User:Misterhaan

2026-10-06T04:47:59Z

Misterhaan:

I’m misterhaan, the owner of [http://www.track7.org/ track7], which includes auWiki. I wrote everything here so far (there are no [[Special:Listusers|other users]] yet!).

My own notes which may someday appear on track7 somewhere (mostly in the [http://www.track7.org/geek/guides/ guides / tips section]):
* [[/Nuvexport Tweaks|Nuvexport Tweaks]]
* [[User:Misterhaan/Linux Over Windows Dual Boot|Linux Over Windows Dual Boot]]
* [[User:Misterhaan/Dual Booting Ubuntu and Vista|Dual Booting Ubuntu and Vista]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 10 Setup|Windows 10 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 8.1 Setup|Windows 8.1 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 8 Setup|Windows 8 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 7 Setup|Windows 7 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Vista Setup|Vista Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Linux Client Setup|Linux Client Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Mint 22.3|Mint 22.3]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 26.04 Resolute Raccoon|Ubuntu 26.04 Resolute Raccoon]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 25.10 Questing Quokka Setup|Ubuntu 25.10 Questing Quokka Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 25.04 Plucky Puffin Setup|Ubuntu 25.04 Plucky Puffin Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 24.10 Oracular Oriole Setup|Ubuntu 24.10 Oracular Oriole Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 24.04 Noble Numbat Setup|Ubuntu 24.04 Noble Numbat Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 23.10 Mantic Minotaur Setup|Ubuntu 23.10 Mantic Minotaur Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 23.04 Lunar Lobster Setup|Ubuntu 23.04 Lunar Lobster Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 22.10 Kinetic Kudu Setup|Ubuntu 22.10 Kinetic Kudu Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy Jellyfish Setup|Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy Jellyfish Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Linux Virtual Machine Setup|Linux Virtual Machine Setup]]
* [[/Basic Ubuntu Setup]]
** [[/HTPC Setup]]
* [[User:Misterhaan/Dreamhost SVN Setup|Dreamhost SVN Setup]]

These reviews are for adventures made in Spore Galactic Adventures, which I am slowly posting on the Spore forums.
* [[User:Misterhaan/HUAR|HUAR]]

User:Misterhaan/Mint 22.3

2026-10-06T04:47:51Z

Misterhaan: Created page with "i use linux mint (formerly ubuntu cinnamon) as my main operating system on my laptop. since the laptop came with windows 10 (which i upgraded to windows 11), i keep that around so i can choose windows on startup when i need one of the manufacturer’s utilities. these instructions are what i did when i installed linux mint 22.3 on my laptop westinghouse. choose language and keyboard, connect to wifi, and choose to install multimedia codecs. since this version is when i..."

User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 26.04 Resolute Raccoon

2026-08-19T19:39:59Z

Misterhaan:

i use ubuntu cinnamon linux as my main operating system on my laptop. since the laptop came with windows 10 (which i upgraded to windows 11), i keep that around so i can choose windows on startup when i need one of the manufacturer’s utilities. these instructions are what i did when i installed ubuntu cinnamon 26.04 resolute raccoon on my laptop westinghouse.

choose language and keyboard, connect to wifi, then choose interactive installation. i start with ubuntu cinnamon desktop (minimized) so there’s less to uninstall. i do install third-party graphics and wifi as well as additional media formats. as an upgrade i choose to erase my previous ubuntu and install over that, but there’s also an install alongside option for the initial setup keeping windows around. i don’t use file encryption because i keep my important files on a server instead.

name the computer and set up your username and password, then choose your time zone and you should be ready to install!

= connections to other systems =
most of what i use my laptop for is connecting to other systems, including my home file shares. i set those up first so i have access to my files and the ability to connect to my home desktop and work computer right away.

== home server nfs shares ==
i have command-line ubuntu installed on a different computer at home that stores my files, so my laptop should mount its shares when i’m on my home network. i can’t just do a normal mount because if i travel with my laptop, my home server isn’t available and i have to wait for those connections to time out before it will finish booting. still, the first couple steps are the same as mounting the shares from a desktop:

# edit <code>/etc/hosts</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/hosts</code> and add a line mapping the lan ip of the server to its name. follow the format of the line that has 127.0.0.1 localhost. saving this change makes sure the laptop can resolve the name of the server, which usually doesn’t work without this step.
# install nfs support with <code>sudo apt install nfs-common</code>
# edit <code>/etc/fstab</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/fstab</code> and add a line for each nfs share to mount, in this format: <code>server:/nfs_share /local/mount/point nfs noexec,noauto 0 0</code>
# create the local mount points for each share (the second column in fstab) with a command like <code>sudo mkdir /local/mount/point</code>
# create a new file as root in <code>/etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/</code> and enter the following code (make sure to put in your ssid and your actual mount points), then set its permissions to rwxr-xr-x with <code>chmod 755 /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/nfs-mount</code>:

#!/bin/bash
SSID="your-wifi-ssid"
INTERFACE=$1
ACTION=$2
ESSID=`nmcli -t -f active,ssid dev wifi | egrep '^yes' | cut -d: -f2`

if [ "$SSID" == "$ESSID" ] && [ "$ACTION" == "up" ]; then
mount /local/mount/point/one
mount /local/mount/point/two
fi

the network shares should be mounted whenever connecting to the wifi SSID. the <code>noauto</code> in fstab tells the system not to attempt to mount those shares on startup, so it doesn’t have to wait for that to fail when they’re not available. the NetworkManager script makes sure to mount them once connected to the correct wifi, but if you’re going to connect to your network with a cable it won’t see the ssid and you’ll need to issue the mount commands manually.

=== change user id ===
ubuntu uses 1000 as the id for the user it creates, but i have a different id on my server and they need to match up for nfs to know who i am. you can’t change your user id while you’re logged in, so i’ll create another admin account temporarily and use that. do that and set a password with the following:

sudo useradd -G adm,sudo -m -s /bin/bash tempadmin
sudo passwd tempadmin

now log out and you should be able to log back in as tempadmin with the password you just set, though it may be necessary to restart if it tells you your original user is in use by a process (which it’s been doing to me with this process for a few years now). run the following command to change your user id and update automounting:

sudo usermod -u [new_ID] [username]
sudo setfacl -m "u:[username]:r-x" /media/
sudo setfacl -x "u:1000" /media/

now we just need to get rid of tempadmin, so log out and log back in as your actual user. run <code>sudo userdel tempadmin</code> to go back to just one user. again, restart seems to be necessary as logging out doesn’t end all processes for the user.

== remote control ==
remmina is back in the default install as of 23.10 and works great to connect to my home desktop using vnc (i use tightvnc server on windows 11 there). it is simple to install it though if it wasn’t there for you:

sudo apt install remmina

i create two connections for my home desktop — one that uses my lan ip and another that uses the subdomain i keep mapped to my internet ip. both use remmina vnc plugin for the protocol and specify [ip]:[port] or [subdomain]:[port] since i use a custom vnc port. username can be left blank, and user password can save my connection password. setting the password means if someone else got access to my laptop they could also access my desktop, so be sure to weigh the convenience against security for your situation.

i connect to my work computer over rdp, which i also do through remmina. create a new connection leaving the protocol on the default of RDP - Remote Desktop Protocol and set the server, username, password, and domain for the connection. switch to the advanced tab and change audio output mode to local to get both the speakers and microphone to work. toward the bottom, you might need to check the box to ignore certificate because when i installed this version it still wouldn’t trust my work computer’s certificate after it asked me about it and i said to trust it. save the connection. on the first connection (we’ll need to set up and connect to vpn first), it asks to accept a certificate for the machine.

in remmina preferences i turn off the setting that prevents screenshots from entering clipboard. then under applet, check the box to start in tray upon user login (if it’s not already checked). under keyboard i remove the host key since i commonly use the right control key for normal keyboard shortcuts, and i don’t really need to give up another key for remmina shortcuts i don’t remember anyway. under rdp, map the caps lock key to insert by entering 0x3a=0x52 for keyboard scancode remapping (needs to be done separately from mapping it locally because rdp doesn’t care about local mappings even when i check the box to use client keyboard mapping).

== work vpn ==
my job provides cisco anyconnect vpn for me to connect remotely, but thankfully it’s compatible with openconnect which is *much* easier to use and integrates with the network manager built into ubuntu. install openconnect with its network manager integration and its editor (gnome is the name of the desktop environment ubuntu uses, even for cinnamon):

sudo apt install network-manager-openconnect-gnome

now go to the network icon in the panel (lower right, probably looks like wifi), click it, and choose "Network Connections." add a new connection using the plus button in the lower left of that window, and choose "Cisco AnyConnect or OpenConnect (OpenConnect)" from under the VPN heading. give it a name (i use the company name) and enter the vpn server as the gateway (something like vpn.example.com). the vpn protocol should already be set to "cisco anyconnect or openconnect" from the earlier choice. set user agent to "AnyConnect" so it won't give a 404 error trying to connect. i also needed to go to the ipv6 settings tab and disable it because otherwise my remote desktop connection fails. save the connection.

now, just under the list of available SSIDs in the network menu it will show "VPN Connections" with a toggle next to it. select this to connect. i have to click the login button in the window that pops up, then enter my work email, then my work password, then go to my phone and enter the number that shows on my laptop into the authenticator app, then verify my fingerprint. there was a time openconnect would save my username and password even while anyconnect didn’t, but unfortunately that time has passed. once it finishes connecting you should see the lock icon on your wifi. disconnect either by deselecting the vpn the same way you selected it to connect or by shutting down the laptop.

= configuration =
== map caps lock key as insert ==
to remap capslock to insert for the entire machine, edit <code>/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc</code> as root, and set the <code>key <CAPS></code> line to:

key <CAPS> {[ Insert ]};

this takes effect on your next login. it doesn’t apply to rdp connections in remmina though, so be sure to also follow the instructions from earlier for mapping it there too.

== system settings ==
access system settings from the panel menu. they’re grouped into sections so i’m using those same groupings here. if i don’t list a settings option it’s because i don’t actually change anything in that one.

=== appearance ===
==== background ====
default background files are <code>/usr/share/backgrounds/</code>, so that’s where i put my own backgrounds. make a subdirectory if you want to rotate through backgrounds. this isn’t enough to make them automatically show in settings > background though, so use the add button (bottom left) to get that directory added, then select it and a background.

==== effects ====
i have all the effects turned on, and set new windows and close windows to fly while leaving minimize traditional.

==== themes ====
it defaulted to a dark theme, so i change the application and icon themes to a dark yaru one with the accent color i want. under settings i set dark mode to prefer dark mode and turn on icons for menus and buttons.

=== preferences ===
==== account details ====
similar to background files, avatars go in <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/faces/</code>. pretty sure adding your own avatars here makes them show in the list, most likely toward the bottom since the defaults mostly start with numbers. click the user picture and select your preferred avatar. choose browse for more pictures if it doesn't show.

==== applets ====
configure calendar to set custom date format to <code>%l:%M %p %a %b %-e </code> (with two trailing spaces) to take up less space and use 12-hour time. similarly set date format for tooltip to <code>%A, %B %e, %l:%M %p</code> to use 12-hour time. select corner bar and click the minus button at the bottom to remove it. configure menu to use a custom icon and label, then set icon to <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/icons/ubuntucinnamon-symbolic.png</code> and icon size to 28 to keep the same icon and clear the text so it doesn’t take up space. also turn on menu animations.

==== date & time ====
turn off 24 hour clock and display seconds.

==== desktop ====
turn off all the desktop icons.

=== hardware ===
==== mouse and touchpad ====
under touchpad, i turn off reverse scrolling direction so that two-finger touchpad scroll works like moving the scroll bar not moving the content.

==== power management ====
change power button behavior to nothing. my laptop's power button is placed where i can very easily hit it by accident when picking it up so i prefer that it ignores when that happens.

==== sound ====
one of the reasons i prefer linux on my laptop is the over-amplification setting. turn on overamplification at the bottom of the output tab, which is often handy running off built-in speakers.

=== administration ===
==== login window ====
i like to use my own background for the login screen. set that here and then turn off draw user background to have a login background all the time. set the themes as close as i can to the themes i picked in themes. under settings, change clock format to <code>%l:%M %p</code> for 12-hour format.

= remove software =
sudo apt remove aisleriot deja-dup five-or-more four-in-a-row gnome-2048 gnome-chess gnome-klotski gnome-mahjongg gnome-mines gnome-nibbles gnome-robots gnome-sudoku gnome-taquin gnome-tetravex gnote gthumb hexchat hitori iagno lightsoff pidgin quadrapassel rhythmbox shotwell simple-scan swell-foop tali
sudo apt autoremove
sudo snap remove thunderbird

= install software =
here's some software i find useful to add:

sudo apt install 7zip audacity gimp git handbrake jpegoptim libheif-examples pngquant prismlauncher puddletag rsgain xsane

== firefox ==
=== touch scroll zoom ===
while the touch screen makes most windows scroll, firefox selects text by default. to make a lasting change edit <code>/etc/security/pam_env.conf</code> and add a line (i add it to the end) with <code>MOZ_USE_XINPUT2 DEFAULT=0 OVERRIDE=1</code>. this should take effect on next login.

=== switch away from snap ===
ubuntu comes with firefox (and thunderbird) installed through snap, but i’ve had problems with it telling me firefox needs to update but can’t because it's running. found these instructions on [omgubuntu.co.uk](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2022/04/how-to-install-firefox-deb-apt-ubuntu-22-04) — start by running these commands to remove the snap firefox and the apt redirect to snap firefox, trust mozilla’s signing, and add a mozilla source.

sudo snap remove firefox
sudo apt remove firefox
wget -q https://packages.mozilla.org/apt/repo-signing-key.gpg -O- | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc > /dev/null
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc] https://packages.mozilla.org/apt mozilla main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mozilla.list > /dev/null

then set priority to the mozilla source and suppress ubuntu’s redirect to snap:

echo '
Package: *
Pin: origin packages.mozilla.org
Pin-Priority: 1000

Package: firefox*
Pin: release o=Ubuntu
Pin-Priority: -1' | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozilla

lastly, update to include the mozilla source and install that (now prioritized) firefox package:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install firefox

== steam ==
there’s a steam-installer in the repository but last i tried it failed to install. looking for a solution i found someone claiming the apt package is a redirect to snap, and snap just doesn’t work well (maybe it’s not mature enough). so instead, go to the steam website and download the installer from there. it gave me a file named steam_latest.deb. install it and dependencies with `sudo apt install ~/Downloads/steam_latest.deb` and then run steam to complete the installation and sign in to steam.

== visual studio code ==
visual studio code isn’t in the default apt repositories (it’s in snap but snap doesn’t update well), but downloading and installing the deb actually adds it to apt so it can keep updating. note the filename will probably change to whichever version is current, so for the last two lines press the tab key to autocomplete after you’ve typed “code”:

wget 'https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/download?build=stable&os=linux-deb-x64' --trust-server-names
sudo dpkg -i code_1.118.1-1777474985_amd64.deb
rm code_1.118.1-1777474985_amd64.deb

most of my code is on github, and while visual studio code comes with git support, it depends on git being available and that's not in the default ubuntu install:

sudo apt install git

== zoom ==
the official way to install zoom on ubuntu is to download the deb and install that, but it won’t auto-update and i end up having to manually update before every time i use it. instead, set up a custom archive that will update itself with everything else. start with installing apt-utils which is required but not in the default install as of 25.10:

sudo apt install apt-utils

next copy this into a script file (run <code>chmod +x install-zoom</code> assuming you’ve saved it as install-zoom) and run it:

#!/usr/bin/env bash

url=https://zoom.us/client/latest/zoom_amd64.deb
debdir=/usr/local/zoomdebs
aptconf=/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/100update_zoom
sourcelist=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/zoomdebs.list

sudo mkdir -p $debdir
( echo 'APT::Update::Pre-Invoke {"cd '$debdir' && wget -qN '$url' && apt-ftparchive packages . > Packages && apt-ftparchive release . > Release";};' | sudo tee $aptconf
echo 'deb [trusted=yes lang=none] file:'$debdir' ./' | sudo tee $sourcelist
) >/dev/null

sudo apt update
sudo apt install zoom

after running the script you can delete it.

== makemkv ==
when i buy movies on dvd or blu-ray, makemkv rips them to files i can store on my plex server so i can easily play them from anywhere. it's available through a ppa:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:heyarje/makemkv-beta
sudo apt update
sudo apt install makemkv-bin makemkv-oss

the best information came from https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2022/08/watch-bluray-discs-in-vlc-on-ubuntu-with-makemkv

== openshot ==
slow-motion videos save out of google photos as completely in slow-motion instead of just the part you want in slow motion. i use openshot to split the video and speed up the parts i don't want slowed. it's available through a ppa:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:openshot.developers/ppa
sudo apt update
sudo apt install openshot-qt

User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 26.04 Resolute Raccoon

2026-07-23T13:52:26Z

Misterhaan: /* install software */ libheif-examples

User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 26.04 Resolute Raccoon

2026-07-07T15:43:10Z

Misterhaan: /* zoom */

i use ubuntu cinnamon linux as my main operating system on my laptop. since the laptop came with windows 10 (which i upgraded to windows 11), i keep that around so i can choose windows on startup when i need one of the manufacturer’s utilities. these instructions are what i did when i installed ubuntu cinnamon 26.04 resolute raccoon on my laptop westinghouse.

choose language and keyboard, connect to wifi, then choose interactive installation. i start with ubuntu cinnamon desktop (minimized) so there’s less to uninstall. i do install third-party graphics and wifi as well as additional media formats. as an upgrade i choose to erase my previous ubuntu and install over that, but there’s also an install alongside option for the initial setup keeping windows around. i don’t use file encryption because i keep my important files on a server instead.

name the computer and set up your username and password, then choose your time zone and you should be ready to install!

= connections to other systems =
most of what i use my laptop for is connecting to other systems, including my home file shares. i set those up first so i have access to my files and the ability to connect to my home desktop and work computer right away.

== home server nfs shares ==
i have command-line ubuntu installed on a different computer at home that stores my files, so my laptop should mount its shares when i’m on my home network. i can’t just do a normal mount because if i travel with my laptop, my home server isn’t available and i have to wait for those connections to time out before it will finish booting. still, the first couple steps are the same as mounting the shares from a desktop:

# edit <code>/etc/hosts</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/hosts</code> and add a line mapping the lan ip of the server to its name. follow the format of the line that has 127.0.0.1 localhost. saving this change makes sure the laptop can resolve the name of the server, which usually doesn’t work without this step.
# install nfs support with <code>sudo apt install nfs-common</code>
# edit <code>/etc/fstab</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/fstab</code> and add a line for each nfs share to mount, in this format: <code>server:/nfs_share /local/mount/point nfs noexec,noauto 0 0</code>
# create the local mount points for each share (the second column in fstab) with a command like <code>sudo mkdir /local/mount/point</code>
# create a new file as root in <code>/etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/</code> and enter the following code (make sure to put in your ssid and your actual mount points), then set its permissions to rwxr-xr-x with <code>chmod 755 /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/nfs-mount</code>:

#!/bin/bash
SSID="your-wifi-ssid"
INTERFACE=$1
ACTION=$2
ESSID=`nmcli -t -f active,ssid dev wifi | egrep '^yes' | cut -d: -f2`

if [ "$SSID" == "$ESSID" ] && [ "$ACTION" == "up" ]; then
mount /local/mount/point/one
mount /local/mount/point/two
fi

the network shares should be mounted whenever connecting to the wifi SSID. the <code>noauto</code> in fstab tells the system not to attempt to mount those shares on startup, so it doesn’t have to wait for that to fail when they’re not available. the NetworkManager script makes sure to mount them once connected to the correct wifi, but if you’re going to connect to your network with a cable it won’t see the ssid and you’ll need to issue the mount commands manually.

=== change user id ===
ubuntu uses 1000 as the id for the user it creates, but i have a different id on my server and they need to match up for nfs to know who i am. you can’t change your user id while you’re logged in, so i’ll create another admin account temporarily and use that. do that and set a password with the following:

sudo useradd -G adm,sudo -m -s /bin/bash tempadmin
sudo passwd tempadmin

now log out and you should be able to log back in as tempadmin with the password you just set, though it may be necessary to restart if it tells you your original user is in use by a process (which it’s been doing to me with this process for a few years now). run the following command to change your user id and update automounting:

sudo usermod -u [new_ID] [username]
sudo setfacl -m "u:[username]:r-x" /media/
sudo setfacl -x "u:1000" /media/

now we just need to get rid of tempadmin, so log out and log back in as your actual user. run <code>sudo userdel tempadmin</code> to go back to just one user. again, restart seems to be necessary as logging out doesn’t end all processes for the user.

== remote control ==
remmina is back in the default install as of 23.10 and works great to connect to my home desktop using vnc (i use tightvnc server on windows 11 there). it is simple to install it though if it wasn’t there for you:

sudo apt install remmina

i create two connections for my home desktop — one that uses my lan ip and another that uses the subdomain i keep mapped to my internet ip. both use remmina vnc plugin for the protocol and specify [ip]:[port] or [subdomain]:[port] since i use a custom vnc port. username can be left blank, and user password can save my connection password. setting the password means if someone else got access to my laptop they could also access my desktop, so be sure to weigh the convenience against security for your situation.

i connect to my work computer over rdp, which i also do through remmina. create a new connection leaving the protocol on the default of RDP - Remote Desktop Protocol and set the server, username, password, and domain for the connection. switch to the advanced tab and change audio output mode to local to get both the speakers and microphone to work. toward the bottom, you might need to check the box to ignore certificate because when i installed this version it still wouldn’t trust my work computer’s certificate after it asked me about it and i said to trust it. save the connection. on the first connection (we’ll need to set up and connect to vpn first), it asks to accept a certificate for the machine.

in remmina preferences i turn off the setting that prevents screenshots from entering clipboard. then under applet, check the box to start in tray upon user login (if it’s not already checked). under keyboard i remove the host key since i commonly use the right control key for normal keyboard shortcuts, and i don’t really need to give up another key for remmina shortcuts i don’t remember anyway. under rdp, map the caps lock key to insert by entering 0x3a=0x52 for keyboard scancode remapping (needs to be done separately from mapping it locally because rdp doesn’t care about local mappings even when i check the box to use client keyboard mapping).

