Some Things I Do After Each Installation

Things differ from distro to distro..
Some things I like to be my way...
I might have repeated some, just because this was not edited all at once.

• Edit grub
• Remove unwanted lines, for example, remove the lines for the same distro, older kernels
  
• Reduce timeout to just enough to enter when alert. 5 Seconds is sufficient when you are alert to press any key
  
• If there is no "quiet" or "splash" add them
  

• Update the distro


• Most of the distro's have the default auto-update enabled. I try to make sure I wait for this to popup and execute it.
  




• Make sure wireless works, make sure sound works (I still have some distros with problems with one of these two.)

• Install vlc
• It may be as simple as sudo aptitude install vlc or using "add/remove software" type application.
  


• Install latest firefox (curently 3.5)




• Install Ubiquity Addon


• Change the keystroke to CTRL+SPACE (go to settings tab on ubiquitiy's help page)


• Remove the Bookmark Toolbar (I can just type CTRL-B to see th e bookmark toolbar)


• Use small icons for toolbars (View->Toolbars->Customize->Use Small Icons)




• Remove Thunderbird (if exists)


• Fine tune the desktop




• KDE




• Date format, add date to time display


• Lock all the panels, after I am happy with the setup




• Gnome




• Reduce the icon size to 66%, set list view as default, etc


• Workspace switcher increase to 4, two rows and two columns


• Remove one of the panels either top or bottom and include all the stuff on the only one left out




• Common




• Create shortcuts to terminal (konsole/gnome-terminal), firefox etc


• Remove any unwanted shortcuts (mail, trash, show desktop)


• Try to set the font on the terminal to a convenient size.


• Adjust the default terminal size (use gnome-terminal --geometry 100x25 for example)
  






• Install flash - Each distro has its way to install the flash, mostly have to follow instructions when prompted for.
  


• Install vim/gvim




• On Ubuntu sudo aptitude install gnome-vim works


• Other ways include looking for vim in the package manager (add/remove software)




• Make sure user ids and groups ids match the existing distros to access the common stuff


• I have a /dump partition which is common to all the distros. Here is where I store all my music, pictures, etc.
  



• Depending on the box I am on, configure compiz (Its System->Preference->Appearance->Visual Effects->Extra On Ubuntu based distros


• Try to get the terminal (gnome-terminal or konsole) to have transparent background (40%), Color->White on Black.

My distro hopping

If you have read my posts before, I like to experiment with distros too. Given the problems I am facing and considering the time I have put in, it becomes intimidating to try distros.

I try to stick to KDE, but most of the "live" versions come with xfce. I then install KDE.

Of late, I found Mandriva 2009 to be one of the best "work right away" distro on my Lenovo J15 AMD64, USB wireless machine (no wired connection). Everything basic worked right away, without having to do a thing after installation. I hate the 'urpmi' thing, as I am more used to aptitude/apt-get, but geting used to it slowly. The best versions of KDE4, I would say.

OpenSUSE is worth a shot. The display works, the wirless, I am unable to get to work. I reinstalled a 32 bit version, but still could not get the wireless to work.

Arch is good once it starts working, but takes some effort to get it to work. Again, I am unable to get the wireless working. I have a feeling, as my wireless dongle vendor (Dlink DWL-G122 rev D1) does not provide a 64bit version of the driver, it is not gonna work.

The two biggest problems with most of the distros is getting wireless and the xconfig working. With nvidia, the newer distros have are getting more and more complicated IMHO. In kubuntu, there are at least 3-4 versions of nvidia-glx. In older versions, I just had to do aptitude install nvidia-glx. Now I am not sure what to use (there is legacy, new, 96, 173, 177 etc).