n To enable Flatpak support in Ubuntu, simply open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T<\/b>) and run command:<\/p>\n Or, add the Flathub repository into system:<\/p>\n For choice, add NOTE: After enabled Flatpak support, you need a log out and back in to apply the variable changes.<\/b><\/p>\n AppImage is another popular way to run applications in Linux. It’s a portable, non-install package format, that can be run directly (after added executable permission) to launch application.<\/p>\n Since Ubuntu 22.04, user needs to press Ctrl+Alt+T<\/b> to open terminal, and run command to install the required library for AppImage support:<\/p>\n Besides the default Settings<\/b> (aka Gnome Control Center), they are few other graphical tools to help configure your Ubuntu desktop.<\/p>\n GNOME Tweaks is the popular alternative to Gnome Control Center (aka Settings), which offers graphics options to configure:<\/p>\n The app is available to install either from App Center (filter by Debian package) or by running command below in terminal:<\/p>\n Extension Manager is one of the must-have applications to install & manage extensions in GNOME desktop. It can be installed by running the command below in terminal:<\/p>\n For dual-boot or multi-boot computers, and users who want to configure the boot menu, Grub-customizer is good choice to make things simple.<\/p>\n To install the app, open terminal and run commands below one by one to get from developer’s PPA:<\/p>\n NOTE: The PPA does NOT support Ubuntu 26.04 at the moment of writing, check the PPA page<\/a> for details<\/b>.<\/p>\n For advanced users, there’s also “Dconf Editor” that offers even more hidden configuration options.<\/p>\n To install the tool, run command:<\/p>\n If you want to hide or tweak the top-panel (e.g., size and position) and panel items (e.g., clock option), configure the desktop behaviors and animations, then Just Perfection<\/b> extension provides many options that can do the job.<\/p>\n Simply, search and install the extension using “Extension Manager” app, then you can go back “Installed” tab and click open the Just Perfection<\/b> setting page for the configuration options.<\/p>\n The Additional drivers<\/b> has been removed from the default install along with “Software & Updates” utility. If you didn’t install it back, then you may run the commands below instead to install NVIDIA drivers.<\/p>\n First, open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command to list all the suitable drivers:<\/p>\n Then, either run the command below to install a certain driver, e.g., NVIDIA 590, via command:<\/p>\n Or, just run ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ubuntuhandbook.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/plucky-newdocument.webp\")
<\/a><\/p>\n2. Configure Printer<\/h3>\n
sudo apt install system-config-printer<\/pre>\n
sudo apt update<\/code> to refresh cache if it says “Unable to locate package”.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n3. Configure the Left Panel<\/h3>\n
\nThe left panel, aka Ubuntu Dock, is handled by an extension forked from dash-to-dock<\/a>.<\/p>\nSettings<\/code> -> Ubuntu Desktop<\/code> -> Dock<\/code>, you may configure the left panel\/dock with basic options, such as its position, icon size, auto-hide, shorten panel, show on primary or all displays, hide trash and volumes.<\/p>\nsudo apt install gnome-shell-extension-manager<\/pre>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\n4. Install back default apps<\/h3>\n
sudo apt update<\/code> to refresh cache first).<\/p>\n\n
sudo apt install libreoffice<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
sudo apt install file-roller<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
sudo apt install shotwell<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
sudo apt install deja-dup<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
sudo apt install gnome-snapshot<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
sudo apt install showtime<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
sudo apt install rhythmbox<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
sudo apt install remmina<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
sudo apt install transmission<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
sudo apt install software-properties-gtk<\/pre>\n
5. Install Multimedia Codec<\/h3>\n
sudo apt install ubuntu-restricted-extras<\/pre>\n
6. Enable Flatpak support<\/h3>\n
sudo apt install flatpak<\/pre>\n
\nNext, you may install local flatpak files by running command:<\/p>\nflatpak install drag-and-drop-flatpak-file-here<\/pre>\n
flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https:\/\/dl.flathub.org\/repo\/flathub.flatpakrepo<\/pre>\n
--user<\/code> flag for current user only. Then, use the command in a Flathub<\/a> app page to install (click down arrow besides “Install” button).<\/p>\n7. Enable AppImage support<\/h3>\n
sudo apt install libfuse2<\/pre>\n
<\/p>\n8. Install Configuration Tools<\/h3>\n
Gnome Tweaks<\/h4>\n
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sudo apt install gnome-tweaks<\/pre>\n
Extension Manager<\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nsudo apt install gnome-shell-extension-manager<\/pre>\n
Grub Customizer<\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nsudo add-apt-repository ppa:danielrichter2007\/grub-customizer\r\nsudo apt-get update\r\nsudo apt-get install grub-customizer<\/pre>\n
Dconf Editor<\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nsudo apt install dconf-editor<\/pre>\n
Just Perfection<\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n9. Install NVIDIA Driver<\/h3>\n
sudo ubuntu-drivers list<\/pre>\n
sudo ubuntu-drivers install nvidia:590<\/pre>\n
sudo ubuntu-drivers install<\/code> to let it auto-select and install the best match for your hardware. For more, see the official documentation<\/a>.<\/p>\n10. Add App Icon to Desktop<\/h3>\n