Things To Do After Installing Ubuntu 12.10

Ubuntu 12.10 has been released today and many of you may have upgraded to it. If not, check out new features in Ubuntu 12.10 and grab an iso image.

Below is a list of some things you would want to do after installing Ubuntu 12.10.

Ubuntu 12.10 installer allows you to install updates and refresh repositories from installer itself, if you are connected to the Internet. 

If you have skipped this part, update your system and repositories by running 'Software Updater' from dash. If you want to have faster updates, launch 'Software Sources' before running Software Updater and select a server near you or start the test which will automatically set a best server for you.

Install graphics, wireless and other drivers by going to 'Additional Drivers' tab in 'Software Sources'.

Install Ubuntu Restricted Extras from Ubuntu Software Center to add support for flash, java and mp3 playback. If you already installed updates and third party software during installation, you can skip this step.

Install your favorite indicators. A list of indicators with installation instructions can be found on Ask Ubuntu and here.

Though Ubuntu 12.10 comes with quicklists for most of the apps, you can add custom quicklists support to your favorite apps. Many quicklists and their installation instructions can be found here.

Turn off online results in dash, change launcher settings and tweak privacy settings from System Settings.

To further customize Unity and Compiz features, use 'Compiz Config Settings Manager' (CCSM). Be cautious when using it as it is an advanced tool and can break your system.

Install Ubuntu Tweak, another customization tool that will allow you to tweak your desktop and install third party apps that are not available in Ubuntu Software with its built-in application store. The latest version of Ubuntu Tweak has some issues with Ubuntu 12.10, so use it carefully.

In Ubuntu 12.04, you could add a show desktop icon to Unity launcher from CCSM. This option has been removed in Ubuntu 12.10. We can add it back by using dconf-tool.

Launch Dconf Editor from dash and go to com > canonical > unity > launcher. In favorites, add unity://desktop-icon entry in the end as shown in the screenshot below.

You can install some missing GNOME 3.6 components in Ubuntu 12.10 like the new Nautilus 3.6. To install these packages, run the commands below:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:gnome3-team/gnome3
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

Also check out our guide on improving gaming performance in Ubuntu 12.10.