Things to do after UBUNTU 12.04 installation

Open up update manager and do an update

From HUD look for "Additional Drivers" and check to see if there are any available. If there are  additional drivers that need to be installed go ahead and install and restart
Note: If you "My Unity" application fails to open with the error "Your Ubuntu is enabled with 2 choice, its more often because of the additional display drivers that you may added. Deactivate them and you should be good


Install required s/w. Here are some of them I always install

1. vim
2. chrome - I remove Firefox
3. IDLE with Python 3.2
4. Audacity
5. Cheese
6. GParted
7. Stellarium
8. 7zip
9. Skype
10. MyUnity
11. VLC Media player
12. Nautilus plugin for opening terminal
    
13. ShotWell Photo Manager
14. Gimp Image Editor

When you are done with all of your installation, open terminal

(Now comes the fun part)

Save this command, you may have to it execute more than anything

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade

Install Ubuntu Tweak

Using Ubuntu Tweak you can install all needed applications with a simple click, you can change the window buttons from Left to right…etc.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:tualatrix/ppa && sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install ubuntu-tweak

Install Cinnamon

If you don't like UNITY theme and want to try something else, cinnamon is a good choice, if you don't want Cinnamon and are happy with the way UNITY is, skip this one

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:gwendal-lebihan-dev/cinnamon-stable && sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install cinnamon

XBMC is a wonderful opensource media player

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:team-xbmc && sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install xbmc

Install common CODECs

sudo apt-get install libxine1-ffmpeg gxine mencoder totem-mozilla icedax tagtool easytag id3tool lame nautilus-script-audio-convert libmad0 mpg321

To play encrypted DVDs

sudo apt-get install libdvdcss2 && sudo /usr/share/doc/libdvdread4/./install-css.sh

Enable Full DVD playback

Though installing the restricted extras package will solve most of your problems, you may not be able to play dual layer dvds yet in your Ubuntu. Most commercial DVDs are encrypted with CSS (the Content Scrambling System), which attempts to restrict the software that can play a DVD.

sudo wget --output-document=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/medibuntu.list http://www.medibuntu.org/sources.list.d/$(lsb_release -cs).list && sudo apt-get --quiet update && sudo apt-get --yes --quiet --allow-unauthenticated install medibuntu-keyring && sudo apt-get --quiet update

sudo apt-get install libdvdcss2 

Install ccsm

sudo apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager

Install restricted extras

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras

Install Unsettings

Unsettings is a newer application with similar tweaking options as MyUnity. More importantly, it has a useful 'Reset to Default' option

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:diesch/testing && sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install unsettings

Install XScreenSaver

sudo apt-get remove gnome-screensaver && sudo apt-get install xscreensaver xscreensaver-gl-extra xscreensaver-data-extra

Create a file to auto-start Screensaver

sudo gedit /etc/xdg/desktop/autostart.screensaver

paste the following lines in the file

[Desktop Entry]

Name=Screensaver

Type=Applicaton

Exec=xscreensaver -nosplash

Install Recent Notification indicator

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:jconti/recent-notifications && sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install indicator-notifications

Window Menus

If you want the Minimize, Maximize and close buttons to right

Install gConf Editor

sudo apt-get install gconf-editor 

open editor

gconf-editor

Go to the following: 'apps' -> 'metacity' -> 'general' Find the "button_layout" parameter,

Right mouse click, and select Edit Key.

Change the value to the following: menu:minimize,maximize,close then Press Enter

Change Wallpapers

Download all wallpapers from http://www.noobslab.com/2011/12/best-ubuntu-wallpapers-collection-for.html

Unzip the downloaded file and move them into /usr/share/background

Enable Nautilus to show amount of free space left

Open Nautilus file browser. Go to View - Statusbar. Enable it and you're done.

Calculator Lens/Scope for Unity Dash

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:scopes-packagers/ppa && sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install unity-lens-utilities unity-scope-calculator