== work vpn ==
my job provides cisco anyconnect vpn for me to connect remotely, but thankfully it’s compatible with openconnect which is *much* easier to use and integrates with the network manager built into ubuntu. install openconnect with its network manager integration and its editor (gnome is the name of the desktop environment ubuntu uses, even for cinnamon):

sudo apt install network-manager-openconnect-gnome

now go to the network icon in the panel (lower right, probably looks like wifi), click it, and choose "Network Connections." add a new connection using the plus button in the lower left of that window, and choose "Cisco AnyConnect or OpenConnect (OpenConnect)" from under the VPN heading. give it a name (i use the company name) and enter the vpn server as the gateway (something like vpn.example.com). the vpn protocol should already be set to "cisco anyconnect or openconnect" from the earlier choice. set user agent to "AnyConnect" so it won't give a 404 error trying to connect. i also needed to go to the ipv6 settings tab and disable it because otherwise my remote desktop connection fails. save the connection.

now, just under the list of available SSIDs in the network menu it will show "VPN Connections" with a toggle next to it. select this to connect. i have to click the login button in the window that pops up, then enter my work email, then my work password, then go to my phone and enter the number that shows on my laptop into the authenticator app, then verify my fingerprint. there was a time openconnect would save my username and password even while anyconnect didn’t, but unfortunately that time has passed. once it finishes connecting you should see the lock icon on your wifi. disconnect either by deselecting the vpn the same way you selected it to connect or by shutting down the laptop.

= configuration =
== map caps lock key as insert ==
to remap capslock to insert for the entire machine, edit <code>/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc</code> as root, and set the <code>key <CAPS></code> line to:

key <CAPS> {[ Insert ]};

this takes effect on your next login. it doesn’t apply to rdp connections in remmina though, so be sure to also follow the instructions from earlier for mapping it there too.

== system settings ==
access system settings from the panel menu. they’re grouped into sections so i’m using those same groupings here. if i don’t list a settings option it’s because i don’t actually change anything in that one.

=== appearance ===
==== background ====
default background files are <code>/usr/share/backgrounds/</code>, so that’s where i put my own backgrounds. make a subdirectory if you want to rotate through backgrounds. this isn’t enough to make them automatically show in settings > background though, so use the add button (bottom left) to get that directory added, then select it and a background.

==== effects ====
i have all the effects turned on, and set new windows and close windows to fly while leaving minimize traditional.

==== themes ====
it defaulted to a dark theme, so i change the application and icon themes to a dark yaru one with the accent color i want. under settings i set dark mode to prefer dark mode and turn on icons for menus and buttons.

=== preferences ===
==== account details ====
similar to background files, avatars go in <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/faces/</code>. pretty sure adding your own avatars here makes them show in the list, most likely toward the bottom since the defaults mostly start with numbers. click the user picture and select your preferred avatar. choose browse for more pictures if it doesn't show.

==== applets ====
configure calendar to set custom date format to <code>%l:%M %p %a %b %-e </code> (with two trailing spaces) to take up less space and use 12-hour time. similarly set date format for tooltip to <code>%A, %B %e, %l:%M %p</code> to use 12-hour time. select corner bar and click the minus button at the bottom to remove it. configure menu to use a custom icon and label, then set icon to <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/icons/ubuntucinnamon-symbolic.png</code> and icon size to 28 to keep the same icon and clear the text so it doesn’t take up space. also turn on menu animations.

==== date & time ====
turn off 24 hour clock and display seconds.

==== desktop ====
turn off all the desktop icons.

=== hardware ===
==== mouse and touchpad ====
under touchpad, i turn off reverse scrolling direction so that two-finger touchpad scroll works like moving the scroll bar not moving the content.

==== power management ====
change power button behavior to nothing. my laptop's power button is placed where i can very easily hit it by accident when picking it up so i prefer that it ignores when that happens.

==== sound ====
one of the reasons i prefer linux on my laptop is the over-amplification setting. turn on overamplification at the bottom of the output tab, which is often handy running off built-in speakers.

=== administration ===
==== login window ====
i like to use my own background for the login screen. set that here and then turn off draw user background to have a login background all the time. set the themes as close as i can to the themes i picked in themes. under settings, change clock format to <code>%l:%M %p</code> for 12-hour format.

= remove software =
sudo apt remove aisleriot deja-dup five-or-more four-in-a-row gnome-2048 gnome-chess gnome-klotski gnome-mahjongg gnome-mines gnome-nibbles gnome-robots gnome-sudoku gnome-taquin gnome-tetravex gnote gthumb hexchat hitori iagno lightsoff pidgin quadrapassel rhythmbox shotwell simple-scan swell-foop tali
sudo apt autoremove
sudo snap remove thunderbird

= install software =
here's some software i find useful to add:

sudo apt install 7zip audacity gimp git handbrake jpegoptim pngquant prismlauncher puddletag rsgain xsane

== firefox ==
=== touch scroll zoom ===
while the touch screen makes most windows scroll, firefox selects text by default. to make a lasting change edit <code>/etc/security/pam_env.conf</code> and add a line (i add it to the end) with <code>MOZ_USE_XINPUT2 DEFAULT=0 OVERRIDE=1</code>. this should take effect on next login.

=== switch away from snap ===
ubuntu comes with firefox (and thunderbird) installed through snap, but i’ve had problems with it telling me firefox needs to update but can’t because it's running. found these instructions on [omgubuntu.co.uk](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2022/04/how-to-install-firefox-deb-apt-ubuntu-22-04) — start by running these commands to remove the snap firefox and the apt redirect to snap firefox, trust mozilla’s signing, and add a mozilla source.

sudo snap remove firefox
sudo apt remove firefox
wget -q https://packages.mozilla.org/apt/repo-signing-key.gpg -O- | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc > /dev/null
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc] https://packages.mozilla.org/apt mozilla main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mozilla.list > /dev/null

then set priority to the mozilla source and suppress ubuntu’s redirect to snap:

echo '
Package: *
Pin: origin packages.mozilla.org
Pin-Priority: 1000

Package: firefox*
Pin: release o=Ubuntu
Pin-Priority: -1' | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozilla

lastly, update to include the mozilla source and install that (now prioritized) firefox package:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install firefox

== steam ==
there’s a steam-installer in the repository but last i tried it failed to install. looking for a solution i found someone claiming the apt package is a redirect to snap, and snap just doesn’t work well (maybe it’s not mature enough). so instead, go to the steam website and download the installer from there. it gave me a file named steam_latest.deb. install it and dependencies with `sudo apt install ~/Downloads/steam_latest.deb` and then run steam to complete the installation and sign in to steam.

== visual studio code ==
visual studio code isn’t in the default apt repositories (it’s in snap but snap doesn’t update well), but downloading and installing the deb actually adds it to apt so it can keep updating. note the filename will probably change to whichever version is current, so for the last two lines press the tab key to autocomplete after you’ve typed “code”:

wget 'https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/download?build=stable&os=linux-deb-x64' --trust-server-names
sudo dpkg -i code_1.118.1-1777474985_amd64.deb
rm code_1.118.1-1777474985_amd64.deb

most of my code is on github, and while visual studio code comes with git support, it depends on git being available and that's not in the default ubuntu install:

sudo apt install git

== zoom ==
the official way to install zoom on ubuntu is to download the deb and install that, but it won’t auto-update and i end up having to manually update before every time i use it. instead, set up a custom archive that will update itself with everything else. start with installing apt-utils which is required but not in the default install as of 25.10:

sudo apt install apt-utils

next copy this into a script file (run <code>chmod +x install-zoom</code> assuming you’ve saved it as install-zoom) and run it:

#!/usr/bin/env bash

url=https://zoom.us/client/latest/zoom_amd64.deb
debdir=/usr/local/zoomdebs
aptconf=/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/100update_zoom
sourcelist=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/zoomdebs.list

sudo mkdir -p $debdir
( echo 'APT::Update::Pre-Invoke {"cd '$debdir' && wget -qN '$url' && apt-ftparchive packages . > Packages && apt-ftparchive release . > Release";};' | sudo tee $aptconf
echo 'deb [trusted=yes lang=none] file:'$debdir' ./' | sudo tee $sourcelist
) >/dev/null

sudo apt update
sudo apt install zoom

after running the script you can delete it.

== makemkv ==
when i buy movies on dvd or blu-ray, makemkv rips them to files i can store on my plex server so i can easily play them from anywhere. it's available through a ppa:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:heyarje/makemkv-beta
sudo apt update
sudo apt install makemkv-bin makemkv-oss

the best information came from https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2022/08/watch-bluray-discs-in-vlc-on-ubuntu-with-makemkv

User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 26.04 Resolute Raccoon

2026-07-07T15:40:19Z

Misterhaan: /* install software */ add makemkv

i use ubuntu cinnamon linux as my main operating system on my laptop. since the laptop came with windows 10 (which i upgraded to windows 11), i keep that around so i can choose windows on startup when i need one of the manufacturer’s utilities. these instructions are what i did when i installed ubuntu cinnamon 26.04 resolute raccoon on my laptop westinghouse.

choose language and keyboard, connect to wifi, then choose interactive installation. i start with ubuntu cinnamon desktop (minimized) so there’s less to uninstall. i do install third-party graphics and wifi as well as additional media formats. as an upgrade i choose to erase my previous ubuntu and install over that, but there’s also an install alongside option for the initial setup keeping windows around. i don’t use file encryption because i keep my important files on a server instead.

name the computer and set up your username and password, then choose your time zone and you should be ready to install!

= connections to other systems =
most of what i use my laptop for is connecting to other systems, including my home file shares. i set those up first so i have access to my files and the ability to connect to my home desktop and work computer right away.

== home server nfs shares ==
i have command-line ubuntu installed on a different computer at home that stores my files, so my laptop should mount its shares when i’m on my home network. i can’t just do a normal mount because if i travel with my laptop, my home server isn’t available and i have to wait for those connections to time out before it will finish booting. still, the first couple steps are the same as mounting the shares from a desktop:

# edit <code>/etc/hosts</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/hosts</code> and add a line mapping the lan ip of the server to its name. follow the format of the line that has 127.0.0.1 localhost. saving this change makes sure the laptop can resolve the name of the server, which usually doesn’t work without this step.
# install nfs support with <code>sudo apt install nfs-common</code>
# edit <code>/etc/fstab</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/fstab</code> and add a line for each nfs share to mount, in this format: <code>server:/nfs_share /local/mount/point nfs noexec,noauto 0 0</code>
# create the local mount points for each share (the second column in fstab) with a command like <code>sudo mkdir /local/mount/point</code>
# create a new file as root in <code>/etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/</code> and enter the following code (make sure to put in your ssid and your actual mount points), then set its permissions to rwxr-xr-x with <code>chmod 755 /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/nfs-mount</code>:

#!/bin/bash
SSID="your-wifi-ssid"
INTERFACE=$1
ACTION=$2
ESSID=`nmcli -t -f active,ssid dev wifi | egrep '^yes' | cut -d: -f2`

if [ "$SSID" == "$ESSID" ] && [ "$ACTION" == "up" ]; then
mount /local/mount/point/one
mount /local/mount/point/two
fi

the network shares should be mounted whenever connecting to the wifi SSID. the <code>noauto</code> in fstab tells the system not to attempt to mount those shares on startup, so it doesn’t have to wait for that to fail when they’re not available. the NetworkManager script makes sure to mount them once connected to the correct wifi, but if you’re going to connect to your network with a cable it won’t see the ssid and you’ll need to issue the mount commands manually.

=== change user id ===
ubuntu uses 1000 as the id for the user it creates, but i have a different id on my server and they need to match up for nfs to know who i am. you can’t change your user id while you’re logged in, so i’ll create another admin account temporarily and use that. do that and set a password with the following:

sudo useradd -G adm,sudo -m -s /bin/bash tempadmin
sudo passwd tempadmin

now log out and you should be able to log back in as tempadmin with the password you just set, though it may be necessary to restart if it tells you your original user is in use by a process (which it’s been doing to me with this process for a few years now). run the following command to change your user id and update automounting:

sudo usermod -u [new_ID] [username]
sudo setfacl -m "u:[username]:r-x" /media/
sudo setfacl -x "u:1000" /media/

now we just need to get rid of tempadmin, so log out and log back in as your actual user. run <code>sudo userdel tempadmin</code> to go back to just one user. again, restart seems to be necessary as logging out doesn’t end all processes for the user.

== remote control ==
remmina is back in the default install as of 23.10 and works great to connect to my home desktop using vnc (i use tightvnc server on windows 11 there). it is simple to install it though if it wasn’t there for you:

sudo apt install remmina

i create two connections for my home desktop — one that uses my lan ip and another that uses the subdomain i keep mapped to my internet ip. both use remmina vnc plugin for the protocol and specify [ip]:[port] or [subdomain]:[port] since i use a custom vnc port. username can be left blank, and user password can save my connection password. setting the password means if someone else got access to my laptop they could also access my desktop, so be sure to weigh the convenience against security for your situation.

i connect to my work computer over rdp, which i also do through remmina. create a new connection leaving the protocol on the default of RDP - Remote Desktop Protocol and set the server, username, password, and domain for the connection. switch to the advanced tab and change audio output mode to local to get both the speakers and microphone to work. toward the bottom, you might need to check the box to ignore certificate because when i installed this version it still wouldn’t trust my work computer’s certificate after it asked me about it and i said to trust it. save the connection. on the first connection (we’ll need to set up and connect to vpn first), it asks to accept a certificate for the machine.

in remmina preferences i turn off the setting that prevents screenshots from entering clipboard. then under applet, check the box to start in tray upon user login (if it’s not already checked). under keyboard i remove the host key since i commonly use the right control key for normal keyboard shortcuts, and i don’t really need to give up another key for remmina shortcuts i don’t remember anyway. under rdp, map the caps lock key to insert by entering 0x3a=0x52 for keyboard scancode remapping (needs to be done separately from mapping it locally because rdp doesn’t care about local mappings even when i check the box to use client keyboard mapping).

== work vpn ==
my job provides cisco anyconnect vpn for me to connect remotely, but thankfully it’s compatible with openconnect which is *much* easier to use and integrates with the network manager built into ubuntu. install openconnect with its network manager integration and its editor (gnome is the name of the desktop environment ubuntu uses, even for cinnamon):

sudo apt install network-manager-openconnect-gnome

now go to the network icon in the panel (lower right, probably looks like wifi), click it, and choose "Network Connections." add a new connection using the plus button in the lower left of that window, and choose "Cisco AnyConnect or OpenConnect (OpenConnect)" from under the VPN heading. give it a name (i use the company name) and enter the vpn server as the gateway (something like vpn.example.com). the vpn protocol should already be set to "cisco anyconnect or openconnect" from the earlier choice. set user agent to "AnyConnect" so it won't give a 404 error trying to connect. i also needed to go to the ipv6 settings tab and disable it because otherwise my remote desktop connection fails. save the connection.

now, just under the list of available SSIDs in the network menu it will show "VPN Connections" with a toggle next to it. select this to connect. i have to click the login button in the window that pops up, then enter my work email, then my work password, then go to my phone and enter the number that shows on my laptop into the authenticator app, then verify my fingerprint. there was a time openconnect would save my username and password even while anyconnect didn’t, but unfortunately that time has passed. once it finishes connecting you should see the lock icon on your wifi. disconnect either by deselecting the vpn the same way you selected it to connect or by shutting down the laptop.

= configuration =
== map caps lock key as insert ==
to remap capslock to insert for the entire machine, edit <code>/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc</code> as root, and set the <code>key <CAPS></code> line to:

key <CAPS> {[ Insert ]};

this takes effect on your next login. it doesn’t apply to rdp connections in remmina though, so be sure to also follow the instructions from earlier for mapping it there too.

== system settings ==
access system settings from the panel menu. they’re grouped into sections so i’m using those same groupings here. if i don’t list a settings option it’s because i don’t actually change anything in that one.

=== appearance ===
==== background ====
default background files are <code>/usr/share/backgrounds/</code>, so that’s where i put my own backgrounds. make a subdirectory if you want to rotate through backgrounds. this isn’t enough to make them automatically show in settings > background though, so use the add button (bottom left) to get that directory added, then select it and a background.

==== effects ====
i have all the effects turned on, and set new windows and close windows to fly while leaving minimize traditional.

==== themes ====
it defaulted to a dark theme, so i change the application and icon themes to a dark yaru one with the accent color i want. under settings i set dark mode to prefer dark mode and turn on icons for menus and buttons.

=== preferences ===
==== account details ====
similar to background files, avatars go in <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/faces/</code>. pretty sure adding your own avatars here makes them show in the list, most likely toward the bottom since the defaults mostly start with numbers. click the user picture and select your preferred avatar. choose browse for more pictures if it doesn't show.

==== applets ====
configure calendar to set custom date format to <code>%l:%M %p %a %b %-e </code> (with two trailing spaces) to take up less space and use 12-hour time. similarly set date format for tooltip to <code>%A, %B %e, %l:%M %p</code> to use 12-hour time. select corner bar and click the minus button at the bottom to remove it. configure menu to use a custom icon and label, then set icon to <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/icons/ubuntucinnamon-symbolic.png</code> and icon size to 28 to keep the same icon and clear the text so it doesn’t take up space. also turn on menu animations.

==== date & time ====
turn off 24 hour clock and display seconds.

==== desktop ====
turn off all the desktop icons.

=== hardware ===
==== mouse and touchpad ====
under touchpad, i turn off reverse scrolling direction so that two-finger touchpad scroll works like moving the scroll bar not moving the content.

==== power management ====
change power button behavior to nothing. my laptop's power button is placed where i can very easily hit it by accident when picking it up so i prefer that it ignores when that happens.

==== sound ====
one of the reasons i prefer linux on my laptop is the over-amplification setting. turn on overamplification at the bottom of the output tab, which is often handy running off built-in speakers.

=== administration ===
==== login window ====
i like to use my own background for the login screen. set that here and then turn off draw user background to have a login background all the time. set the themes as close as i can to the themes i picked in themes. under settings, change clock format to <code>%l:%M %p</code> for 12-hour format.

= remove software =
sudo apt remove aisleriot deja-dup five-or-more four-in-a-row gnome-2048 gnome-chess gnome-klotski gnome-mahjongg gnome-mines gnome-nibbles gnome-robots gnome-sudoku gnome-taquin gnome-tetravex gnote gthumb hexchat hitori iagno lightsoff pidgin quadrapassel rhythmbox shotwell simple-scan swell-foop tali
sudo apt autoremove
sudo snap remove thunderbird

= install software =
here's some software i find useful to add:

sudo apt install 7zip audacity gimp git handbrake jpegoptim pngquant prismlauncher puddletag rsgain xsane

== firefox ==
=== touch scroll zoom ===
while the touch screen makes most windows scroll, firefox selects text by default. to make a lasting change edit <code>/etc/security/pam_env.conf</code> and add a line (i add it to the end) with <code>MOZ_USE_XINPUT2 DEFAULT=0 OVERRIDE=1</code>. this should take effect on next login.

=== switch away from snap ===
ubuntu comes with firefox (and thunderbird) installed through snap, but i’ve had problems with it telling me firefox needs to update but can’t because it's running. found these instructions on [omgubuntu.co.uk](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2022/04/how-to-install-firefox-deb-apt-ubuntu-22-04) — start by running these commands to remove the snap firefox and the apt redirect to snap firefox, trust mozilla’s signing, and add a mozilla source.

sudo snap remove firefox
sudo apt remove firefox
wget -q https://packages.mozilla.org/apt/repo-signing-key.gpg -O- | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc > /dev/null
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc] https://packages.mozilla.org/apt mozilla main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mozilla.list > /dev/null

then set priority to the mozilla source and suppress ubuntu’s redirect to snap:

echo '
Package: *
Pin: origin packages.mozilla.org
Pin-Priority: 1000

Package: firefox*
Pin: release o=Ubuntu
Pin-Priority: -1' | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozilla

lastly, update to include the mozilla source and install that (now prioritized) firefox package:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install firefox

== steam ==
there’s a steam-installer in the repository but last i tried it failed to install. looking for a solution i found someone claiming the apt package is a redirect to snap, and snap just doesn’t work well (maybe it’s not mature enough). so instead, go to the steam website and download the installer from there. it gave me a file named steam_latest.deb. install it and dependencies with `sudo apt install ~/Downloads/steam_latest.deb` and then run steam to complete the installation and sign in to steam.

== visual studio code ==
visual studio code isn’t in the default apt repositories (it’s in snap but snap doesn’t update well), but downloading and installing the deb actually adds it to apt so it can keep updating. note the filename will probably change to whichever version is current, so for the last two lines press the tab key to autocomplete after you’ve typed “code”:

wget 'https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/download?build=stable&os=linux-deb-x64' --trust-server-names
sudo dpkg -i code_1.118.1-1777474985_amd64.deb
rm code_1.118.1-1777474985_amd64.deb

most of my code is on github, and while visual studio code comes with git support, it depends on git being available and that's not in the default ubuntu install:

sudo apt install git

== zoom ==
the official way to install zoom on ubuntu is to download the deb and install that, but it won’t auto-update and i end up having to manually update before every time i use it. instead, set up a custom archive that will update itself with everything else. start with installing apt-utils which is required but not in the default install as of 25.10:

sudo apt install apt-utils

next copy this into a script file (run <code>chmod +x install-zoom</code> assuming you’ve saved it as install-zoom) and run it:

#!/usr/bin/env bash

url=https://zoom.us/client/latest/zoom_amd64.deb
debdir=/usr/local/zoomdebs
aptconf=/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/100update_zoom
sourcelist=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/zoomdebs.list

sudo mkdir -p $debdir
( echo 'APT::Update::Pre-Invoke {"cd '$debdir' && wget -qN '$url' && apt-ftparchive packages . > Packages && apt-ftparchive release . > Release";};' | sudo tee $aptconf
echo 'deb [trusted=yes lang=none] file:'$debdir' ./' | sudo tee $sourcelist
) >/dev/null

sudo apt update
sudo apt install zoom

== makemkv ==
when i buy movies on dvd or blu-ray, makemkv rips them to files i can store on my plex server so i can easily play them from anywhere. it's available through a ppa:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:heyarje/makemkv-beta
sudo apt update
sudo apt install makemkv-bin makemkv-oss

the best information came from https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2022/08/watch-bluray-discs-in-vlc-on-ubuntu-with-makemkv

User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 26.04 Resolute Raccoon

2026-07-06T17:17:01Z

Misterhaan: /* install software */ audacity

i use ubuntu cinnamon linux as my main operating system on my laptop. since the laptop came with windows 10 (which i upgraded to windows 11), i keep that around so i can choose windows on startup when i need one of the manufacturer’s utilities. these instructions are what i did when i installed ubuntu cinnamon 26.04 resolute raccoon on my laptop westinghouse.

choose language and keyboard, connect to wifi, then choose interactive installation. i start with ubuntu cinnamon desktop (minimized) so there’s less to uninstall. i do install third-party graphics and wifi as well as additional media formats. as an upgrade i choose to erase my previous ubuntu and install over that, but there’s also an install alongside option for the initial setup keeping windows around. i don’t use file encryption because i keep my important files on a server instead.

name the computer and set up your username and password, then choose your time zone and you should be ready to install!

