Skip to content

🖥️ Desktop & Productivity Guide

Turn a fresh Ubuntu install into a polished daily-driver workstation.

🧰 What Gets Installed

Package Purpose
gnome-tweaks Advanced GNOME settings (fonts, themes, extensions)
gnome-shell-extensions Extension framework
gnome-sushi Quick preview (spacebar in Files)
nautilus-admin "Open as Admin" in file manager
mpv / vlc Media players (lightweight / full-featured)
flameshot Screenshot tool with annotation
variety Auto-changing wallpapers
ttf-mscorefonts-installer Microsoft fonts (for document compatibility)

🎨 GNOME Configuration

The desktop.sh module applies these settings automatically:

# Dark mode
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface color-scheme 'prefer-dark'

# Window buttons on left (macOS-style)
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.wm.preferences button-layout 'close,minimize,maximize:'

# Disable hot corner
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface enable-hot-corners false

# Tap to click (touchpad)
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.peripherals.touchpad tap-to-click true

# Show battery percentage
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface show-battery-percentage true

Install from https://extensions.gnome.org:

Extension What It Does
Dash to Dock macOS-style dock at bottom
AppIndicator System tray icons (for apps that need it)
Clipboard Indicator Clipboard history (like Windows Win+V)
Caffeine Prevent screen lock with one click
Blur My Shell Blur effect on overview/panel
Space Bar Workspace indicator in top bar
Just Perfection Hide/show any GNOME UI element

Install via CLI

# Install extension manager
sudo apt install gnome-shell-extension-manager

# Or use the browser extension + extensions.gnome.org

⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts

Set these in Settings → Keyboard → Shortcuts:

Action Shortcut
Terminal Ctrl+Alt+T (default)
Screenshot (area) Shift+Print → remap to Super+Shift+S
Close window Super+Q
Maximize Super+Up
Tile left/right Super+Left/Right
Switch workspace Super+PageUp/Down
Move to workspace Super+Shift+PageUp/Down

🔤 Fonts

# Install popular dev fonts
sudo apt install fonts-firacode fonts-jetbrains-mono

# Nerd Fonts (for terminal icons)
# Download from https://www.nerdfonts.com/font-downloads
# Extract to ~/.local/share/fonts/
# Then: fc-cache -fv
Use Font Why
Terminal JetBrainsMono Nerd Ligatures + icons
Editor Fira Code Best ligatures
System UI Inter Clean, modern
Documents Noto Sans Universal coverage

🖼️ Theming

GTK Theme

# Adwaita Dark (default, polished)
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface gtk-theme 'Adw-dark'

# Or install third-party:
# Catppuccin GTK: https://github.com/catppuccin/gtk
# Dracula: https://draculatheme.com/gtk

Icon Theme

# Papirus (popular, comprehensive)
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:papirus/papirus
sudo apt install papirus-icon-theme
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface icon-theme 'Papirus-Dark'

Cursor Theme

sudo apt install breeze-cursor-theme
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface cursor-theme 'Breeze_Snow'

📱 Essential Desktop Apps

App Install Purpose
VS Code snap install code --classic Code editor
Firefox Pre-installed Browser
Chromium sudo apt install chromium-browser Alt browser / web dev
Slack snap install slack Team communication
Obsidian snap install obsidian --classic Notes / knowledge base
GIMP sudo apt install gimp Image editing
OBS Studio sudo apt install obs-studio Screen recording
Thunderbird Pre-installed Email

🔋 Power Management (Laptops)

# TLP advanced power management
sudo apt install tlp tlp-rdw
sudo systemctl enable tlp

# Check battery status
tlp-stat -b

# Powertop analyze power usage
sudo apt install powertop
sudo powertop --auto-tune

Anecdote

"I used to spend hours theming my desktop custom icons, animated wallpapers, conky widgets. Then I realized: the best desktop is one you never see because you're always in a terminal or editor. Now I run stock GNOME dark mode with one extension (Dash to Dock) and spend my time writing code instead of ricing."

"Productivity isn't about how your desktop looks. It's about how fast you can get from idea to implementation."