= connections to other systems =
most of what i use my laptop for is connecting to other systems, including my home file shares. i set those up first so i have access to my files and the ability to connect to my home desktop and work computer right away.

== home server nfs shares ==
i have command-line ubuntu installed on a different computer at home that stores my files, so my laptop should mount its shares when i’m on my home network. i can’t just do a normal mount because if i travel with my laptop, my home server isn’t available and i have to wait for those connections to time out before it will finish booting. still, the first couple steps are the same as mounting the shares from a desktop:

# edit <code>/etc/hosts</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/hosts</code> and add a line mapping the lan ip of the server to its name. follow the format of the line that has 127.0.0.1 localhost. saving this change makes sure the laptop can resolve the name of the server, which usually doesn’t work without this step.
# install nfs support with <code>sudo apt install nfs-common</code>
# edit <code>/etc/fstab</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/fstab</code> and add a line for each nfs share to mount, in this format: <code>server:/nfs_share /local/mount/point nfs noexec,noauto 0 0</code>
# create the local mount points for each share (the second column in fstab) with a command like <code>sudo mkdir /local/mount/point</code>
# create a new file as root in <code>/etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/</code> and enter the following code (make sure to put in your ssid and your actual mount points), then set its permissions to rwxr-xr-x with <code>chmod 755 /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/nfs-mount</code>:

#!/bin/bash
SSID="your-wifi-ssid"
INTERFACE=$1
ACTION=$2
ESSID=`nmcli -t -f active,ssid dev wifi | egrep '^yes' | cut -d: -f2`

if [ "$SSID" == "$ESSID" ] && [ "$ACTION" == "up" ]; then
mount /local/mount/point/one
mount /local/mount/point/two
fi

the network shares should be mounted whenever connecting to the wifi SSID. the <code>noauto</code> in fstab tells the system not to attempt to mount those shares on startup, so it doesn’t have to wait for that to fail when they’re not available. the NetworkManager script makes sure to mount them once connected to the correct wifi, but if you’re going to connect to your network with a cable it won’t see the ssid and you’ll need to issue the mount commands manually.

=== change user id ===
ubuntu uses 1000 as the id for the user it creates, but i have a different id on my server and they need to match up for nfs to know who i am. you can’t change your user id while you’re logged in, so i’ll create another admin account temporarily and use that. do that and set a password with the following:

sudo useradd -G adm,sudo -m -s /bin/bash tempadmin
sudo passwd tempadmin

now log out and you should be able to log back in as tempadmin with the password you just set, though it may be necessary to restart if it tells you your original user is in use by a process (which it’s been doing to me with this process for a few years now). run the following command to change your user id and update automounting:

sudo usermod -u [new_ID] [username]
sudo setfacl -m "u:[username]:r-x" /media/
sudo setfacl -x "u:1000" /media/

now we just need to get rid of tempadmin, so log out and log back in as your actual user. run <code>sudo userdel tempadmin</code> to go back to just one user. again, restart seems to be necessary as logging out doesn’t end all processes for the user.

== remote control ==
remmina is back in the default install as of 23.10 and works great to connect to my home desktop using vnc (i use tightvnc server on windows 11 there). it is simple to install it though if it wasn’t there for you:

sudo apt install remmina

i create two connections for my home desktop — one that uses my lan ip and another that uses the subdomain i keep mapped to my internet ip. both use remmina vnc plugin for the protocol and specify [ip]:[port] or [subdomain]:[port] since i use a custom vnc port. username can be left blank, and user password can save my connection password. setting the password means if someone else got access to my laptop they could also access my desktop, so be sure to weigh the convenience against security for your situation.

i connect to my work computer over rdp, which i also do through remmina. create a new connection leaving the protocol on the default of RDP - Remote Desktop Protocol and set the server, username, password, and domain for the connection. switch to the advanced tab and change audio output mode to local to get both the speakers and microphone to work. toward the bottom, you might need to check the box to ignore certificate because when i installed this version it still wouldn’t trust my work computer’s certificate after it asked me about it and i said to trust it. save the connection. on the first connection (we’ll need to set up and connect to vpn first), it asks to accept a certificate for the machine.

in remmina preferences i turn off the setting that prevents screenshots from entering clipboard. then under applet, check the box to start in tray upon user login (if it’s not already checked). under keyboard i remove the host key since i commonly use the right control key for normal keyboard shortcuts, and i don’t really need to give up another key for remmina shortcuts i don’t remember anyway. under rdp, map the caps lock key to insert by entering 0x3a=0x52 for keyboard scancode remapping (needs to be done separately from mapping it locally because rdp doesn’t care about local mappings even when i check the box to use client keyboard mapping).

== work vpn ==
my job provides cisco anyconnect vpn for me to connect remotely, but thankfully it’s compatible with openconnect which is *much* easier to use and integrates with the network manager built into ubuntu. install openconnect with its network manager integration and its editor (gnome is the name of the desktop environment ubuntu uses, even for cinnamon):

sudo apt install network-manager-openconnect-gnome

now go to the network icon in the panel (lower right, probably looks like wifi), click it, and choose "Network Connections." add a new connection using the plus button in the lower left of that window, and choose "Cisco AnyConnect or OpenConnect (OpenConnect)" from under the VPN heading. give it a name (i use the company name) and enter the vpn server as the gateway (something like vpn.example.com). the vpn protocol should already be set to "cisco anyconnect or openconnect" from the earlier choice. set user agent to "AnyConnect" so it won't give a 404 error trying to connect. i also needed to go to the ipv6 settings tab and disable it because otherwise my remote desktop connection fails. save the connection.

now, just under the list of available SSIDs in the network menu it will show "VPN Connections" with a toggle next to it. select this to connect. i have to click the login button in the window that pops up, then enter my work email, then my work password, then go to my phone and enter the number that shows on my laptop into the authenticator app, then verify my fingerprint. there was a time openconnect would save my username and password even while anyconnect didn’t, but unfortunately that time has passed. once it finishes connecting you should see the lock icon on your wifi. disconnect either by deselecting the vpn the same way you selected it to connect or by shutting down the laptop.

= configuration =
== map caps lock key as insert ==
to remap capslock to insert for the entire machine, edit <code>/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc</code> as root, and set the <code>key <CAPS></code> line to:

key <CAPS> {[ Insert ]};

this takes effect on your next login. it doesn’t apply to rdp connections in remmina though, so be sure to also follow the instructions from earlier for mapping it there too.

== system settings ==
access system settings from the panel menu. they’re grouped into sections so i’m using those same groupings here. if i don’t list a settings option it’s because i don’t actually change anything in that one.

=== appearance ===
==== background ====
default background files are <code>/usr/share/backgrounds/</code>, so that’s where i put my own backgrounds. make a subdirectory if you want to rotate through backgrounds. this isn’t enough to make them automatically show in settings > background though, so use the add button (bottom left) to get that directory added, then select it and a background.

==== effects ====
i have all the effects turned on, and set new windows and close windows to fly while leaving minimize traditional.

==== themes ====
it defaulted to a dark theme, so i change the application and icon themes to a dark yaru one with the accent color i want. under settings i set dark mode to prefer dark mode and turn on icons for menus and buttons.

=== preferences ===
==== account details ====
similar to background files, avatars go in <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/faces/</code>. pretty sure adding your own avatars here makes them show in the list, most likely toward the bottom since the defaults mostly start with numbers. click the user picture and select your preferred avatar. choose browse for more pictures if it doesn't show.

==== applets ====
configure calendar to set custom date format to <code>%l:%M %p %a %b %-e </code> (with two trailing spaces) to take up less space and use 12-hour time. similarly set date format for tooltip to <code>%A, %B %e, %l:%M %p</code> to use 12-hour time. select corner bar and click the minus button at the bottom to remove it. configure menu to use a custom icon and label, then set icon to <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/icons/ubuntucinnamon-symbolic.png</code> and icon size to 28 to keep the same icon and clear the text so it doesn’t take up space. also turn on menu animations.

==== date & time ====
turn off 24 hour clock and display seconds.

==== desktop ====
turn off all the desktop icons.

=== hardware ===
==== mouse and touchpad ====
under touchpad, i turn off reverse scrolling direction so that two-finger touchpad scroll works like moving the scroll bar not moving the content.

==== power management ====
change power button behavior to nothing. my laptop's power button is placed where i can very easily hit it by accident when picking it up so i prefer that it ignores when that happens.

==== sound ====
one of the reasons i prefer linux on my laptop is the over-amplification setting. turn on overamplification at the bottom of the output tab, which is often handy running off built-in speakers.

=== administration ===
==== login window ====
i like to use my own background for the login screen. set that here and then turn off draw user background to have a login background all the time. set the themes as close as i can to the themes i picked in themes. under settings, change clock format to <code>%l:%M %p</code> for 12-hour format.

= remove software =
sudo apt remove aisleriot deja-dup five-or-more four-in-a-row gnome-2048 gnome-chess gnome-klotski gnome-mahjongg gnome-mines gnome-nibbles gnome-robots gnome-sudoku gnome-taquin gnome-tetravex gnote gthumb hexchat hitori iagno lightsoff pidgin quadrapassel rhythmbox shotwell simple-scan swell-foop tali
sudo apt autoremove
sudo snap remove thunderbird

= install software =
here's some software i find useful to add:

sudo apt install 7zip audacity gimp git handbrake jpegoptim pngquant prismlauncher puddletag rsgain xsane

== firefox ==
=== touch scroll zoom ===
while the touch screen makes most windows scroll, firefox selects text by default. to make a lasting change edit <code>/etc/security/pam_env.conf</code> and add a line (i add it to the end) with <code>MOZ_USE_XINPUT2 DEFAULT=0 OVERRIDE=1</code>. this should take effect on next login.

=== switch away from snap ===
ubuntu comes with firefox (and thunderbird) installed through snap, but i’ve had problems with it telling me firefox needs to update but can’t because it's running. found these instructions on [omgubuntu.co.uk](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2022/04/how-to-install-firefox-deb-apt-ubuntu-22-04) — start by running these commands to remove the snap firefox and the apt redirect to snap firefox, trust mozilla’s signing, and add a mozilla source.

sudo snap remove firefox
sudo apt remove firefox
wget -q https://packages.mozilla.org/apt/repo-signing-key.gpg -O- | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc > /dev/null
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc] https://packages.mozilla.org/apt mozilla main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mozilla.list > /dev/null

then set priority to the mozilla source and suppress ubuntu’s redirect to snap:

echo '
Package: *
Pin: origin packages.mozilla.org
Pin-Priority: 1000

Package: firefox*
Pin: release o=Ubuntu
Pin-Priority: -1' | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozilla

lastly, update to include the mozilla source and install that (now prioritized) firefox package:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install firefox

== steam ==
there’s a steam-installer in the repository but last i tried it failed to install. looking for a solution i found someone claiming the apt package is a redirect to snap, and snap just doesn’t work well (maybe it’s not mature enough). so instead, go to the steam website and download the installer from there. it gave me a file named steam_latest.deb. install it and dependencies with `sudo apt install ~/Downloads/steam_latest.deb` and then run steam to complete the installation and sign in to steam.

== visual studio code ==
visual studio code isn’t in the default apt repositories (it’s in snap but snap doesn’t update well), but downloading and installing the deb actually adds it to apt so it can keep updating. note the filename will probably change to whichever version is current, so for the last two lines press the tab key to autocomplete after you’ve typed “code”:

wget 'https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/download?build=stable&os=linux-deb-x64' --trust-server-names
sudo dpkg -i code_1.118.1-1777474985_amd64.deb
rm code_1.118.1-1777474985_amd64.deb

most of my code is on github, and while visual studio code comes with git support, it depends on git being available and that's not in the default ubuntu install:

sudo apt install git

== zoom ==
the official way to install zoom on ubuntu is to download the deb and install that, but it won’t auto-update and i end up having to manually update before every time i use it. instead, set up a custom archive that will update itself with everything else. start with installing apt-utils which is required but not in the default install as of 25.10:

sudo apt install apt-utils

next copy this into a script file (run <code>chmod +x install-zoom</code> assuming you’ve saved it as install-zoom) and run it:

#!/usr/bin/env bash

url=https://zoom.us/client/latest/zoom_amd64.deb
debdir=/usr/local/zoomdebs
aptconf=/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/100update_zoom
sourcelist=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/zoomdebs.list

sudo mkdir -p $debdir
( echo 'APT::Update::Pre-Invoke {"cd '$debdir' && wget -qN '$url' && apt-ftparchive packages . > Packages && apt-ftparchive release . > Release";};' | sudo tee $aptconf
echo 'deb [trusted=yes lang=none] file:'$debdir' ./' | sudo tee $sourcelist
) >/dev/null

sudo apt update
sudo apt install zoom

User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 26.04 Resolute Raccoon

2026-07-04T20:25:32Z

Misterhaan: /* remove software */ aisleriot

i use ubuntu cinnamon linux as my main operating system on my laptop. since the laptop came with windows 10 (which i upgraded to windows 11), i keep that around so i can choose windows on startup when i need one of the manufacturer’s utilities. these instructions are what i did when i installed ubuntu cinnamon 26.04 resolute raccoon on my laptop westinghouse.

choose language and keyboard, connect to wifi, then choose interactive installation. i start with ubuntu cinnamon desktop (minimized) so there’s less to uninstall. i do install third-party graphics and wifi as well as additional media formats. as an upgrade i choose to erase my previous ubuntu and install over that, but there’s also an install alongside option for the initial setup keeping windows around. i don’t use file encryption because i keep my important files on a server instead.

name the computer and set up your username and password, then choose your time zone and you should be ready to install!

= connections to other systems =
most of what i use my laptop for is connecting to other systems, including my home file shares. i set those up first so i have access to my files and the ability to connect to my home desktop and work computer right away.

== home server nfs shares ==
i have command-line ubuntu installed on a different computer at home that stores my files, so my laptop should mount its shares when i’m on my home network. i can’t just do a normal mount because if i travel with my laptop, my home server isn’t available and i have to wait for those connections to time out before it will finish booting. still, the first couple steps are the same as mounting the shares from a desktop:

# edit <code>/etc/hosts</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/hosts</code> and add a line mapping the lan ip of the server to its name. follow the format of the line that has 127.0.0.1 localhost. saving this change makes sure the laptop can resolve the name of the server, which usually doesn’t work without this step.
# install nfs support with <code>sudo apt install nfs-common</code>
# edit <code>/etc/fstab</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/fstab</code> and add a line for each nfs share to mount, in this format: <code>server:/nfs_share /local/mount/point nfs noexec,noauto 0 0</code>
# create the local mount points for each share (the second column in fstab) with a command like <code>sudo mkdir /local/mount/point</code>
# create a new file as root in <code>/etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/</code> and enter the following code (make sure to put in your ssid and your actual mount points), then set its permissions to rwxr-xr-x with <code>chmod 755 /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/nfs-mount</code>:

#!/bin/bash
SSID="your-wifi-ssid"
INTERFACE=$1
ACTION=$2
ESSID=`nmcli -t -f active,ssid dev wifi | egrep '^yes' | cut -d: -f2`

if [ "$SSID" == "$ESSID" ] && [ "$ACTION" == "up" ]; then
mount /local/mount/point/one
mount /local/mount/point/two
fi

the network shares should be mounted whenever connecting to the wifi SSID. the <code>noauto</code> in fstab tells the system not to attempt to mount those shares on startup, so it doesn’t have to wait for that to fail when they’re not available. the NetworkManager script makes sure to mount them once connected to the correct wifi, but if you’re going to connect to your network with a cable it won’t see the ssid and you’ll need to issue the mount commands manually.

=== change user id ===
ubuntu uses 1000 as the id for the user it creates, but i have a different id on my server and they need to match up for nfs to know who i am. you can’t change your user id while you’re logged in, so i’ll create another admin account temporarily and use that. do that and set a password with the following:

sudo useradd -G adm,sudo -m -s /bin/bash tempadmin
sudo passwd tempadmin

now log out and you should be able to log back in as tempadmin with the password you just set, though it may be necessary to restart if it tells you your original user is in use by a process (which it’s been doing to me with this process for a few years now). run the following command to change your user id and update automounting:

sudo usermod -u [new_ID] [username]
sudo setfacl -m "u:[username]:r-x" /media/
sudo setfacl -x "u:1000" /media/

now we just need to get rid of tempadmin, so log out and log back in as your actual user. run <code>sudo userdel tempadmin</code> to go back to just one user. again, restart seems to be necessary as logging out doesn’t end all processes for the user.

== remote control ==
remmina is back in the default install as of 23.10 and works great to connect to my home desktop using vnc (i use tightvnc server on windows 11 there). it is simple to install it though if it wasn’t there for you:

sudo apt install remmina

i create two connections for my home desktop — one that uses my lan ip and another that uses the subdomain i keep mapped to my internet ip. both use remmina vnc plugin for the protocol and specify [ip]:[port] or [subdomain]:[port] since i use a custom vnc port. username can be left blank, and user password can save my connection password. setting the password means if someone else got access to my laptop they could also access my desktop, so be sure to weigh the convenience against security for your situation.

i connect to my work computer over rdp, which i also do through remmina. create a new connection leaving the protocol on the default of RDP - Remote Desktop Protocol and set the server, username, password, and domain for the connection. switch to the advanced tab and change audio output mode to local to get both the speakers and microphone to work. toward the bottom, you might need to check the box to ignore certificate because when i installed this version it still wouldn’t trust my work computer’s certificate after it asked me about it and i said to trust it. save the connection. on the first connection (we’ll need to set up and connect to vpn first), it asks to accept a certificate for the machine.

in remmina preferences i turn off the setting that prevents screenshots from entering clipboard. then under applet, check the box to start in tray upon user login (if it’s not already checked). under keyboard i remove the host key since i commonly use the right control key for normal keyboard shortcuts, and i don’t really need to give up another key for remmina shortcuts i don’t remember anyway. under rdp, map the caps lock key to insert by entering 0x3a=0x52 for keyboard scancode remapping (needs to be done separately from mapping it locally because rdp doesn’t care about local mappings even when i check the box to use client keyboard mapping).

== work vpn ==
my job provides cisco anyconnect vpn for me to connect remotely, but thankfully it’s compatible with openconnect which is *much* easier to use and integrates with the network manager built into ubuntu. install openconnect with its network manager integration and its editor (gnome is the name of the desktop environment ubuntu uses, even for cinnamon):

sudo apt install network-manager-openconnect-gnome

now go to the network icon in the panel (lower right, probably looks like wifi), click it, and choose "Network Connections." add a new connection using the plus button in the lower left of that window, and choose "Cisco AnyConnect or OpenConnect (OpenConnect)" from under the VPN heading. give it a name (i use the company name) and enter the vpn server as the gateway (something like vpn.example.com). the vpn protocol should already be set to "cisco anyconnect or openconnect" from the earlier choice. set user agent to "AnyConnect" so it won't give a 404 error trying to connect. i also needed to go to the ipv6 settings tab and disable it because otherwise my remote desktop connection fails. save the connection.

now, just under the list of available SSIDs in the network menu it will show "VPN Connections" with a toggle next to it. select this to connect. i have to click the login button in the window that pops up, then enter my work email, then my work password, then go to my phone and enter the number that shows on my laptop into the authenticator app, then verify my fingerprint. there was a time openconnect would save my username and password even while anyconnect didn’t, but unfortunately that time has passed. once it finishes connecting you should see the lock icon on your wifi. disconnect either by deselecting the vpn the same way you selected it to connect or by shutting down the laptop.

= configuration =
== map caps lock key as insert ==
to remap capslock to insert for the entire machine, edit <code>/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc</code> as root, and set the <code>key <CAPS></code> line to:

key <CAPS> {[ Insert ]};

this takes effect on your next login. it doesn’t apply to rdp connections in remmina though, so be sure to also follow the instructions from earlier for mapping it there too.

== system settings ==
access system settings from the panel menu. they’re grouped into sections so i’m using those same groupings here. if i don’t list a settings option it’s because i don’t actually change anything in that one.

=== appearance ===
==== background ====
default background files are <code>/usr/share/backgrounds/</code>, so that’s where i put my own backgrounds. make a subdirectory if you want to rotate through backgrounds. this isn’t enough to make them automatically show in settings > background though, so use the add button (bottom left) to get that directory added, then select it and a background.

==== effects ====
i have all the effects turned on, and set new windows and close windows to fly while leaving minimize traditional.

==== themes ====
it defaulted to a dark theme, so i change the application and icon themes to a dark yaru one with the accent color i want. under settings i set dark mode to prefer dark mode and turn on icons for menus and buttons.

=== preferences ===
==== account details ====
similar to background files, avatars go in <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/faces/</code>. pretty sure adding your own avatars here makes them show in the list, most likely toward the bottom since the defaults mostly start with numbers. click the user picture and select your preferred avatar. choose browse for more pictures if it doesn't show.

==== applets ====
configure calendar to set custom date format to <code>%l:%M %p %a %b %-e </code> (with two trailing spaces) to take up less space and use 12-hour time. similarly set date format for tooltip to <code>%A, %B %e, %l:%M %p</code> to use 12-hour time. select corner bar and click the minus button at the bottom to remove it. configure menu to use a custom icon and label, then set icon to <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/icons/ubuntucinnamon-symbolic.png</code> and icon size to 28 to keep the same icon and clear the text so it doesn’t take up space. also turn on menu animations.

==== date & time ====
turn off 24 hour clock and display seconds.

==== desktop ====
turn off all the desktop icons.

=== hardware ===
==== mouse and touchpad ====
under touchpad, i turn off reverse scrolling direction so that two-finger touchpad scroll works like moving the scroll bar not moving the content.

==== power management ====
change power button behavior to nothing. my laptop's power button is placed where i can very easily hit it by accident when picking it up so i prefer that it ignores when that happens.

==== sound ====
one of the reasons i prefer linux on my laptop is the over-amplification setting. turn on overamplification at the bottom of the output tab, which is often handy running off built-in speakers.

=== administration ===
==== login window ====
i like to use my own background for the login screen. set that here and then turn off draw user background to have a login background all the time. set the themes as close as i can to the themes i picked in themes. under settings, change clock format to <code>%l:%M %p</code> for 12-hour format.

= remove software =
sudo apt remove aisleriot deja-dup five-or-more four-in-a-row gnome-2048 gnome-chess gnome-klotski gnome-mahjongg gnome-mines gnome-nibbles gnome-robots gnome-sudoku gnome-taquin gnome-tetravex gnote gthumb hexchat hitori iagno lightsoff pidgin quadrapassel rhythmbox shotwell simple-scan swell-foop tali
sudo apt autoremove
sudo snap remove thunderbird

= install software =
here's some software i find useful to add:

sudo apt install 7zip gimp git handbrake jpegoptim pngquant prismlauncher puddletag rsgain xsane

== firefox ==
=== touch scroll zoom ===
while the touch screen makes most windows scroll, firefox selects text by default. to make a lasting change edit <code>/etc/security/pam_env.conf</code> and add a line (i add it to the end) with <code>MOZ_USE_XINPUT2 DEFAULT=0 OVERRIDE=1</code>. this should take effect on next login.

=== switch away from snap ===
ubuntu comes with firefox (and thunderbird) installed through snap, but i’ve had problems with it telling me firefox needs to update but can’t because it's running. found these instructions on [omgubuntu.co.uk](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2022/04/how-to-install-firefox-deb-apt-ubuntu-22-04) — start by running these commands to remove the snap firefox and the apt redirect to snap firefox, trust mozilla’s signing, and add a mozilla source.

sudo snap remove firefox
sudo apt remove firefox
wget -q https://packages.mozilla.org/apt/repo-signing-key.gpg -O- | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc > /dev/null
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc] https://packages.mozilla.org/apt mozilla main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mozilla.list > /dev/null

then set priority to the mozilla source and suppress ubuntu’s redirect to snap:

echo '
Package: *
Pin: origin packages.mozilla.org
Pin-Priority: 1000

Package: firefox*
Pin: release o=Ubuntu
Pin-Priority: -1' | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozilla

lastly, update to include the mozilla source and install that (now prioritized) firefox package:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install firefox

== steam ==
there’s a steam-installer in the repository but last i tried it failed to install. looking for a solution i found someone claiming the apt package is a redirect to snap, and snap just doesn’t work well (maybe it’s not mature enough). so instead, go to the steam website and download the installer from there. it gave me a file named steam_latest.deb. install it and dependencies with `sudo apt install ~/Downloads/steam_latest.deb` and then run steam to complete the installation and sign in to steam.

== visual studio code ==
visual studio code isn’t in the default apt repositories (it’s in snap but snap doesn’t update well), but downloading and installing the deb actually adds it to apt so it can keep updating. note the filename will probably change to whichever version is current, so for the last two lines press the tab key to autocomplete after you’ve typed “code”:

wget 'https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/download?build=stable&os=linux-deb-x64' --trust-server-names
sudo dpkg -i code_1.118.1-1777474985_amd64.deb
rm code_1.118.1-1777474985_amd64.deb

most of my code is on github, and while visual studio code comes with git support, it depends on git being available and that's not in the default ubuntu install:

sudo apt install git

== zoom ==
the official way to install zoom on ubuntu is to download the deb and install that, but it won’t auto-update and i end up having to manually update before every time i use it. instead, set up a custom archive that will update itself with everything else. start with installing apt-utils which is required but not in the default install as of 25.10:

sudo apt install apt-utils

next copy this into a script file (run <code>chmod +x install-zoom</code> assuming you’ve saved it as install-zoom) and run it:

#!/usr/bin/env bash

url=https://zoom.us/client/latest/zoom_amd64.deb
debdir=/usr/local/zoomdebs
aptconf=/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/100update_zoom
sourcelist=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/zoomdebs.list

sudo mkdir -p $debdir
( echo 'APT::Update::Pre-Invoke {"cd '$debdir' && wget -qN '$url' && apt-ftparchive packages . > Packages && apt-ftparchive release . > Release";};' | sudo tee $aptconf
echo 'deb [trusted=yes lang=none] file:'$debdir' ./' | sudo tee $sourcelist
) >/dev/null

sudo apt update
sudo apt install zoom

User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 26.04 Resolute Raccoon

2026-07-04T17:57:31Z

Misterhaan: /* remove software */ add lightsoff

i use ubuntu cinnamon linux as my main operating system on my laptop. since the laptop came with windows 10 (which i upgraded to windows 11), i keep that around so i can choose windows on startup when i need one of the manufacturer’s utilities. these instructions are what i did when i installed ubuntu cinnamon 26.04 resolute raccoon on my laptop westinghouse.

choose language and keyboard, connect to wifi, then choose interactive installation. i start with ubuntu cinnamon desktop (minimized) so there’s less to uninstall. i do install third-party graphics and wifi as well as additional media formats. as an upgrade i choose to erase my previous ubuntu and install over that, but there’s also an install alongside option for the initial setup keeping windows around. i don’t use file encryption because i keep my important files on a server instead.

name the computer and set up your username and password, then choose your time zone and you should be ready to install!

= connections to other systems =
most of what i use my laptop for is connecting to other systems, including my home file shares. i set those up first so i have access to my files and the ability to connect to my home desktop and work computer right away.

== home server nfs shares ==
i have command-line ubuntu installed on a different computer at home that stores my files, so my laptop should mount its shares when i’m on my home network. i can’t just do a normal mount because if i travel with my laptop, my home server isn’t available and i have to wait for those connections to time out before it will finish booting. still, the first couple steps are the same as mounting the shares from a desktop:

# edit <code>/etc/hosts</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/hosts</code> and add a line mapping the lan ip of the server to its name. follow the format of the line that has 127.0.0.1 localhost. saving this change makes sure the laptop can resolve the name of the server, which usually doesn’t work without this step.
# install nfs support with <code>sudo apt install nfs-common</code>
# edit <code>/etc/fstab</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/fstab</code> and add a line for each nfs share to mount, in this format: <code>server:/nfs_share /local/mount/point nfs noexec,noauto 0 0</code>
# create the local mount points for each share (the second column in fstab) with a command like <code>sudo mkdir /local/mount/point</code>
# create a new file as root in <code>/etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/</code> and enter the following code (make sure to put in your ssid and your actual mount points), then set its permissions to rwxr-xr-x with <code>chmod 755 /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/nfs-mount</code>:

#!/bin/bash
SSID="your-wifi-ssid"
INTERFACE=$1
ACTION=$2
ESSID=`nmcli -t -f active,ssid dev wifi | egrep '^yes' | cut -d: -f2`

if [ "$SSID" == "$ESSID" ] && [ "$ACTION" == "up" ]; then
mount /local/mount/point/one
mount /local/mount/point/two
fi

the network shares should be mounted whenever connecting to the wifi SSID. the <code>noauto</code> in fstab tells the system not to attempt to mount those shares on startup, so it doesn’t have to wait for that to fail when they’re not available. the NetworkManager script makes sure to mount them once connected to the correct wifi, but if you’re going to connect to your network with a cable it won’t see the ssid and you’ll need to issue the mount commands manually.

=== change user id ===
ubuntu uses 1000 as the id for the user it creates, but i have a different id on my server and they need to match up for nfs to know who i am. you can’t change your user id while you’re logged in, so i’ll create another admin account temporarily and use that. do that and set a password with the following:

sudo useradd -G adm,sudo -m -s /bin/bash tempadmin
sudo passwd tempadmin

now log out and you should be able to log back in as tempadmin with the password you just set, though it may be necessary to restart if it tells you your original user is in use by a process (which it’s been doing to me with this process for a few years now). run the following command to change your user id and update automounting:

sudo usermod -u [new_ID] [username]
sudo setfacl -m "u:[username]:r-x" /media/
sudo setfacl -x "u:1000" /media/

now we just need to get rid of tempadmin, so log out and log back in as your actual user. run <code>sudo userdel tempadmin</code> to go back to just one user. again, restart seems to be necessary as logging out doesn’t end all processes for the user.

== remote control ==
remmina is back in the default install as of 23.10 and works great to connect to my home desktop using vnc (i use tightvnc server on windows 11 there). it is simple to install it though if it wasn’t there for you:

sudo apt install remmina

i create two connections for my home desktop — one that uses my lan ip and another that uses the subdomain i keep mapped to my internet ip. both use remmina vnc plugin for the protocol and specify [ip]:[port] or [subdomain]:[port] since i use a custom vnc port. username can be left blank, and user password can save my connection password. setting the password means if someone else got access to my laptop they could also access my desktop, so be sure to weigh the convenience against security for your situation.

i connect to my work computer over rdp, which i also do through remmina. create a new connection leaving the protocol on the default of RDP - Remote Desktop Protocol and set the server, username, password, and domain for the connection. switch to the advanced tab and change audio output mode to local to get both the speakers and microphone to work. toward the bottom, you might need to check the box to ignore certificate because when i installed this version it still wouldn’t trust my work computer’s certificate after it asked me about it and i said to trust it. save the connection. on the first connection (we’ll need to set up and connect to vpn first), it asks to accept a certificate for the machine.

in remmina preferences i turn off the setting that prevents screenshots from entering clipboard. then under applet, check the box to start in tray upon user login (if it’s not already checked). under keyboard i remove the host key since i commonly use the right control key for normal keyboard shortcuts, and i don’t really need to give up another key for remmina shortcuts i don’t remember anyway. under rdp, map the caps lock key to insert by entering 0x3a=0x52 for keyboard scancode remapping (needs to be done separately from mapping it locally because rdp doesn’t care about local mappings even when i check the box to use client keyboard mapping).

== work vpn ==
my job provides cisco anyconnect vpn for me to connect remotely, but thankfully it’s compatible with openconnect which is *much* easier to use and integrates with the network manager built into ubuntu. install openconnect with its network manager integration and its editor (gnome is the name of the desktop environment ubuntu uses, even for cinnamon):

sudo apt install network-manager-openconnect-gnome

now go to the network icon in the panel (lower right, probably looks like wifi), click it, and choose "Network Connections." add a new connection using the plus button in the lower left of that window, and choose "Cisco AnyConnect or OpenConnect (OpenConnect)" from under the VPN heading. give it a name (i use the company name) and enter the vpn server as the gateway (something like vpn.example.com). the vpn protocol should already be set to "cisco anyconnect or openconnect" from the earlier choice. set user agent to "AnyConnect" so it won't give a 404 error trying to connect. i also needed to go to the ipv6 settings tab and disable it because otherwise my remote desktop connection fails. save the connection.

now, just under the list of available SSIDs in the network menu it will show "VPN Connections" with a toggle next to it. select this to connect. i have to click the login button in the window that pops up, then enter my work email, then my work password, then go to my phone and enter the number that shows on my laptop into the authenticator app, then verify my fingerprint. there was a time openconnect would save my username and password even while anyconnect didn’t, but unfortunately that time has passed. once it finishes connecting you should see the lock icon on your wifi. disconnect either by deselecting the vpn the same way you selected it to connect or by shutting down the laptop.

= configuration =
== map caps lock key as insert ==
to remap capslock to insert for the entire machine, edit <code>/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc</code> as root, and set the <code>key <CAPS></code> line to:

key <CAPS> {[ Insert ]};

this takes effect on your next login. it doesn’t apply to rdp connections in remmina though, so be sure to also follow the instructions from earlier for mapping it there too.

== system settings ==
access system settings from the panel menu. they’re grouped into sections so i’m using those same groupings here. if i don’t list a settings option it’s because i don’t actually change anything in that one.

=== appearance ===
==== background ====
default background files are <code>/usr/share/backgrounds/</code>, so that’s where i put my own backgrounds. make a subdirectory if you want to rotate through backgrounds. this isn’t enough to make them automatically show in settings > background though, so use the add button (bottom left) to get that directory added, then select it and a background.

==== effects ====
i have all the effects turned on, and set new windows and close windows to fly while leaving minimize traditional.

==== themes ====
it defaulted to a dark theme, so i change the application and icon themes to a dark yaru one with the accent color i want. under settings i set dark mode to prefer dark mode and turn on icons for menus and buttons.

=== preferences ===
==== account details ====
similar to background files, avatars go in <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/faces/</code>. pretty sure adding your own avatars here makes them show in the list, most likely toward the bottom since the defaults mostly start with numbers. click the user picture and select your preferred avatar. choose browse for more pictures if it doesn't show.

==== applets ====
configure calendar to set custom date format to <code>%l:%M %p %a %b %-e </code> (with two trailing spaces) to take up less space and use 12-hour time. similarly set date format for tooltip to <code>%A, %B %e, %l:%M %p</code> to use 12-hour time. select corner bar and click the minus button at the bottom to remove it. configure menu to use a custom icon and label, then set icon to <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/icons/ubuntucinnamon-symbolic.png</code> and icon size to 28 to keep the same icon and clear the text so it doesn’t take up space. also turn on menu animations.

==== date & time ====
turn off 24 hour clock and display seconds.

==== desktop ====
turn off all the desktop icons.

=== hardware ===
==== mouse and touchpad ====
under touchpad, i turn off reverse scrolling direction so that two-finger touchpad scroll works like moving the scroll bar not moving the content.

==== power management ====
change power button behavior to nothing. my laptop's power button is placed where i can very easily hit it by accident when picking it up so i prefer that it ignores when that happens.

==== sound ====
one of the reasons i prefer linux on my laptop is the over-amplification setting. turn on overamplification at the bottom of the output tab, which is often handy running off built-in speakers.

=== administration ===
==== login window ====
i like to use my own background for the login screen. set that here and then turn off draw user background to have a login background all the time. set the themes as close as i can to the themes i picked in themes. under settings, change clock format to <code>%l:%M %p</code> for 12-hour format.

= remove software =
sudo apt remove deja-dup five-or-more four-in-a-row gnome-2048 gnome-chess gnome-klotski gnome-mahjongg gnome-mines gnome-nibbles gnome-robots gnome-sudoku gnome-taquin gnome-tetravex gnote gthumb hexchat hitori iagno lightsoff pidgin quadrapassel rhythmbox shotwell simple-scan swell-foop tali
sudo apt autoremove
sudo snap remove thunderbird

= install software =
here's some software i find useful to add:

sudo apt install 7zip gimp git handbrake jpegoptim pngquant prismlauncher puddletag rsgain xsane

== firefox ==
=== touch scroll zoom ===
while the touch screen makes most windows scroll, firefox selects text by default. to make a lasting change edit <code>/etc/security/pam_env.conf</code> and add a line (i add it to the end) with <code>MOZ_USE_XINPUT2 DEFAULT=0 OVERRIDE=1</code>. this should take effect on next login.

=== switch away from snap ===
ubuntu comes with firefox (and thunderbird) installed through snap, but i’ve had problems with it telling me firefox needs to update but can’t because it's running. found these instructions on [omgubuntu.co.uk](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2022/04/how-to-install-firefox-deb-apt-ubuntu-22-04) — start by running these commands to remove the snap firefox and the apt redirect to snap firefox, trust mozilla’s signing, and add a mozilla source.

sudo snap remove firefox
sudo apt remove firefox
wget -q https://packages.mozilla.org/apt/repo-signing-key.gpg -O- | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc > /dev/null
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc] https://packages.mozilla.org/apt mozilla main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mozilla.list > /dev/null

then set priority to the mozilla source and suppress ubuntu’s redirect to snap:

echo '
Package: *
Pin: origin packages.mozilla.org
Pin-Priority: 1000

Package: firefox*
Pin: release o=Ubuntu
Pin-Priority: -1' | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozilla

lastly, update to include the mozilla source and install that (now prioritized) firefox package:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install firefox

== steam ==
there’s a steam-installer in the repository but last i tried it failed to install. looking for a solution i found someone claiming the apt package is a redirect to snap, and snap just doesn’t work well (maybe it’s not mature enough). so instead, go to the steam website and download the installer from there. it gave me a file named steam_latest.deb. install it and dependencies with `sudo apt install ~/Downloads/steam_latest.deb` and then run steam to complete the installation and sign in to steam.

== visual studio code ==
visual studio code isn’t in the default apt repositories (it’s in snap but snap doesn’t update well), but downloading and installing the deb actually adds it to apt so it can keep updating. note the filename will probably change to whichever version is current, so for the last two lines press the tab key to autocomplete after you’ve typed “code”:

wget 'https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/download?build=stable&os=linux-deb-x64' --trust-server-names
sudo dpkg -i code_1.118.1-1777474985_amd64.deb
rm code_1.118.1-1777474985_amd64.deb

most of my code is on github, and while visual studio code comes with git support, it depends on git being available and that's not in the default ubuntu install:

sudo apt install git

== zoom ==
the official way to install zoom on ubuntu is to download the deb and install that, but it won’t auto-update and i end up having to manually update before every time i use it. instead, set up a custom archive that will update itself with everything else. start with installing apt-utils which is required but not in the default install as of 25.10:

sudo apt install apt-utils

next copy this into a script file (run <code>chmod +x install-zoom</code> assuming you’ve saved it as install-zoom) and run it:

#!/usr/bin/env bash

url=https://zoom.us/client/latest/zoom_amd64.deb
debdir=/usr/local/zoomdebs
aptconf=/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/100update_zoom
sourcelist=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/zoomdebs.list

sudo mkdir -p $debdir
( echo 'APT::Update::Pre-Invoke {"cd '$debdir' && wget -qN '$url' && apt-ftparchive packages . > Packages && apt-ftparchive release . > Release";};' | sudo tee $aptconf
echo 'deb [trusted=yes lang=none] file:'$debdir' ./' | sudo tee $sourcelist
) >/dev/null

sudo apt update
sudo apt install zoom

User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 26.04 Resolute Raccoon

2026-07-04T17:57:03Z

Misterhaan: /* install software */ add more simple installs

i use ubuntu cinnamon linux as my main operating system on my laptop. since the laptop came with windows 10 (which i upgraded to windows 11), i keep that around so i can choose windows on startup when i need one of the manufacturer’s utilities. these instructions are what i did when i installed ubuntu cinnamon 26.04 resolute raccoon on my laptop westinghouse.

choose language and keyboard, connect to wifi, then choose interactive installation. i start with ubuntu cinnamon desktop (minimized) so there’s less to uninstall. i do install third-party graphics and wifi as well as additional media formats. as an upgrade i choose to erase my previous ubuntu and install over that, but there’s also an install alongside option for the initial setup keeping windows around. i don’t use file encryption because i keep my important files on a server instead.

name the computer and set up your username and password, then choose your time zone and you should be ready to install!

= connections to other systems =
most of what i use my laptop for is connecting to other systems, including my home file shares. i set those up first so i have access to my files and the ability to connect to my home desktop and work computer right away.

== home server nfs shares ==
i have command-line ubuntu installed on a different computer at home that stores my files, so my laptop should mount its shares when i’m on my home network. i can’t just do a normal mount because if i travel with my laptop, my home server isn’t available and i have to wait for those connections to time out before it will finish booting. still, the first couple steps are the same as mounting the shares from a desktop:

# edit <code>/etc/hosts</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/hosts</code> and add a line mapping the lan ip of the server to its name. follow the format of the line that has 127.0.0.1 localhost. saving this change makes sure the laptop can resolve the name of the server, which usually doesn’t work without this step.
# install nfs support with <code>sudo apt install nfs-common</code>
# edit <code>/etc/fstab</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/fstab</code> and add a line for each nfs share to mount, in this format: <code>server:/nfs_share /local/mount/point nfs noexec,noauto 0 0</code>
# create the local mount points for each share (the second column in fstab) with a command like <code>sudo mkdir /local/mount/point</code>
# create a new file as root in <code>/etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/</code> and enter the following code (make sure to put in your ssid and your actual mount points), then set its permissions to rwxr-xr-x with <code>chmod 755 /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/nfs-mount</code>:

#!/bin/bash
SSID="your-wifi-ssid"
INTERFACE=$1
ACTION=$2
ESSID=`nmcli -t -f active,ssid dev wifi | egrep '^yes' | cut -d: -f2`

if [ "$SSID" == "$ESSID" ] && [ "$ACTION" == "up" ]; then
mount /local/mount/point/one
mount /local/mount/point/two
fi

the network shares should be mounted whenever connecting to the wifi SSID. the <code>noauto</code> in fstab tells the system not to attempt to mount those shares on startup, so it doesn’t have to wait for that to fail when they’re not available. the NetworkManager script makes sure to mount them once connected to the correct wifi, but if you’re going to connect to your network with a cable it won’t see the ssid and you’ll need to issue the mount commands manually.

=== change user id ===
ubuntu uses 1000 as the id for the user it creates, but i have a different id on my server and they need to match up for nfs to know who i am. you can’t change your user id while you’re logged in, so i’ll create another admin account temporarily and use that. do that and set a password with the following:

sudo useradd -G adm,sudo -m -s /bin/bash tempadmin
sudo passwd tempadmin

now log out and you should be able to log back in as tempadmin with the password you just set, though it may be necessary to restart if it tells you your original user is in use by a process (which it’s been doing to me with this process for a few years now). run the following command to change your user id and update automounting:

sudo usermod -u [new_ID] [username]
sudo setfacl -m "u:[username]:r-x" /media/
sudo setfacl -x "u:1000" /media/

now we just need to get rid of tempadmin, so log out and log back in as your actual user. run <code>sudo userdel tempadmin</code> to go back to just one user. again, restart seems to be necessary as logging out doesn’t end all processes for the user.

== remote control ==
remmina is back in the default install as of 23.10 and works great to connect to my home desktop using vnc (i use tightvnc server on windows 11 there). it is simple to install it though if it wasn’t there for you:

sudo apt install remmina

i create two connections for my home desktop — one that uses my lan ip and another that uses the subdomain i keep mapped to my internet ip. both use remmina vnc plugin for the protocol and specify [ip]:[port] or [subdomain]:[port] since i use a custom vnc port. username can be left blank, and user password can save my connection password. setting the password means if someone else got access to my laptop they could also access my desktop, so be sure to weigh the convenience against security for your situation.

i connect to my work computer over rdp, which i also do through remmina. create a new connection leaving the protocol on the default of RDP - Remote Desktop Protocol and set the server, username, password, and domain for the connection. switch to the advanced tab and change audio output mode to local to get both the speakers and microphone to work. toward the bottom, you might need to check the box to ignore certificate because when i installed this version it still wouldn’t trust my work computer’s certificate after it asked me about it and i said to trust it. save the connection. on the first connection (we’ll need to set up and connect to vpn first), it asks to accept a certificate for the machine.

in remmina preferences i turn off the setting that prevents screenshots from entering clipboard. then under applet, check the box to start in tray upon user login (if it’s not already checked). under keyboard i remove the host key since i commonly use the right control key for normal keyboard shortcuts, and i don’t really need to give up another key for remmina shortcuts i don’t remember anyway. under rdp, map the caps lock key to insert by entering 0x3a=0x52 for keyboard scancode remapping (needs to be done separately from mapping it locally because rdp doesn’t care about local mappings even when i check the box to use client keyboard mapping).

== work vpn ==
my job provides cisco anyconnect vpn for me to connect remotely, but thankfully it’s compatible with openconnect which is *much* easier to use and integrates with the network manager built into ubuntu. install openconnect with its network manager integration and its editor (gnome is the name of the desktop environment ubuntu uses, even for cinnamon):

sudo apt install network-manager-openconnect-gnome

now go to the network icon in the panel (lower right, probably looks like wifi), click it, and choose "Network Connections." add a new connection using the plus button in the lower left of that window, and choose "Cisco AnyConnect or OpenConnect (OpenConnect)" from under the VPN heading. give it a name (i use the company name) and enter the vpn server as the gateway (something like vpn.example.com). the vpn protocol should already be set to "cisco anyconnect or openconnect" from the earlier choice. set user agent to "AnyConnect" so it won't give a 404 error trying to connect. i also needed to go to the ipv6 settings tab and disable it because otherwise my remote desktop connection fails. save the connection.

now, just under the list of available SSIDs in the network menu it will show "VPN Connections" with a toggle next to it. select this to connect. i have to click the login button in the window that pops up, then enter my work email, then my work password, then go to my phone and enter the number that shows on my laptop into the authenticator app, then verify my fingerprint. there was a time openconnect would save my username and password even while anyconnect didn’t, but unfortunately that time has passed. once it finishes connecting you should see the lock icon on your wifi. disconnect either by deselecting the vpn the same way you selected it to connect or by shutting down the laptop.

= configuration =
== map caps lock key as insert ==
to remap capslock to insert for the entire machine, edit <code>/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc</code> as root, and set the <code>key <CAPS></code> line to:

key <CAPS> {[ Insert ]};

this takes effect on your next login. it doesn’t apply to rdp connections in remmina though, so be sure to also follow the instructions from earlier for mapping it there too.

== system settings ==
access system settings from the panel menu. they’re grouped into sections so i’m using those same groupings here. if i don’t list a settings option it’s because i don’t actually change anything in that one.

=== appearance ===
==== background ====
default background files are <code>/usr/share/backgrounds/</code>, so that’s where i put my own backgrounds. make a subdirectory if you want to rotate through backgrounds. this isn’t enough to make them automatically show in settings > background though, so use the add button (bottom left) to get that directory added, then select it and a background.

==== effects ====
i have all the effects turned on, and set new windows and close windows to fly while leaving minimize traditional.

==== themes ====
it defaulted to a dark theme, so i change the application and icon themes to a dark yaru one with the accent color i want. under settings i set dark mode to prefer dark mode and turn on icons for menus and buttons.

=== preferences ===
==== account details ====
similar to background files, avatars go in <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/faces/</code>. pretty sure adding your own avatars here makes them show in the list, most likely toward the bottom since the defaults mostly start with numbers. click the user picture and select your preferred avatar. choose browse for more pictures if it doesn't show.

==== applets ====
configure calendar to set custom date format to <code>%l:%M %p %a %b %-e </code> (with two trailing spaces) to take up less space and use 12-hour time. similarly set date format for tooltip to <code>%A, %B %e, %l:%M %p</code> to use 12-hour time. select corner bar and click the minus button at the bottom to remove it. configure menu to use a custom icon and label, then set icon to <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/icons/ubuntucinnamon-symbolic.png</code> and icon size to 28 to keep the same icon and clear the text so it doesn’t take up space. also turn on menu animations.

==== date & time ====
turn off 24 hour clock and display seconds.

==== desktop ====
turn off all the desktop icons.

=== hardware ===
==== mouse and touchpad ====
under touchpad, i turn off reverse scrolling direction so that two-finger touchpad scroll works like moving the scroll bar not moving the content.

==== power management ====
change power button behavior to nothing. my laptop's power button is placed where i can very easily hit it by accident when picking it up so i prefer that it ignores when that happens.

==== sound ====
one of the reasons i prefer linux on my laptop is the over-amplification setting. turn on overamplification at the bottom of the output tab, which is often handy running off built-in speakers.

=== administration ===
==== login window ====
i like to use my own background for the login screen. set that here and then turn off draw user background to have a login background all the time. set the themes as close as i can to the themes i picked in themes. under settings, change clock format to <code>%l:%M %p</code> for 12-hour format.

= remove software =
sudo apt remove deja-dup five-or-more four-in-a-row gnome-2048 gnome-chess gnome-klotski gnome-mahjongg gnome-mines gnome-nibbles gnome-robots gnome-sudoku gnome-taquin gnome-tetravex gnote gthumb hexchat hitori iagno pidgin quadrapassel rhythmbox shotwell simple-scan swell-foop tali
sudo apt autoremove
sudo snap remove thunderbird

= install software =
here's some software i find useful to add:

sudo apt install 7zip gimp git handbrake jpegoptim pngquant prismlauncher puddletag rsgain xsane

== firefox ==
=== touch scroll zoom ===
while the touch screen makes most windows scroll, firefox selects text by default. to make a lasting change edit <code>/etc/security/pam_env.conf</code> and add a line (i add it to the end) with <code>MOZ_USE_XINPUT2 DEFAULT=0 OVERRIDE=1</code>. this should take effect on next login.

=== switch away from snap ===
ubuntu comes with firefox (and thunderbird) installed through snap, but i’ve had problems with it telling me firefox needs to update but can’t because it's running. found these instructions on [omgubuntu.co.uk](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2022/04/how-to-install-firefox-deb-apt-ubuntu-22-04) — start by running these commands to remove the snap firefox and the apt redirect to snap firefox, trust mozilla’s signing, and add a mozilla source.

sudo snap remove firefox
sudo apt remove firefox
wget -q https://packages.mozilla.org/apt/repo-signing-key.gpg -O- | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc > /dev/null
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc] https://packages.mozilla.org/apt mozilla main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mozilla.list > /dev/null

then set priority to the mozilla source and suppress ubuntu’s redirect to snap:

echo '
Package: *
Pin: origin packages.mozilla.org
Pin-Priority: 1000

Package: firefox*
Pin: release o=Ubuntu
Pin-Priority: -1' | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozilla

lastly, update to include the mozilla source and install that (now prioritized) firefox package:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install firefox

== steam ==
there’s a steam-installer in the repository but last i tried it failed to install. looking for a solution i found someone claiming the apt package is a redirect to snap, and snap just doesn’t work well (maybe it’s not mature enough). so instead, go to the steam website and download the installer from there. it gave me a file named steam_latest.deb. install it and dependencies with `sudo apt install ~/Downloads/steam_latest.deb` and then run steam to complete the installation and sign in to steam.

== visual studio code ==
visual studio code isn’t in the default apt repositories (it’s in snap but snap doesn’t update well), but downloading and installing the deb actually adds it to apt so it can keep updating. note the filename will probably change to whichever version is current, so for the last two lines press the tab key to autocomplete after you’ve typed “code”:

wget 'https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/download?build=stable&os=linux-deb-x64' --trust-server-names
sudo dpkg -i code_1.118.1-1777474985_amd64.deb
rm code_1.118.1-1777474985_amd64.deb

most of my code is on github, and while visual studio code comes with git support, it depends on git being available and that's not in the default ubuntu install:

sudo apt install git

== zoom ==
the official way to install zoom on ubuntu is to download the deb and install that, but it won’t auto-update and i end up having to manually update before every time i use it. instead, set up a custom archive that will update itself with everything else. start with installing apt-utils which is required but not in the default install as of 25.10:

sudo apt install apt-utils

next copy this into a script file (run <code>chmod +x install-zoom</code> assuming you’ve saved it as install-zoom) and run it:

#!/usr/bin/env bash

url=https://zoom.us/client/latest/zoom_amd64.deb
debdir=/usr/local/zoomdebs
aptconf=/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/100update_zoom
sourcelist=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/zoomdebs.list

sudo mkdir -p $debdir
( echo 'APT::Update::Pre-Invoke {"cd '$debdir' && wget -qN '$url' && apt-ftparchive packages . > Packages && apt-ftparchive release . > Release";};' | sudo tee $aptconf
echo 'deb [trusted=yes lang=none] file:'$debdir' ./' | sudo tee $sourcelist
) >/dev/null

sudo apt update
sudo apt install zoom

User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 26.04 Resolute Raccoon

2026-06-23T14:38:32Z

Misterhaan: /* visual studio code */ need git

i use ubuntu cinnamon linux as my main operating system on my laptop. since the laptop came with windows 10 (which i upgraded to windows 11), i keep that around so i can choose windows on startup when i need one of the manufacturer’s utilities. these instructions are what i did when i installed ubuntu cinnamon 26.04 resolute raccoon on my laptop westinghouse.

choose language and keyboard, connect to wifi, then choose interactive installation. i start with ubuntu cinnamon desktop (minimized) so there’s less to uninstall. i do install third-party graphics and wifi as well as additional media formats. as an upgrade i choose to erase my previous ubuntu and install over that, but there’s also an install alongside option for the initial setup keeping windows around. i don’t use file encryption because i keep my important files on a server instead.

name the computer and set up your username and password, then choose your time zone and you should be ready to install!

= connections to other systems =
most of what i use my laptop for is connecting to other systems, including my home file shares. i set those up first so i have access to my files and the ability to connect to my home desktop and work computer right away.

== home server nfs shares ==
i have command-line ubuntu installed on a different computer at home that stores my files, so my laptop should mount its shares when i’m on my home network. i can’t just do a normal mount because if i travel with my laptop, my home server isn’t available and i have to wait for those connections to time out before it will finish booting. still, the first couple steps are the same as mounting the shares from a desktop:

# edit <code>/etc/hosts</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/hosts</code> and add a line mapping the lan ip of the server to its name. follow the format of the line that has 127.0.0.1 localhost. saving this change makes sure the laptop can resolve the name of the server, which usually doesn’t work without this step.
# install nfs support with <code>sudo apt install nfs-common</code>
# edit <code>/etc/fstab</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/fstab</code> and add a line for each nfs share to mount, in this format: <code>server:/nfs_share /local/mount/point nfs noexec,noauto 0 0</code>
# create the local mount points for each share (the second column in fstab) with a command like <code>sudo mkdir /local/mount/point</code>
# create a new file as root in <code>/etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/</code> and enter the following code (make sure to put in your ssid and your actual mount points), then set its permissions to rwxr-xr-x with <code>chmod 755 /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/nfs-mount</code>:

#!/bin/bash
SSID="your-wifi-ssid"
INTERFACE=$1
ACTION=$2
ESSID=`nmcli -t -f active,ssid dev wifi | egrep '^yes' | cut -d: -f2`

if [ "$SSID" == "$ESSID" ] && [ "$ACTION" == "up" ]; then
mount /local/mount/point/one
mount /local/mount/point/two
fi

the network shares should be mounted whenever connecting to the wifi SSID. the <code>noauto</code> in fstab tells the system not to attempt to mount those shares on startup, so it doesn’t have to wait for that to fail when they’re not available. the NetworkManager script makes sure to mount them once connected to the correct wifi, but if you’re going to connect to your network with a cable it won’t see the ssid and you’ll need to issue the mount commands manually.

=== change user id ===
ubuntu uses 1000 as the id for the user it creates, but i have a different id on my server and they need to match up for nfs to know who i am. you can’t change your user id while you’re logged in, so i’ll create another admin account temporarily and use that. do that and set a password with the following:

sudo useradd -G adm,sudo -m -s /bin/bash tempadmin
sudo passwd tempadmin

now log out and you should be able to log back in as tempadmin with the password you just set, though it may be necessary to restart if it tells you your original user is in use by a process (which it’s been doing to me with this process for a few years now). run the following command to change your user id and update automounting:

sudo usermod -u [new_ID] [username]
sudo setfacl -m "u:[username]:r-x" /media/
sudo setfacl -x "u:1000" /media/

now we just need to get rid of tempadmin, so log out and log back in as your actual user. run <code>sudo userdel tempadmin</code> to go back to just one user. again, restart seems to be necessary as logging out doesn’t end all processes for the user.

== remote control ==
remmina is back in the default install as of 23.10 and works great to connect to my home desktop using vnc (i use tightvnc server on windows 11 there). it is simple to install it though if it wasn’t there for you:

sudo apt install remmina

i create two connections for my home desktop — one that uses my lan ip and another that uses the subdomain i keep mapped to my internet ip. both use remmina vnc plugin for the protocol and specify [ip]:[port] or [subdomain]:[port] since i use a custom vnc port. username can be left blank, and user password can save my connection password. setting the password means if someone else got access to my laptop they could also access my desktop, so be sure to weigh the convenience against security for your situation.

i connect to my work computer over rdp, which i also do through remmina. create a new connection leaving the protocol on the default of RDP - Remote Desktop Protocol and set the server, username, password, and domain for the connection. switch to the advanced tab and change audio output mode to local to get both the speakers and microphone to work. toward the bottom, you might need to check the box to ignore certificate because when i installed this version it still wouldn’t trust my work computer’s certificate after it asked me about it and i said to trust it. save the connection. on the first connection (we’ll need to set up and connect to vpn first), it asks to accept a certificate for the machine.

in remmina preferences i turn off the setting that prevents screenshots from entering clipboard. then under applet, check the box to start in tray upon user login (if it’s not already checked). under keyboard i remove the host key since i commonly use the right control key for normal keyboard shortcuts, and i don’t really need to give up another key for remmina shortcuts i don’t remember anyway. under rdp, map the caps lock key to insert by entering 0x3a=0x52 for keyboard scancode remapping (needs to be done separately from mapping it locally because rdp doesn’t care about local mappings even when i check the box to use client keyboard mapping).

== work vpn ==
my job provides cisco anyconnect vpn for me to connect remotely, but thankfully it’s compatible with openconnect which is *much* easier to use and integrates with the network manager built into ubuntu. install openconnect with its network manager integration and its editor (gnome is the name of the desktop environment ubuntu uses, even for cinnamon):

sudo apt install network-manager-openconnect-gnome

now go to the network icon in the panel (lower right, probably looks like wifi), click it, and choose "Network Connections." add a new connection using the plus button in the lower left of that window, and choose "Cisco AnyConnect or OpenConnect (OpenConnect)" from under the VPN heading. give it a name (i use the company name) and enter the vpn server as the gateway (something like vpn.example.com). the vpn protocol should already be set to "cisco anyconnect or openconnect" from the earlier choice. set user agent to "AnyConnect" so it won't give a 404 error trying to connect. i also needed to go to the ipv6 settings tab and disable it because otherwise my remote desktop connection fails. save the connection.

now, just under the list of available SSIDs in the network menu it will show "VPN Connections" with a toggle next to it. select this to connect. i have to click the login button in the window that pops up, then enter my work email, then my work password, then go to my phone and enter the number that shows on my laptop into the authenticator app, then verify my fingerprint. there was a time openconnect would save my username and password even while anyconnect didn’t, but unfortunately that time has passed. once it finishes connecting you should see the lock icon on your wifi. disconnect either by deselecting the vpn the same way you selected it to connect or by shutting down the laptop.

= configuration =
== map caps lock key as insert ==
to remap capslock to insert for the entire machine, edit <code>/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc</code> as root, and set the <code>key <CAPS></code> line to:

key <CAPS> {[ Insert ]};

this takes effect on your next login. it doesn’t apply to rdp connections in remmina though, so be sure to also follow the instructions from earlier for mapping it there too.

== system settings ==
access system settings from the panel menu. they’re grouped into sections so i’m using those same groupings here. if i don’t list a settings option it’s because i don’t actually change anything in that one.

=== appearance ===
==== background ====
default background files are <code>/usr/share/backgrounds/</code>, so that’s where i put my own backgrounds. make a subdirectory if you want to rotate through backgrounds. this isn’t enough to make them automatically show in settings > background though, so use the add button (bottom left) to get that directory added, then select it and a background.

==== effects ====
i have all the effects turned on, and set new windows and close windows to fly while leaving minimize traditional.

==== themes ====
it defaulted to a dark theme, so i change the application and icon themes to a dark yaru one with the accent color i want. under settings i set dark mode to prefer dark mode and turn on icons for menus and buttons.

=== preferences ===
==== account details ====
similar to background files, avatars go in <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/faces/</code>. pretty sure adding your own avatars here makes them show in the list, most likely toward the bottom since the defaults mostly start with numbers. click the user picture and select your preferred avatar. choose browse for more pictures if it doesn't show.

==== applets ====
configure calendar to set custom date format to <code>%l:%M %p %a %b %-e </code> (with two trailing spaces) to take up less space and use 12-hour time. similarly set date format for tooltip to <code>%A, %B %e, %l:%M %p</code> to use 12-hour time. select corner bar and click the minus button at the bottom to remove it. configure menu to use a custom icon and label, then set icon to <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/icons/ubuntucinnamon-symbolic.png</code> and icon size to 28 to keep the same icon and clear the text so it doesn’t take up space. also turn on menu animations.

==== date & time ====
turn off 24 hour clock and display seconds.

==== desktop ====
turn off all the desktop icons.

=== hardware ===
==== mouse and touchpad ====
under touchpad, i turn off reverse scrolling direction so that two-finger touchpad scroll works like moving the scroll bar not moving the content.

==== power management ====
change power button behavior to nothing. my laptop's power button is placed where i can very easily hit it by accident when picking it up so i prefer that it ignores when that happens.

==== sound ====
one of the reasons i prefer linux on my laptop is the over-amplification setting. turn on overamplification at the bottom of the output tab, which is often handy running off built-in speakers.

=== administration ===
==== login window ====
i like to use my own background for the login screen. set that here and then turn off draw user background to have a login background all the time. set the themes as close as i can to the themes i picked in themes. under settings, change clock format to <code>%l:%M %p</code> for 12-hour format.

= remove software =
sudo apt remove deja-dup five-or-more four-in-a-row gnome-2048 gnome-chess gnome-klotski gnome-mahjongg gnome-mines gnome-nibbles gnome-robots gnome-sudoku gnome-taquin gnome-tetravex gnote gthumb hexchat hitori iagno pidgin quadrapassel rhythmbox shotwell simple-scan swell-foop tali
sudo apt autoremove
sudo snap remove thunderbird

= install software =
here's some software i find useful to add:

sudo apt install gimp puddletag xsane

== firefox ==
=== touch scroll zoom ===
while the touch screen makes most windows scroll, firefox selects text by default. to make a lasting change edit <code>/etc/security/pam_env.conf</code> and add a line (i add it to the end) with <code>MOZ_USE_XINPUT2 DEFAULT=0 OVERRIDE=1</code>. this should take effect on next login.

=== switch away from snap ===
ubuntu comes with firefox (and thunderbird) installed through snap, but i’ve had problems with it telling me firefox needs to update but can’t because it's running. found these instructions on [omgubuntu.co.uk](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2022/04/how-to-install-firefox-deb-apt-ubuntu-22-04) — start by running these commands to remove the snap firefox and the apt redirect to snap firefox, trust mozilla’s signing, and add a mozilla source.

sudo snap remove firefox
sudo apt remove firefox
wget -q https://packages.mozilla.org/apt/repo-signing-key.gpg -O- | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc > /dev/null
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc] https://packages.mozilla.org/apt mozilla main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mozilla.list > /dev/null

then set priority to the mozilla source and suppress ubuntu’s redirect to snap:

echo '
Package: *
Pin: origin packages.mozilla.org
Pin-Priority: 1000

Package: firefox*
Pin: release o=Ubuntu
Pin-Priority: -1' | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozilla

lastly, update to include the mozilla source and install that (now prioritized) firefox package:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install firefox

== steam ==
there’s a steam-installer in the repository but last i tried it failed to install. looking for a solution i found someone claiming the apt package is a redirect to snap, and snap just doesn’t work well (maybe it’s not mature enough). so instead, go to the steam website and download the installer from there. it gave me a file named steam_latest.deb. install it and dependencies with `sudo apt install ~/Downloads/steam_latest.deb` and then run steam to complete the installation and sign in to steam.

== visual studio code ==
visual studio code isn’t in the default apt repositories (it’s in snap but snap doesn’t update well), but downloading and installing the deb actually adds it to apt so it can keep updating. note the filename will probably change to whichever version is current, so for the last two lines press the tab key to autocomplete after you’ve typed “code”:

wget 'https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/download?build=stable&os=linux-deb-x64' --trust-server-names
sudo dpkg -i code_1.118.1-1777474985_amd64.deb
rm code_1.118.1-1777474985_amd64.deb

most of my code is on github, and while visual studio code comes with git support, it depends on git being available and that's not in the default ubuntu install:

sudo apt install git

== zoom ==
the official way to install zoom on ubuntu is to download the deb and install that, but it won’t auto-update and i end up having to manually update before every time i use it. instead, set up a custom archive that will update itself with everything else. start with installing apt-utils which is required but not in the default install as of 25.10:

sudo apt install apt-utils

next copy this into a script file (run <code>chmod +x install-zoom</code> assuming you’ve saved it as install-zoom) and run it:

#!/usr/bin/env bash

url=https://zoom.us/client/latest/zoom_amd64.deb
debdir=/usr/local/zoomdebs
aptconf=/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/100update_zoom
sourcelist=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/zoomdebs.list

sudo mkdir -p $debdir
( echo 'APT::Update::Pre-Invoke {"cd '$debdir' && wget -qN '$url' && apt-ftparchive packages . > Packages && apt-ftparchive release . > Release";};' | sudo tee $aptconf
echo 'deb [trusted=yes lang=none] file:'$debdir' ./' | sudo tee $sourcelist
) >/dev/null

sudo apt update
sudo apt install zoom

User:Misterhaan

2026-06-21T22:24:12Z

Misterhaan:

I’m misterhaan, the owner of [http://www.track7.org/ track7], which includes auWiki. I wrote everything here so far (there are no [[Special:Listusers|other users]] yet!).

My own notes which may someday appear on track7 somewhere (mostly in the [http://www.track7.org/geek/guides/ guides / tips section]):
* [[/Nuvexport Tweaks|Nuvexport Tweaks]]
* [[User:Misterhaan/Linux Over Windows Dual Boot|Linux Over Windows Dual Boot]]
* [[User:Misterhaan/Dual Booting Ubuntu and Vista|Dual Booting Ubuntu and Vista]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 10 Setup|Windows 10 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 8.1 Setup|Windows 8.1 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 8 Setup|Windows 8 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 7 Setup|Windows 7 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Vista Setup|Vista Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Linux Client Setup|Linux Client Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 26.04 Resolute Raccoon|Ubuntu 26.04 Resolute Raccoon]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 25.10 Questing Quokka Setup|Ubuntu 25.10 Questing Quokka Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 25.04 Plucky Puffin Setup|Ubuntu 25.04 Plucky Puffin Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 24.10 Oracular Oriole Setup|Ubuntu 24.10 Oracular Oriole Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 24.04 Noble Numbat Setup|Ubuntu 24.04 Noble Numbat Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 23.10 Mantic Minotaur Setup|Ubuntu 23.10 Mantic Minotaur Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 23.04 Lunar Lobster Setup|Ubuntu 23.04 Lunar Lobster Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 22.10 Kinetic Kudu Setup|Ubuntu 22.10 Kinetic Kudu Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy Jellyfish Setup|Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy Jellyfish Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Linux Virtual Machine Setup|Linux Virtual Machine Setup]]
* [[/Basic Ubuntu Setup]]
** [[/HTPC Setup]]
* [[User:Misterhaan/Dreamhost SVN Setup|Dreamhost SVN Setup]]

These reviews are for adventures made in Spore Galactic Adventures, which I am slowly posting on the Spore forums.
* [[User:Misterhaan/HUAR|HUAR]]

User:Misterhaan/Linux Over Windows Dual Boot

2026-06-21T22:24:04Z

Misterhaan: Created page with "i prefer linux over windows, but sometimes need windows for access to device settings or the rare application that doesn't work in linux. this guide covers how i set up my computers to usually run linux but also give me an option to boot into windows instead. = partitions = each operating system needs its own section of disk, which is called a partition. with linux as the primary, i'm going to dedicate most of the space to that, with windows taking what's left...."

i prefer linux over windows, but sometimes need windows for access to device settings or the rare application that doesn't work in linux. this guide covers how i set up my computers to usually run linux but also give me an option to boot into windows instead.

= partitions =

each operating system needs its own section of disk, which is called a partition. with linux as the primary, i'm going to dedicate most of the space to that, with windows taking what's left.

= make room for linux =
i'm assuming you want to dual boot ubuntu and windows because you already have windows on your computer and want to try linux. that usually means your disk is set up for windows only, and you're going to need room to install linux separately (different partitions).

make sure you have enough disk space. it's hard to say how much that is, but you're not going to be able to install linux over the top of windows' files, so make sure the free space you have on windows is enough to get started on linux. you can uninstall programs you plan to use only on linux going forward, or use other ways to reclaim space. also make sure fast boot and bitlocker are off so the windows partition won't show locked / in use. leaving them this way also give you the option to mount your windows partition in linux.

download the latest ubuntu cinnamon desktop iso and the rufus usb utility. run rufus and use it to copy the iso to a usb drive. back up any essential information from windows because we're about to rearrange the disk. i haven't lost any data doing this, but if the power goes out in the middle or something else goes wrong it is possible. when you're ready, boot the ubuntu usb drive and choose try or install ubuntu.

it's not time to install yet -- we need to resize and (optionally) move the windows partition first. run gparted from the menu (easiest to find if you search it). it will probably select the disk with windows on it and show its partition(s) across the top. if not, you can find the disk in the upper right and switch to it. the largest partition is the one we're going to shrink and (optionally) move. select it and choose resize/move from the toolbar or context menu. i moved my windows partition down so the linux partition would be earlier on the disk by putting the size i wanted for the linux partition in the free space preceding box, leaving free space following at zero. you can save time by leaving windows where it is and making free space for linux following instead. after accepting this popup you need to actually apply the changes, which are going to take over an hour even with a fast nvme drive. once it's done you can reboot and windows should come up like nothing happened, except less total and free space on the C drive.

= install ubuntu cinnamon =
now you want the install ubuntu cinnamon icon from the desktop. choose your basic settings, which should mostly make sense to you. choose your keyboard layout and set up your internet connection. i like to choose the minimized installation so there isn't as much for me to remove. check both boxes for third-party software and support for media formats. the important part comes up next -- disk setup. you want the one to install ubuntu alongside windows. erasing the disk will lose your windows install and waste the partition work from earlier. you probably don't want manual or you wouldn't need a guide. i don't use encryption or advanced file system options. for my desktop i uncheck require my password to log in.

User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 26.04 Resolute Raccoon

2026-06-21T21:33:48Z

Misterhaan: /* remove software */ found more stuff to remove

i use ubuntu cinnamon linux as my main operating system on my laptop. since the laptop came with windows 10 (which i upgraded to windows 11), i keep that around so i can choose windows on startup when i need one of the manufacturer’s utilities. these instructions are what i did when i installed ubuntu cinnamon 26.04 resolute raccoon on my laptop westinghouse.

choose language and keyboard, connect to wifi, then choose interactive installation. i start with ubuntu cinnamon desktop (minimized) so there’s less to uninstall. i do install third-party graphics and wifi as well as additional media formats. as an upgrade i choose to erase my previous ubuntu and install over that, but there’s also an install alongside option for the initial setup keeping windows around. i don’t use file encryption because i keep my important files on a server instead.

name the computer and set up your username and password, then choose your time zone and you should be ready to install!

= connections to other systems =
most of what i use my laptop for is connecting to other systems, including my home file shares. i set those up first so i have access to my files and the ability to connect to my home desktop and work computer right away.

== home server nfs shares ==
i have command-line ubuntu installed on a different computer at home that stores my files, so my laptop should mount its shares when i’m on my home network. i can’t just do a normal mount because if i travel with my laptop, my home server isn’t available and i have to wait for those connections to time out before it will finish booting. still, the first couple steps are the same as mounting the shares from a desktop:

# edit <code>/etc/hosts</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/hosts</code> and add a line mapping the lan ip of the server to its name. follow the format of the line that has 127.0.0.1 localhost. saving this change makes sure the laptop can resolve the name of the server, which usually doesn’t work without this step.
# install nfs support with <code>sudo apt install nfs-common</code>
# edit <code>/etc/fstab</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/fstab</code> and add a line for each nfs share to mount, in this format: <code>server:/nfs_share /local/mount/point nfs noexec,noauto 0 0</code>
# create the local mount points for each share (the second column in fstab) with a command like <code>sudo mkdir /local/mount/point</code>
# create a new file as root in <code>/etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/</code> and enter the following code (make sure to put in your ssid and your actual mount points), then set its permissions to rwxr-xr-x with <code>chmod 755 /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/nfs-mount</code>:

#!/bin/bash
SSID="your-wifi-ssid"
INTERFACE=$1
ACTION=$2
ESSID=`nmcli -t -f active,ssid dev wifi | egrep '^yes' | cut -d: -f2`

if [ "$SSID" == "$ESSID" ] && [ "$ACTION" == "up" ]; then
mount /local/mount/point/one
mount /local/mount/point/two
fi

the network shares should be mounted whenever connecting to the wifi SSID. the <code>noauto</code> in fstab tells the system not to attempt to mount those shares on startup, so it doesn’t have to wait for that to fail when they’re not available. the NetworkManager script makes sure to mount them once connected to the correct wifi, but if you’re going to connect to your network with a cable it won’t see the ssid and you’ll need to issue the mount commands manually.

=== change user id ===
ubuntu uses 1000 as the id for the user it creates, but i have a different id on my server and they need to match up for nfs to know who i am. you can’t change your user id while you’re logged in, so i’ll create another admin account temporarily and use that. do that and set a password with the following:

sudo useradd -G adm,sudo -m -s /bin/bash tempadmin
sudo passwd tempadmin

now log out and you should be able to log back in as tempadmin with the password you just set, though it may be necessary to restart if it tells you your original user is in use by a process (which it’s been doing to me with this process for a few years now). run the following command to change your user id and update automounting:

sudo usermod -u [new_ID] [username]
sudo setfacl -m "u:[username]:r-x" /media/
sudo setfacl -x "u:1000" /media/

now we just need to get rid of tempadmin, so log out and log back in as your actual user. run <code>sudo userdel tempadmin</code> to go back to just one user. again, restart seems to be necessary as logging out doesn’t end all processes for the user.

== remote control ==
remmina is back in the default install as of 23.10 and works great to connect to my home desktop using vnc (i use tightvnc server on windows 11 there). it is simple to install it though if it wasn’t there for you:

sudo apt install remmina

i create two connections for my home desktop — one that uses my lan ip and another that uses the subdomain i keep mapped to my internet ip. both use remmina vnc plugin for the protocol and specify [ip]:[port] or [subdomain]:[port] since i use a custom vnc port. username can be left blank, and user password can save my connection password. setting the password means if someone else got access to my laptop they could also access my desktop, so be sure to weigh the convenience against security for your situation.

i connect to my work computer over rdp, which i also do through remmina. create a new connection leaving the protocol on the default of RDP - Remote Desktop Protocol and set the server, username, password, and domain for the connection. switch to the advanced tab and change audio output mode to local to get both the speakers and microphone to work. toward the bottom, you might need to check the box to ignore certificate because when i installed this version it still wouldn’t trust my work computer’s certificate after it asked me about it and i said to trust it. save the connection. on the first connection (we’ll need to set up and connect to vpn first), it asks to accept a certificate for the machine.

in remmina preferences i turn off the setting that prevents screenshots from entering clipboard. then under applet, check the box to start in tray upon user login (if it’s not already checked). under keyboard i remove the host key since i commonly use the right control key for normal keyboard shortcuts, and i don’t really need to give up another key for remmina shortcuts i don’t remember anyway. under rdp, map the caps lock key to insert by entering 0x3a=0x52 for keyboard scancode remapping (needs to be done separately from mapping it locally because rdp doesn’t care about local mappings even when i check the box to use client keyboard mapping).

== work vpn ==
my job provides cisco anyconnect vpn for me to connect remotely, but thankfully it’s compatible with openconnect which is *much* easier to use and integrates with the network manager built into ubuntu. install openconnect with its network manager integration and its editor (gnome is the name of the desktop environment ubuntu uses, even for cinnamon):

sudo apt install network-manager-openconnect-gnome

now go to the network icon in the panel (lower right, probably looks like wifi), click it, and choose "Network Connections." add a new connection using the plus button in the lower left of that window, and choose "Cisco AnyConnect or OpenConnect (OpenConnect)" from under the VPN heading. give it a name (i use the company name) and enter the vpn server as the gateway (something like vpn.example.com). the vpn protocol should already be set to "cisco anyconnect or openconnect" from the earlier choice. set user agent to "AnyConnect" so it won't give a 404 error trying to connect. i also needed to go to the ipv6 settings tab and disable it because otherwise my remote desktop connection fails. save the connection.

now, just under the list of available SSIDs in the network menu it will show "VPN Connections" with a toggle next to it. select this to connect. i have to click the login button in the window that pops up, then enter my work email, then my work password, then go to my phone and enter the number that shows on my laptop into the authenticator app, then verify my fingerprint. there was a time openconnect would save my username and password even while anyconnect didn’t, but unfortunately that time has passed. once it finishes connecting you should see the lock icon on your wifi. disconnect either by deselecting the vpn the same way you selected it to connect or by shutting down the laptop.

= configuration =
== map caps lock key as insert ==
to remap capslock to insert for the entire machine, edit <code>/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc</code> as root, and set the <code>key <CAPS></code> line to:

key <CAPS> {[ Insert ]};

this takes effect on your next login. it doesn’t apply to rdp connections in remmina though, so be sure to also follow the instructions from earlier for mapping it there too.

== system settings ==
access system settings from the panel menu. they’re grouped into sections so i’m using those same groupings here. if i don’t list a settings option it’s because i don’t actually change anything in that one.

=== appearance ===
==== background ====
default background files are <code>/usr/share/backgrounds/</code>, so that’s where i put my own backgrounds. make a subdirectory if you want to rotate through backgrounds. this isn’t enough to make them automatically show in settings > background though, so use the add button (bottom left) to get that directory added, then select it and a background.

==== effects ====
i have all the effects turned on, and set new windows and close windows to fly while leaving minimize traditional.

==== themes ====
it defaulted to a dark theme, so i change the application and icon themes to a dark yaru one with the accent color i want. under settings i set dark mode to prefer dark mode and turn on icons for menus and buttons.

=== preferences ===
==== account details ====
similar to background files, avatars go in <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/faces/</code>. pretty sure adding your own avatars here makes them show in the list, most likely toward the bottom since the defaults mostly start with numbers. click the user picture and select your preferred avatar. choose browse for more pictures if it doesn't show.

==== applets ====
configure calendar to set custom date format to <code>%l:%M %p %a %b %-e </code> (with two trailing spaces) to take up less space and use 12-hour time. similarly set date format for tooltip to <code>%A, %B %e, %l:%M %p</code> to use 12-hour time. select corner bar and click the minus button at the bottom to remove it. configure menu to use a custom icon and label, then set icon to <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/icons/ubuntucinnamon-symbolic.png</code> and icon size to 28 to keep the same icon and clear the text so it doesn’t take up space. also turn on menu animations.

==== date & time ====
turn off 24 hour clock and display seconds.

==== desktop ====
turn off all the desktop icons.

=== hardware ===
==== mouse and touchpad ====
under touchpad, i turn off reverse scrolling direction so that two-finger touchpad scroll works like moving the scroll bar not moving the content.

==== power management ====
change power button behavior to nothing. my laptop's power button is placed where i can very easily hit it by accident when picking it up so i prefer that it ignores when that happens.

==== sound ====
one of the reasons i prefer linux on my laptop is the over-amplification setting. turn on overamplification at the bottom of the output tab, which is often handy running off built-in speakers.

=== administration ===
==== login window ====
i like to use my own background for the login screen. set that here and then turn off draw user background to have a login background all the time. set the themes as close as i can to the themes i picked in themes. under settings, change clock format to <code>%l:%M %p</code> for 12-hour format.

= remove software =
sudo apt remove deja-dup five-or-more four-in-a-row gnome-2048 gnome-chess gnome-klotski gnome-mahjongg gnome-mines gnome-nibbles gnome-robots gnome-sudoku gnome-taquin gnome-tetravex gnote gthumb hexchat hitori iagno pidgin quadrapassel rhythmbox shotwell simple-scan swell-foop tali
sudo apt autoremove
sudo snap remove thunderbird

= install software =
here's some software i find useful to add:

sudo apt install gimp puddletag xsane

== firefox ==
=== touch scroll zoom ===
while the touch screen makes most windows scroll, firefox selects text by default. to make a lasting change edit <code>/etc/security/pam_env.conf</code> and add a line (i add it to the end) with <code>MOZ_USE_XINPUT2 DEFAULT=0 OVERRIDE=1</code>. this should take effect on next login.

=== switch away from snap ===
ubuntu comes with firefox (and thunderbird) installed through snap, but i’ve had problems with it telling me firefox needs to update but can’t because it's running. found these instructions on [omgubuntu.co.uk](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2022/04/how-to-install-firefox-deb-apt-ubuntu-22-04) — start by running these commands to remove the snap firefox and the apt redirect to snap firefox, trust mozilla’s signing, and add a mozilla source.

sudo snap remove firefox
sudo apt remove firefox
wget -q https://packages.mozilla.org/apt/repo-signing-key.gpg -O- | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc > /dev/null
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc] https://packages.mozilla.org/apt mozilla main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mozilla.list > /dev/null

then set priority to the mozilla source and suppress ubuntu’s redirect to snap:

echo '
Package: *
Pin: origin packages.mozilla.org
Pin-Priority: 1000

Package: firefox*
Pin: release o=Ubuntu
Pin-Priority: -1' | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozilla

lastly, update to include the mozilla source and install that (now prioritized) firefox package:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install firefox

== steam ==
there’s a steam-installer in the repository but last i tried it failed to install. looking for a solution i found someone claiming the apt package is a redirect to snap, and snap just doesn’t work well (maybe it’s not mature enough). so instead, go to the steam website and download the installer from there. it gave me a file named steam_latest.deb. install it and dependencies with `sudo apt install ~/Downloads/steam_latest.deb` and then run steam to complete the installation and sign in to steam.

== visual studio code ==
visual studio code isn’t in the default apt repositories (it’s in snap but snap doesn’t update well), but downloading and installing the deb actually adds it to apt so it can keep updating. note the filename will probably change to whichever version is current, so for the last two lines press the tab key to autocomplete after you’ve typed “code”:

wget 'https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/download?build=stable&os=linux-deb-x64' --trust-server-names
sudo dpkg -i code_1.118.1-1777474985_amd64.deb
rm code_1.118.1-1777474985_amd64.deb

== zoom ==
the official way to install zoom on ubuntu is to download the deb and install that, but it won’t auto-update and i end up having to manually update before every time i use it. instead, set up a custom archive that will update itself with everything else. start with installing apt-utils which is required but not in the default install as of 25.10:

sudo apt install apt-utils

next copy this into a script file (run <code>chmod +x install-zoom</code> assuming you’ve saved it as install-zoom) and run it:

#!/usr/bin/env bash

url=https://zoom.us/client/latest/zoom_amd64.deb
debdir=/usr/local/zoomdebs
aptconf=/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/100update_zoom
sourcelist=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/zoomdebs.list

sudo mkdir -p $debdir
( echo 'APT::Update::Pre-Invoke {"cd '$debdir' && wget -qN '$url' && apt-ftparchive packages . > Packages && apt-ftparchive release . > Release";};' | sudo tee $aptconf
echo 'deb [trusted=yes lang=none] file:'$debdir' ./' | sudo tee $sourcelist
) >/dev/null

sudo apt update
sudo apt install zoom

User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 26.04 Resolute Raccoon

2026-06-20T14:42:18Z

Misterhaan: update paths

i use ubuntu cinnamon linux as my main operating system on my laptop. since the laptop came with windows 10 (which i upgraded to windows 11), i keep that around so i can choose windows on startup when i need one of the manufacturer’s utilities. these instructions are what i did when i installed ubuntu cinnamon 26.04 resolute raccoon on my laptop westinghouse.

choose language and keyboard, connect to wifi, then choose interactive installation. i start with ubuntu cinnamon desktop (minimized) so there’s less to uninstall. i do install third-party graphics and wifi as well as additional media formats. as an upgrade i choose to erase my previous ubuntu and install over that, but there’s also an install alongside option for the initial setup keeping windows around. i don’t use file encryption because i keep my important files on a server instead.

name the computer and set up your username and password, then choose your time zone and you should be ready to install!

= connections to other systems =
most of what i use my laptop for is connecting to other systems, including my home file shares. i set those up first so i have access to my files and the ability to connect to my home desktop and work computer right away.

== home server nfs shares ==
i have command-line ubuntu installed on a different computer at home that stores my files, so my laptop should mount its shares when i’m on my home network. i can’t just do a normal mount because if i travel with my laptop, my home server isn’t available and i have to wait for those connections to time out before it will finish booting. still, the first couple steps are the same as mounting the shares from a desktop:

# edit <code>/etc/hosts</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/hosts</code> and add a line mapping the lan ip of the server to its name. follow the format of the line that has 127.0.0.1 localhost. saving this change makes sure the laptop can resolve the name of the server, which usually doesn’t work without this step.
# install nfs support with <code>sudo apt install nfs-common</code>
# edit <code>/etc/fstab</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/fstab</code> and add a line for each nfs share to mount, in this format: <code>server:/nfs_share /local/mount/point nfs noexec,noauto 0 0</code>
# create the local mount points for each share (the second column in fstab) with a command like <code>sudo mkdir /local/mount/point</code>
# create a new file as root in <code>/etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/</code> and enter the following code (make sure to put in your ssid and your actual mount points), then set its permissions to rwxr-xr-x with <code>chmod 755 /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/nfs-mount</code>:

#!/bin/bash
SSID="your-wifi-ssid"
INTERFACE=$1
ACTION=$2
ESSID=`nmcli -t -f active,ssid dev wifi | egrep '^yes' | cut -d: -f2`

if [ "$SSID" == "$ESSID" ] && [ "$ACTION" == "up" ]; then
mount /local/mount/point/one
mount /local/mount/point/two
fi

the network shares should be mounted whenever connecting to the wifi SSID. the <code>noauto</code> in fstab tells the system not to attempt to mount those shares on startup, so it doesn’t have to wait for that to fail when they’re not available. the NetworkManager script makes sure to mount them once connected to the correct wifi, but if you’re going to connect to your network with a cable it won’t see the ssid and you’ll need to issue the mount commands manually.

=== change user id ===
ubuntu uses 1000 as the id for the user it creates, but i have a different id on my server and they need to match up for nfs to know who i am. you can’t change your user id while you’re logged in, so i’ll create another admin account temporarily and use that. do that and set a password with the following:

sudo useradd -G adm,sudo -m -s /bin/bash tempadmin
sudo passwd tempadmin

now log out and you should be able to log back in as tempadmin with the password you just set, though it may be necessary to restart if it tells you your original user is in use by a process (which it’s been doing to me with this process for a few years now). run the following command to change your user id and update automounting:

sudo usermod -u [new_ID] [username]
sudo setfacl -m "u:[username]:r-x" /media/
sudo setfacl -x "u:1000" /media/

now we just need to get rid of tempadmin, so log out and log back in as your actual user. run <code>sudo userdel tempadmin</code> to go back to just one user. again, restart seems to be necessary as logging out doesn’t end all processes for the user.

== remote control ==
remmina is back in the default install as of 23.10 and works great to connect to my home desktop using vnc (i use tightvnc server on windows 11 there). it is simple to install it though if it wasn’t there for you:

sudo apt install remmina

i create two connections for my home desktop — one that uses my lan ip and another that uses the subdomain i keep mapped to my internet ip. both use remmina vnc plugin for the protocol and specify [ip]:[port] or [subdomain]:[port] since i use a custom vnc port. username can be left blank, and user password can save my connection password. setting the password means if someone else got access to my laptop they could also access my desktop, so be sure to weigh the convenience against security for your situation.

i connect to my work computer over rdp, which i also do through remmina. create a new connection leaving the protocol on the default of RDP - Remote Desktop Protocol and set the server, username, password, and domain for the connection. switch to the advanced tab and change audio output mode to local to get both the speakers and microphone to work. toward the bottom, you might need to check the box to ignore certificate because when i installed this version it still wouldn’t trust my work computer’s certificate after it asked me about it and i said to trust it. save the connection. on the first connection (we’ll need to set up and connect to vpn first), it asks to accept a certificate for the machine.

in remmina preferences i turn off the setting that prevents screenshots from entering clipboard. then under applet, check the box to start in tray upon user login (if it’s not already checked). under keyboard i remove the host key since i commonly use the right control key for normal keyboard shortcuts, and i don’t really need to give up another key for remmina shortcuts i don’t remember anyway. under rdp, map the caps lock key to insert by entering 0x3a=0x52 for keyboard scancode remapping (needs to be done separately from mapping it locally because rdp doesn’t care about local mappings even when i check the box to use client keyboard mapping).

== work vpn ==
my job provides cisco anyconnect vpn for me to connect remotely, but thankfully it’s compatible with openconnect which is *much* easier to use and integrates with the network manager built into ubuntu. install openconnect with its network manager integration and its editor (gnome is the name of the desktop environment ubuntu uses, even for cinnamon):

sudo apt install network-manager-openconnect-gnome

now go to the network icon in the panel (lower right, probably looks like wifi), click it, and choose "Network Connections." add a new connection using the plus button in the lower left of that window, and choose "Cisco AnyConnect or OpenConnect (OpenConnect)" from under the VPN heading. give it a name (i use the company name) and enter the vpn server as the gateway (something like vpn.example.com). the vpn protocol should already be set to "cisco anyconnect or openconnect" from the earlier choice. set user agent to "AnyConnect" so it won't give a 404 error trying to connect. i also needed to go to the ipv6 settings tab and disable it because otherwise my remote desktop connection fails. save the connection.

now, just under the list of available SSIDs in the network menu it will show "VPN Connections" with a toggle next to it. select this to connect. i have to click the login button in the window that pops up, then enter my work email, then my work password, then go to my phone and enter the number that shows on my laptop into the authenticator app, then verify my fingerprint. there was a time openconnect would save my username and password even while anyconnect didn’t, but unfortunately that time has passed. once it finishes connecting you should see the lock icon on your wifi. disconnect either by deselecting the vpn the same way you selected it to connect or by shutting down the laptop.

= configuration =
== map caps lock key as insert ==
to remap capslock to insert for the entire machine, edit <code>/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc</code> as root, and set the <code>key <CAPS></code> line to:

key <CAPS> {[ Insert ]};

this takes effect on your next login. it doesn’t apply to rdp connections in remmina though, so be sure to also follow the instructions from earlier for mapping it there too.

== system settings ==
access system settings from the panel menu. they’re grouped into sections so i’m using those same groupings here. if i don’t list a settings option it’s because i don’t actually change anything in that one.

=== appearance ===
==== background ====
default background files are <code>/usr/share/backgrounds/</code>, so that’s where i put my own backgrounds. make a subdirectory if you want to rotate through backgrounds. this isn’t enough to make them automatically show in settings > background though, so use the add button (bottom left) to get that directory added, then select it and a background.

==== effects ====
i have all the effects turned on, and set new windows and close windows to fly while leaving minimize traditional.

==== themes ====
it defaulted to a dark theme, so i change the application and icon themes to a dark yaru one with the accent color i want. under settings i set dark mode to prefer dark mode and turn on icons for menus and buttons.

=== preferences ===
==== account details ====
similar to background files, avatars go in <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/faces/</code>. pretty sure adding your own avatars here makes them show in the list, most likely toward the bottom since the defaults mostly start with numbers. click the user picture and select your preferred avatar. choose browse for more pictures if it doesn't show.

==== applets ====
configure calendar to set custom date format to <code>%l:%M %p %a %b %-e </code> (with two trailing spaces) to take up less space and use 12-hour time. similarly set date format for tooltip to <code>%A, %B %e, %l:%M %p</code> to use 12-hour time. select corner bar and click the minus button at the bottom to remove it. configure menu to use a custom icon and label, then set icon to <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/icons/ubuntucinnamon-symbolic.png</code> and icon size to 28 to keep the same icon and clear the text so it doesn’t take up space. also turn on menu animations.

==== date & time ====
turn off 24 hour clock and display seconds.

==== desktop ====
turn off all the desktop icons.

=== hardware ===
==== mouse and touchpad ====
under touchpad, i turn off reverse scrolling direction so that two-finger touchpad scroll works like moving the scroll bar not moving the content.

==== power management ====
change power button behavior to nothing. my laptop's power button is placed where i can very easily hit it by accident when picking it up so i prefer that it ignores when that happens.

==== sound ====
one of the reasons i prefer linux on my laptop is the over-amplification setting. turn on overamplification at the bottom of the output tab, which is often handy running off built-in speakers.

=== administration ===
==== login window ====
i like to use my own background for the login screen. set that here and then turn off draw user background to have a login background all the time. set the themes as close as i can to the themes i picked in themes. under settings, change clock format to <code>%l:%M %p</code> for 12-hour format.

= remove software =
sudo apt remove pidgin rhythmbox simple-scan
sudo apt autoremove

= install software =
here's some software i find useful to add:

sudo apt install gimp puddletag xsane

== firefox ==
=== touch scroll zoom ===
while the touch screen makes most windows scroll, firefox selects text by default. to make a lasting change edit <code>/etc/security/pam_env.conf</code> and add a line (i add it to the end) with <code>MOZ_USE_XINPUT2 DEFAULT=0 OVERRIDE=1</code>. this should take effect on next login.

=== switch away from snap ===
ubuntu comes with firefox (and thunderbird) installed through snap, but i’ve had problems with it telling me firefox needs to update but can’t because it's running. found these instructions on [omgubuntu.co.uk](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2022/04/how-to-install-firefox-deb-apt-ubuntu-22-04) — start by running these commands to remove the snap firefox and the apt redirect to snap firefox, trust mozilla’s signing, and add a mozilla source.

sudo snap remove firefox
sudo apt remove firefox
wget -q https://packages.mozilla.org/apt/repo-signing-key.gpg -O- | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc > /dev/null
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc] https://packages.mozilla.org/apt mozilla main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mozilla.list > /dev/null

then set priority to the mozilla source and suppress ubuntu’s redirect to snap:

echo '
Package: *
Pin: origin packages.mozilla.org
Pin-Priority: 1000

Package: firefox*
Pin: release o=Ubuntu
Pin-Priority: -1' | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozilla

lastly, update to include the mozilla source and install that (now prioritized) firefox package:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install firefox

== steam ==
there’s a steam-installer in the repository but last i tried it failed to install. looking for a solution i found someone claiming the apt package is a redirect to snap, and snap just doesn’t work well (maybe it’s not mature enough). so instead, go to the steam website and download the installer from there. it gave me a file named steam_latest.deb. install it and dependencies with `sudo apt install ~/Downloads/steam_latest.deb` and then run steam to complete the installation and sign in to steam.

== visual studio code ==
visual studio code isn’t in the default apt repositories (it’s in snap but snap doesn’t update well), but downloading and installing the deb actually adds it to apt so it can keep updating. note the filename will probably change to whichever version is current, so for the last two lines press the tab key to autocomplete after you’ve typed “code”:

wget 'https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/download?build=stable&os=linux-deb-x64' --trust-server-names
sudo dpkg -i code_1.118.1-1777474985_amd64.deb
rm code_1.118.1-1777474985_amd64.deb

== zoom ==
the official way to install zoom on ubuntu is to download the deb and install that, but it won’t auto-update and i end up having to manually update before every time i use it. instead, set up a custom archive that will update itself with everything else. start with installing apt-utils which is required but not in the default install as of 25.10:

sudo apt install apt-utils

next copy this into a script file (run <code>chmod +x install-zoom</code> assuming you’ve saved it as install-zoom) and run it:

#!/usr/bin/env bash

url=https://zoom.us/client/latest/zoom_amd64.deb
debdir=/usr/local/zoomdebs
aptconf=/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/100update_zoom
sourcelist=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/zoomdebs.list

sudo mkdir -p $debdir
( echo 'APT::Update::Pre-Invoke {"cd '$debdir' && wget -qN '$url' && apt-ftparchive packages . > Packages && apt-ftparchive release . > Release";};' | sudo tee $aptconf
echo 'deb [trusted=yes lang=none] file:'$debdir' ./' | sudo tee $sourcelist
) >/dev/null

sudo apt update
sudo apt install zoom

User:Misterhaan/Dual Booting Ubuntu and Windows

2026-06-19T22:09:28Z

Misterhaan: Created page with "= make room for linux = i'm assuming you want to dual boot ubuntu and windows because you already have windows on your computer and want to try linux. that usually means your disk is set up for windows only, and you're going to need room to install linux separately (different partitions). make sure you have enough disk space. it's hard to say how much that is, but you're not going to be able to install linux over the top of windows' files, so make sure the free space..."

= make room for linux =
i'm assuming you want to dual boot ubuntu and windows because you already have windows on your computer and want to try linux. that usually means your disk is set up for windows only, and you're going to need room to install linux separately (different partitions).

make sure you have enough disk space. it's hard to say how much that is, but you're not going to be able to install linux over the top of windows' files, so make sure the free space you have on windows is enough to get started on linux. you can uninstall programs you plan to use only on linux going forward, or use other ways to reclaim space. also make sure fast boot and bitlocker are off so the windows partition won't show locked / in use. leaving them this way also give you the option to mount your windows partition in linux.

download the latest ubuntu cinnamon desktop iso and the rufus usb utility. run rufus and use it to copy the iso to a usb drive. back up any essential information from windows because we're about to rearrange the disk. i haven't lost any data doing this, but if the power goes out in the middle or something else goes wrong it is possible. when you're ready, boot the ubuntu usb drive and choose try or install ubuntu.

it's not time to install yet -- we need to resize and (optionally) move the windows partition first. run gparted from the menu (easiest to find if you search it). it will probably select the disk with windows on it and show its partition(s) across the top. if not, you can find the disk in the upper right and switch to it. the largest partition is the one we're going to shrink and (optionally) move. select it and choose resize/move from the toolbar or context menu. i moved my windows partition down so the linux partition would be earlier on the disk by putting the size i wanted for the linux partition in the free space preceding box, leaving free space following at zero. you can save time by leaving windows where it is and making free space for linux following instead. after accepting this popup you need to actually apply the changes, which are going to take over an hour even with a fast nvme drive. once it's done you can reboot and windows should come up like nothing happened, except less free space on the C drive.

= install ubuntu cinnamon =
now you want the install ubuntu cinnamon icon from the desktop. choose your basic settings, which should mostly make sense to you. choose your keyboard layout and set up your internet connection. i like to choose the minimized installation so there isn't as much for me to remove. check both boxes for third-party software and support for media formats. the important part comes up next -- disk setup. you want the one to install ubuntu alongside windows. erasing the disk will lose your windows install and waste the partition work from earlier. you probably don't want manual or you wouldn't need a guide. i don't use encryption or advanced file system options. for my desktop i uncheck require my password to log in.

User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 26.04 Resolute Raccoon

2026-05-01T01:19:38Z

Misterhaan: /* visual studio code */ update version

i use ubuntu cinnamon linux as my main operating system on my laptop. since the laptop came with windows 10 (which i upgraded to windows 11), i keep that around so i can choose windows on startup when i need one of the manufacturer’s utilities. these instructions are what i did when i installed ubuntu cinnamon 26.04 resolute raccoon on my laptop westinghouse.

choose language and keyboard, connect to wifi, then choose interactive installation. i start with ubuntu cinnamon desktop (minimized) so there’s less to uninstall. i do install third-party graphics and wifi as well as additional media formats. as an upgrade i choose to erase my previous ubuntu and install over that, but there’s also an install alongside option for the initial setup keeping windows around. i don’t use file encryption because i keep my important files on a server instead.

name the computer and set up your username and password, then choose your time zone and you should be ready to install!

= connections to other systems =
most of what i use my laptop for is connecting to other systems, including my home file shares. i set those up first so i have access to my files and the ability to connect to my home desktop and work computer right away.

== home server nfs shares ==
i have command-line ubuntu installed on a different computer at home that stores my files, so my laptop should mount its shares when i’m on my home network. i can’t just do a normal mount because if i travel with my laptop, my home server isn’t available and i have to wait for those connections to time out before it will finish booting. still, the first couple steps are the same as mounting the shares from a desktop:

# edit <code>/etc/hosts</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/hosts</code> and add a line mapping the lan ip of the server to its name. follow the format of the line that has 127.0.0.1 localhost. saving this change makes sure the laptop can resolve the name of the server, which usually doesn’t work without this step.
# install nfs support with <code>sudo apt install nfs-common</code>
# edit <code>/etc/fstab</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/fstab</code> and add a line for each nfs share to mount, in this format: <code>server:/nfs_share /local/mount/point nfs noexec,noauto 0 0</code>
# create the local mount points for each share (the second column in fstab) with a command like <code>sudo mkdir /local/mount/point</code>
# create a new file as root in <code>/etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/</code> and enter the following code (make sure to put in your ssid and your actual mount points), then set its permissions to rwxr-xr-x with <code>chmod 755 /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/nfs-mount</code>:

#!/bin/bash
SSID="your-wifi-ssid"
INTERFACE=$1
ACTION=$2
ESSID=`nmcli -t -f active,ssid dev wifi | egrep '^yes' | cut -d: -f2`

if [ "$SSID" == "$ESSID" ] && [ "$ACTION" == "up" ]; then
mount /local/mount/point/one
mount /local/mount/point/two
fi

the network shares should be mounted whenever connecting to the wifi SSID. the <code>noauto</code> in fstab tells the system not to attempt to mount those shares on startup, so it doesn’t have to wait for that to fail when they’re not available. the NetworkManager script makes sure to mount them once connected to the correct wifi, but if you’re going to connect to your network with a cable it won’t see the ssid and you’ll need to issue the mount commands manually.

=== change user id ===
ubuntu uses 1000 as the id for the user it creates, but i have a different id on my server and they need to match up for nfs to know who i am. you can’t change your user id while you’re logged in, so i’ll create another admin account temporarily and use that. do that and set a password with the following:

sudo useradd -G adm,sudo -m -s /bin/bash tempadmin
sudo passwd tempadmin

now log out and you should be able to log back in as tempadmin with the password you just set, though it may be necessary to restart if it tells you your original user is in use by a process (which it’s been doing to me with this process for a few years now). run the following command to change your user id and update automounting:

sudo usermod -u [new_ID] [username]
sudo setfacl -m "u:[username]:r-x" /media/
sudo setfacl -x "u:1000" /media/

now we just need to get rid of tempadmin, so log out and log back in as your actual user. run <code>sudo userdel tempadmin</code> to go back to just one user. again, restart seems to be necessary as logging out doesn’t end all processes for the user.

== remote control ==
remmina is back in the default install as of 23.10 and works great to connect to my home desktop using vnc (i use tightvnc server on windows 11 there). it is simple to install it though if it wasn’t there for you:

sudo apt install remmina

i create two connections for my home desktop — one that uses my lan ip and another that uses the subdomain i keep mapped to my internet ip. both use remmina vnc plugin for the protocol and specify [ip]:[port] or [subdomain]:[port] since i use a custom vnc port. username can be left blank, and user password can save my connection password. setting the password means if someone else got access to my laptop they could also access my desktop, so be sure to weigh the convenience against security for your situation.

i connect to my work computer over rdp, which i also do through remmina. create a new connection leaving the protocol on the default of RDP - Remote Desktop Protocol and set the server, username, password, and domain for the connection. switch to the advanced tab and change audio output mode to local to get both the speakers and microphone to work. toward the bottom, you might need to check the box to ignore certificate because when i installed this version it still wouldn’t trust my work computer’s certificate after it asked me about it and i said to trust it. save the connection. on the first connection (we’ll need to set up and connect to vpn first), it asks to accept a certificate for the machine.

in remmina preferences i turn off the setting that prevents screenshots from entering clipboard. then under applet, check the box to start in tray upon user login (if it’s not already checked). under keyboard i remove the host key since i commonly use the right control key for normal keyboard shortcuts, and i don’t really need to give up another key for remmina shortcuts i don’t remember anyway. under rdp, map the caps lock key to insert by entering 0x3a=0x52 for keyboard scancode remapping (needs to be done separately from mapping it locally because rdp doesn’t care about local mappings even when i check the box to use client keyboard mapping).

== work vpn ==
my job provides cisco anyconnect vpn for me to connect remotely, but thankfully it’s compatible with openconnect which is *much* easier to use and integrates with the network manager built into ubuntu. install openconnect with its network manager integration and its editor (gnome is the name of the desktop environment ubuntu uses, even for cinnamon):

sudo apt install network-manager-openconnect-gnome

now go to the network icon in the panel (lower right, probably looks like wifi), click it, and choose "Network Connections." add a new connection using the plus button in the lower left of that window, and choose "Cisco AnyConnect or OpenConnect (OpenConnect)" from under the VPN heading. give it a name (i use the company name) and enter the vpn server as the gateway (something like vpn.example.com). the vpn protocol should already be set to "cisco anyconnect or openconnect" from the earlier choice. set user agent to "AnyConnect" so it won't give a 404 error trying to connect. i also needed to go to the ipv6 settings tab and disable it because otherwise my remote desktop connection fails. save the connection.

now, just under the list of available SSIDs in the network menu it will show "VPN Connections" with a toggle next to it. select this to connect. i have to click the login button in the window that pops up, then enter my work email, then my work password, then go to my phone and enter the number that shows on my laptop into the authenticator app, then verify my fingerprint. there was a time openconnect would save my username and password even while anyconnect didn’t, but unfortunately that time has passed. once it finishes connecting you should see the lock icon on your wifi. disconnect either by deselecting the vpn the same way you selected it to connect or by shutting down the laptop.

= configuration =
== map caps lock key as insert ==
to remap capslock to insert for the entire machine, edit <code>/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc</code> as root, and set the <code>key <CAPS></code> line to:

key <CAPS> {[ Insert ]};

this takes effect on your next login. it doesn’t apply to rdp connections in remmina though, so be sure to also follow the instructions from earlier for mapping it there too.

== system settings ==
access system settings from the panel menu. they’re grouped into sections so i’m using those same groupings here. if i don’t list a settings option it’s because i don’t actually change anything in that one.

=== appearance ===
==== background ====
default background files are <code>/usr/share/backgrounds/</code>, so that’s where i put my own backgrounds. this isn’t enough to make them automatically show in settings > background though, so use the add button (bottom left) to get that backgrounds directory added, then select it and a background.

==== effects ====
i have all the effects turned on, and set new windows and close windows to fly while leaving minimize traditional.

==== themes ====
it defaulted to a dark theme, so i change the application and icon themes to a dark yaru one with the accent color i want. under settings i set dark mode to prefer dark mode and turn on icons for menus and buttons.

=== preferences ===
==== account details ====
similar to background files, i create <code>/usr/share/avatars/</code> to hold user avatars. there are some default avatar choices but i haven’t been able to find where those are stored. click the use picture and choose browse for more pictures to select your preferred avatar.

==== applets ====
configure calendar to set custom date format to <code>%l:%M %p %a %b %-e </code> (with two trailing spaces) to take up less space and use 12-hour time. similarly set date format for tooltip to <code>%A, %B %e, %l:%M %p</code> to use 12-hour time. select corner bar and click the minus button at the bottom to remove it. configure menu to use a custom icon and label, then set icon to <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/icons/ubuntucinnamon-symbolic.png</code> and icon size to 28 to keep the same icon and clear the text so it doesn’t take up space. also turn on menu animations.

==== date & time ====
turn off 24 hour clock and display seconds.

==== desktop ====
turn off all the desktop icons.

=== hardware ===
==== mouse and touchpad ====
under touchpad, i turn off reverse scrolling direction so that two-finger touchpad scroll works like moving the scroll bar not moving the content.

==== power management ====
change power button behavior to nothing. my laptop's power button is placed where i can very easily hit it by accident when picking it up so i prefer that it ignores when that happens.

==== sound ====
one of the reasons i prefer linux on my laptop is the over-amplification setting. turn on overamplification at the bottom of the output tab, which is often handy running off built-in speakers.

=== administration ===
==== login window ====
i like to use my own background for the login screen. set that here and then turn off draw user background to have a login background all the time. set the themes as close as i can to the themes i picked in themes. under settings, change clock format to <code>%l:%M %p</code> for 12-hour format.

= remove software =
sudo apt remove pidgin rhythmbox simple-scan
sudo apt autoremove

= install software =
here's some software i find useful to add:

sudo apt install gimp puddletag xsane

== firefox ==
=== touch scroll zoom ===
while the touch screen makes most windows scroll, firefox selects text by default. to make a lasting change edit <code>/etc/security/pam_env.conf</code> and add a line (i add it to the end) with <code>MOZ_USE_XINPUT2 DEFAULT=0 OVERRIDE=1</code>. this should take effect on next login.

=== switch away from snap ===
ubuntu comes with firefox (and thunderbird) installed through snap, but i’ve had problems with it telling me firefox needs to update but can’t because it's running. found these instructions on [omgubuntu.co.uk](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2022/04/how-to-install-firefox-deb-apt-ubuntu-22-04) — start by running these commands to remove the snap firefox and the apt redirect to snap firefox, trust mozilla’s signing, and add a mozilla source.

sudo snap remove firefox
sudo apt remove firefox
wget -q https://packages.mozilla.org/apt/repo-signing-key.gpg -O- | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc > /dev/null
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc] https://packages.mozilla.org/apt mozilla main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mozilla.list > /dev/null

then set priority to the mozilla source and suppress ubuntu’s redirect to snap:

echo '
Package: *
Pin: origin packages.mozilla.org
Pin-Priority: 1000

Package: firefox*
Pin: release o=Ubuntu
Pin-Priority: -1' | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozilla

lastly, update to include the mozilla source and install that (now prioritized) firefox package:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install firefox

== steam ==
there’s a steam-installer in the repository but last i tried it failed to install. looking for a solution i found someone claiming the apt package is a redirect to snap, and snap just doesn’t work well (maybe it’s not mature enough). so instead, go to the steam website and download the installer from there. it gave me a file named steam_latest.deb. install it and dependencies with `sudo apt install ~/Downloads/steam_latest.deb` and then run steam to complete the installation and sign in to steam.

== visual studio code ==
visual studio code isn’t in the default apt repositories (it’s in snap but snap doesn’t update well), but downloading and installing the deb actually adds it to apt so it can keep updating. note the filename will probably change to whichever version is current, so for the last two lines press the tab key to autocomplete after you’ve typed “code”:

wget 'https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/download?build=stable&os=linux-deb-x64' --trust-server-names
sudo dpkg -i code_1.118.1-1777474985_amd64.deb
rm code_1.118.1-1777474985_amd64.deb

== zoom ==
the official way to install zoom on ubuntu is to download the deb and install that, but it won’t auto-update and i end up having to manually update before every time i use it. instead, set up a custom archive that will update itself with everything else. start with installing apt-utils which is required but not in the default install as of 25.10:

sudo apt install apt-utils

next copy this into a script file (run <code>chmod +x install-zoom</code> assuming you’ve saved it as install-zoom) and run it:

#!/usr/bin/env bash

url=https://zoom.us/client/latest/zoom_amd64.deb
debdir=/usr/local/zoomdebs
aptconf=/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/100update_zoom
sourcelist=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/zoomdebs.list

sudo mkdir -p $debdir
( echo 'APT::Update::Pre-Invoke {"cd '$debdir' && wget -qN '$url' && apt-ftparchive packages . > Packages && apt-ftparchive release . > Release";};' | sudo tee $aptconf
echo 'deb [trusted=yes lang=none] file:'$debdir' ./' | sudo tee $sourcelist
) >/dev/null

sudo apt update
sudo apt install zoom

User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 26.04 Resolute Raccoon

2026-04-30T02:56:40Z

Misterhaan:

i use ubuntu cinnamon linux as my main operating system on my laptop. since the laptop came with windows 10 (which i upgraded to windows 11), i keep that around so i can choose windows on startup when i need one of the manufacturer’s utilities. these instructions are what i did when i installed ubuntu cinnamon 26.04 resolute raccoon on my laptop westinghouse.

choose language and keyboard, connect to wifi, then choose interactive installation. i start with ubuntu cinnamon desktop (minimized) so there’s less to uninstall. i do install third-party graphics and wifi as well as additional media formats. as an upgrade i choose to erase my previous ubuntu and install over that, but there’s also an install alongside option for the initial setup keeping windows around. i don’t use file encryption because i keep my important files on a server instead.

name the computer and set up your username and password, then choose your time zone and you should be ready to install!

= connections to other systems =
most of what i use my laptop for is connecting to other systems, including my home file shares. i set those up first so i have access to my files and the ability to connect to my home desktop and work computer right away.

== home server nfs shares ==
i have command-line ubuntu installed on a different computer at home that stores my files, so my laptop should mount its shares when i’m on my home network. i can’t just do a normal mount because if i travel with my laptop, my home server isn’t available and i have to wait for those connections to time out before it will finish booting. still, the first couple steps are the same as mounting the shares from a desktop:

# edit <code>/etc/hosts</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/hosts</code> and add a line mapping the lan ip of the server to its name. follow the format of the line that has 127.0.0.1 localhost. saving this change makes sure the laptop can resolve the name of the server, which usually doesn’t work without this step.
# install nfs support with <code>sudo apt install nfs-common</code>
# edit <code>/etc/fstab</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/fstab</code> and add a line for each nfs share to mount, in this format: <code>server:/nfs_share /local/mount/point nfs noexec,noauto 0 0</code>
# create the local mount points for each share (the second column in fstab) with a command like <code>sudo mkdir /local/mount/point</code>
# create a new file as root in <code>/etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/</code> and enter the following code (make sure to put in your ssid and your actual mount points), then set its permissions to rwxr-xr-x with <code>chmod 755 /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/nfs-mount</code>:

#!/bin/bash
SSID="your-wifi-ssid"
INTERFACE=$1
ACTION=$2
ESSID=`nmcli -t -f active,ssid dev wifi | egrep '^yes' | cut -d: -f2`

if [ "$SSID" == "$ESSID" ] && [ "$ACTION" == "up" ]; then
mount /local/mount/point/one
mount /local/mount/point/two
fi

the network shares should be mounted whenever connecting to the wifi SSID. the <code>noauto</code> in fstab tells the system not to attempt to mount those shares on startup, so it doesn’t have to wait for that to fail when they’re not available. the NetworkManager script makes sure to mount them once connected to the correct wifi, but if you’re going to connect to your network with a cable it won’t see the ssid and you’ll need to issue the mount commands manually.

=== change user id ===
ubuntu uses 1000 as the id for the user it creates, but i have a different id on my server and they need to match up for nfs to know who i am. you can’t change your user id while you’re logged in, so i’ll create another admin account temporarily and use that. do that and set a password with the following:

sudo useradd -G adm,sudo -m -s /bin/bash tempadmin
sudo passwd tempadmin

now log out and you should be able to log back in as tempadmin with the password you just set, though it may be necessary to restart if it tells you your original user is in use by a process (which it’s been doing to me with this process for a few years now). run the following command to change your user id and update automounting:

sudo usermod -u [new_ID] [username]
sudo setfacl -m "u:[username]:r-x" /media/
sudo setfacl -x "u:1000" /media/

now we just need to get rid of tempadmin, so log out and log back in as your actual user. run <code>sudo userdel tempadmin</code> to go back to just one user. again, restart seems to be necessary as logging out doesn’t end all processes for the user.

== remote control ==
remmina is back in the default install as of 23.10 and works great to connect to my home desktop using vnc (i use tightvnc server on windows 11 there). it is simple to install it though if it wasn’t there for you:

sudo apt install remmina

i create two connections for my home desktop — one that uses my lan ip and another that uses the subdomain i keep mapped to my internet ip. both use remmina vnc plugin for the protocol and specify [ip]:[port] or [subdomain]:[port] since i use a custom vnc port. username can be left blank, and user password can save my connection password. setting the password means if someone else got access to my laptop they could also access my desktop, so be sure to weigh the convenience against security for your situation.

i connect to my work computer over rdp, which i also do through remmina. create a new connection leaving the protocol on the default of RDP - Remote Desktop Protocol and set the server, username, password, and domain for the connection. switch to the advanced tab and change audio output mode to local to get both the speakers and microphone to work. toward the bottom, you might need to check the box to ignore certificate because when i installed this version it still wouldn’t trust my work computer’s certificate after it asked me about it and i said to trust it. save the connection. on the first connection (we’ll need to set up and connect to vpn first), it asks to accept a certificate for the machine.

in remmina preferences i turn off the setting that prevents screenshots from entering clipboard. then under applet, check the box to start in tray upon user login (if it’s not already checked). under keyboard i remove the host key since i commonly use the right control key for normal keyboard shortcuts, and i don’t really need to give up another key for remmina shortcuts i don’t remember anyway. under rdp, map the caps lock key to insert by entering 0x3a=0x52 for keyboard scancode remapping (needs to be done separately from mapping it locally because rdp doesn’t care about local mappings even when i check the box to use client keyboard mapping).

== work vpn ==
my job provides cisco anyconnect vpn for me to connect remotely, but thankfully it’s compatible with openconnect which is *much* easier to use and integrates with the network manager built into ubuntu. install openconnect with its network manager integration and its editor (gnome is the name of the desktop environment ubuntu uses, even for cinnamon):

sudo apt install network-manager-openconnect-gnome

now go to the network icon in the panel (lower right, probably looks like wifi), click it, and choose "Network Connections." add a new connection using the plus button in the lower left of that window, and choose "Cisco AnyConnect or OpenConnect (OpenConnect)" from under the VPN heading. give it a name (i use the company name) and enter the vpn server as the gateway (something like vpn.example.com). the vpn protocol should already be set to "cisco anyconnect or openconnect" from the earlier choice. set user agent to "AnyConnect" so it won't give a 404 error trying to connect. i also needed to go to the ipv6 settings tab and disable it because otherwise my remote desktop connection fails. save the connection.

now, just under the list of available SSIDs in the network menu it will show "VPN Connections" with a toggle next to it. select this to connect. i have to click the login button in the window that pops up, then enter my work email, then my work password, then go to my phone and enter the number that shows on my laptop into the authenticator app, then verify my fingerprint. there was a time openconnect would save my username and password even while anyconnect didn’t, but unfortunately that time has passed. once it finishes connecting you should see the lock icon on your wifi. disconnect either by deselecting the vpn the same way you selected it to connect or by shutting down the laptop.

= configuration =
== map caps lock key as insert ==
to remap capslock to insert for the entire machine, edit <code>/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc</code> as root, and set the <code>key <CAPS></code> line to:

key <CAPS> {[ Insert ]};

this takes effect on your next login. it doesn’t apply to rdp connections in remmina though, so be sure to also follow the instructions from earlier for mapping it there too.

== system settings ==
access system settings from the panel menu. they’re grouped into sections so i’m using those same groupings here. if i don’t list a settings option it’s because i don’t actually change anything in that one.

=== appearance ===
==== background ====
default background files are <code>/usr/share/backgrounds/</code>, so that’s where i put my own backgrounds. this isn’t enough to make them automatically show in settings > background though, so use the add button (bottom left) to get that backgrounds directory added, then select it and a background.

==== effects ====
i have all the effects turned on, and set new windows and close windows to fly while leaving minimize traditional.

==== themes ====
it defaulted to a dark theme, so i change the application and icon themes to a dark yaru one with the accent color i want. under settings i set dark mode to prefer dark mode and turn on icons for menus and buttons.

=== preferences ===
==== account details ====
similar to background files, i create <code>/usr/share/avatars/</code> to hold user avatars. there are some default avatar choices but i haven’t been able to find where those are stored. click the use picture and choose browse for more pictures to select your preferred avatar.

==== applets ====
configure calendar to set custom date format to <code>%l:%M %p %a %b %-e </code> (with two trailing spaces) to take up less space and use 12-hour time. similarly set date format for tooltip to <code>%A, %B %e, %l:%M %p</code> to use 12-hour time. select corner bar and click the minus button at the bottom to remove it. configure menu to use a custom icon and label, then set icon to <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/icons/ubuntucinnamon-symbolic.png</code> and icon size to 28 to keep the same icon and clear the text so it doesn’t take up space. also turn on menu animations.

==== date & time ====
turn off 24 hour clock and display seconds.

==== desktop ====
turn off all the desktop icons.

=== hardware ===
==== mouse and touchpad ====
under touchpad, i turn off reverse scrolling direction so that two-finger touchpad scroll works like moving the scroll bar not moving the content.

==== power management ====
change power button behavior to nothing. my laptop's power button is placed where i can very easily hit it by accident when picking it up so i prefer that it ignores when that happens.

==== sound ====
one of the reasons i prefer linux on my laptop is the over-amplification setting. turn on overamplification at the bottom of the output tab, which is often handy running off built-in speakers.

=== administration ===
==== login window ====
i like to use my own background for the login screen. set that here and then turn off draw user background to have a login background all the time. set the themes as close as i can to the themes i picked in themes. under settings, change clock format to <code>%l:%M %p</code> for 12-hour format.

= remove software =
sudo apt remove pidgin rhythmbox simple-scan
sudo apt autoremove

= install software =
here's some software i find useful to add:

sudo apt install gimp puddletag xsane

== firefox ==
=== touch scroll zoom ===
while the touch screen makes most windows scroll, firefox selects text by default. to make a lasting change edit <code>/etc/security/pam_env.conf</code> and add a line (i add it to the end) with <code>MOZ_USE_XINPUT2 DEFAULT=0 OVERRIDE=1</code>. this should take effect on next login.

=== switch away from snap ===
ubuntu comes with firefox (and thunderbird) installed through snap, but i’ve had problems with it telling me firefox needs to update but can’t because it's running. found these instructions on [omgubuntu.co.uk](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2022/04/how-to-install-firefox-deb-apt-ubuntu-22-04) — start by running these commands to remove the snap firefox and the apt redirect to snap firefox, trust mozilla’s signing, and add a mozilla source.

sudo snap remove firefox
sudo apt remove firefox
wget -q https://packages.mozilla.org/apt/repo-signing-key.gpg -O- | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc > /dev/null
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc] https://packages.mozilla.org/apt mozilla main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mozilla.list > /dev/null

then set priority to the mozilla source and suppress ubuntu’s redirect to snap:

echo '
Package: *
Pin: origin packages.mozilla.org
Pin-Priority: 1000

Package: firefox*
Pin: release o=Ubuntu
Pin-Priority: -1' | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozilla

lastly, update to include the mozilla source and install that (now prioritized) firefox package:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install firefox

== steam ==
there’s a steam-installer in the repository but last i tried it failed to install. looking for a solution i found someone claiming the apt package is a redirect to snap, and snap just doesn’t work well (maybe it’s not mature enough). so instead, go to the steam website and download the installer from there. it gave me a file named steam_latest.deb. install it and dependencies with `sudo apt install ~/Downloads/steam_latest.deb` and then run steam to complete the installation and sign in to steam.

== visual studio code ==
visual studio code isn’t in the default apt repositories (it’s in snap but snap doesn’t update well), but downloading and installing the deb actually adds it to apt so it can keep updating. note the filename will probably change to whichever version is current, so for the last two lines press the tab key to autocomplete after you’ve typed “code”:

wget 'https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/download?build=stable&os=linux-deb-x64' --trust-server-names
sudo dpkg -i code_1.105.1-1760482543_amd64.deb
rm code_1.105.1-1760482543_amd64.deb

== zoom ==
the official way to install zoom on ubuntu is to download the deb and install that, but it won’t auto-update and i end up having to manually update before every time i use it. instead, set up a custom archive that will update itself with everything else. start with installing apt-utils which is required but not in the default install as of 25.10:

sudo apt install apt-utils

next copy this into a script file (run <code>chmod +x install-zoom</code> assuming you’ve saved it as install-zoom) and run it:

#!/usr/bin/env bash

url=https://zoom.us/client/latest/zoom_amd64.deb
debdir=/usr/local/zoomdebs
aptconf=/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/100update_zoom
sourcelist=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/zoomdebs.list

sudo mkdir -p $debdir
( echo 'APT::Update::Pre-Invoke {"cd '$debdir' && wget -qN '$url' && apt-ftparchive packages . > Packages && apt-ftparchive release . > Release";};' | sudo tee $aptconf
echo 'deb [trusted=yes lang=none] file:'$debdir' ./' | sudo tee $sourcelist
) >/dev/null

sudo apt update
sudo apt install zoom

User:Misterhaan

2026-04-29T05:03:23Z

Misterhaan: add 26.04

I’m misterhaan, the owner of [http://www.track7.org/ track7], which includes auWiki. I wrote everything here so far (there are no [[Special:Listusers|other users]] yet!).

My own notes which may someday appear on track7 somewhere (mostly in the [http://www.track7.org/geek/guides/ guides / tips section]):
* [[/Nuvexport Tweaks|Nuvexport Tweaks]]
* [[User:Misterhaan/Dual Booting Ubuntu and Vista|Dual Booting Ubuntu and Vista]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 10 Setup|Windows 10 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 8.1 Setup|Windows 8.1 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 8 Setup|Windows 8 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 7 Setup|Windows 7 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Vista Setup|Vista Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Linux Client Setup|Linux Client Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 26.04 Resolute Raccoon|Ubuntu 26.04 Resolute Raccoon]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 25.10 Questing Quokka Setup|Ubuntu 25.10 Questing Quokka Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 25.04 Plucky Puffin Setup|Ubuntu 25.04 Plucky Puffin Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 24.10 Oracular Oriole Setup|Ubuntu 24.10 Oracular Oriole Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 24.04 Noble Numbat Setup|Ubuntu 24.04 Noble Numbat Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 23.10 Mantic Minotaur Setup|Ubuntu 23.10 Mantic Minotaur Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 23.04 Lunar Lobster Setup|Ubuntu 23.04 Lunar Lobster Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 22.10 Kinetic Kudu Setup|Ubuntu 22.10 Kinetic Kudu Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy Jellyfish Setup|Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy Jellyfish Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Linux Virtual Machine Setup|Linux Virtual Machine Setup]]
* [[/Basic Ubuntu Setup]]
** [[/HTPC Setup]]
* [[User:Misterhaan/Dreamhost SVN Setup|Dreamhost SVN Setup]]

These reviews are for adventures made in Spore Galactic Adventures, which I am slowly posting on the Spore forums.
* [[User:Misterhaan/HUAR|HUAR]]

User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 26.04 Resolute Raccoon

2026-04-29T05:03:07Z

Misterhaan: Created page with "i use ubuntu cinnamon linux as my main operating system on my laptop. since the laptop came with windows 10 (which i upgraded to windows 11), i keep that around so i can choose windows on startup when i need one of the manufacturer’s utilities. these instructions are what i did when i installed ubuntu cinnamon 26.04 resolute raccoon on my laptop westinghouse. choose language and keyboard, connect to wifi, then choose interactive installation. i start with ubuntu cin..."

i use ubuntu cinnamon linux as my main operating system on my laptop. since the laptop came with windows 10 (which i upgraded to windows 11), i keep that around so i can choose windows on startup when i need one of the manufacturer’s utilities. these instructions are what i did when i installed ubuntu cinnamon 26.04 resolute raccoon on my laptop westinghouse.

choose language and keyboard, connect to wifi, then choose interactive installation. i start with ubuntu cinnamon desktop (minimized) so there’s less to uninstall. i do install third-party graphics and wifi as well as additional media formats. as an upgrade i choose to erase my previous ubuntu and install over that, but there’s also an install alongside option for the initial setup keeping windows around. i don’t use file encryption because i keep my important files on a server instead.

name the computer and set up your username and password, then choose your time zone and you should be ready to install!

= connections to other systems =
most of what i use my laptop for is connecting to other systems, including my home file shares. i set those up first so i have access to my files and the ability to connect to my home desktop and work computer right away.

== home server nfs shares ==
i have command-line ubuntu installed on a different computer at home that stores my files, so my laptop should mount its shares when i’m on my home network. i can’t just do a normal mount because if i travel with my laptop, my home server isn’t available and i have to wait for those connections to time out before it will finish booting. still, the first couple steps are the same as mounting the shares from a desktop:

# edit <code>/etc/hosts</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/hosts</code> and add a line mapping the lan ip of the server to its name. follow the format of the line that has 127.0.0.1 localhost. saving this change makes sure the laptop can resolve the name of the server, which usually doesn’t work without this step.
# install nfs support with <code>sudo apt install nfs-common</code>
# edit <code>/etc/fstab</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/fstab</code> and add a line for each nfs share to mount, in this format: <code>server:/nfs_share /local/mount/point nfs noexec,noauto 0 0</code>
# create the local mount points for each share (the second column in fstab) with a command like <code>sudo mkdir /local/mount/point</code>
# create a new file as root in <code>/etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/</code> and enter the following code (make sure to put in your ssid and your actual mount points), then set its permissions to rwxr-xr-x with <code>chmod 755 /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/nfs-mount</code>:

#!/bin/bash
SSID="your-wifi-ssid"
INTERFACE=$1
ACTION=$2
ESSID=`nmcli -t -f active,ssid dev wifi | egrep '^yes' | cut -d: -f2`

if [ "$SSID" == "$ESSID" ] && [ "$ACTION" == "up" ]; then
mount /local/mount/point/one
mount /local/mount/point/two
fi

the network shares should be mounted whenever connecting to the wifi SSID. the <code>noauto</code> in fstab tells the system not to attempt to mount those shares on startup, so it doesn’t have to wait for that to fail when they’re not available. the NetworkManager script makes sure to mount them once connected to the correct wifi, but if you’re going to connect to your network with a cable it won’t see the ssid and you’ll need to issue the mount commands manually.

=== change user id ===
ubuntu uses 1000 as the id for the user it creates, but i have a different id on my server and they need to match up for nfs to know who i am. you can’t change your user id while you’re logged in, so i’ll create another admin account temporarily and use that. do that and set a password with the following:

sudo useradd -G adm,sudo -m -s /bin/bash tempadmin
sudo passwd tempadmin

now log out and you should be able to log back in as tempadmin with the password you just set, though it may be necessary to restart if it tells you your original user is in use by a process (which it’s been doing to me with this process for a few years now). run the following command to change your user id and update automounting:

sudo usermod -u [new_ID] [username]
sudo setfacl -m "u:[username]:r-x" /media/
sudo setfacl -x "u:1000" /media/

now we just need to get rid of tempadmin, so log out and log back in as your actual user. run <code>sudo userdel tempadmin</code> to go back to just one user. again, restart seems to be necessary as logging out doesn’t end all processes for the user.

== remote control ==
remmina is back in the default install as of 23.10 and works great to connect to my home desktop using vnc (i use tightvnc server on windows 11 there). it is simple to install it though if it wasn’t there for you:

sudo apt install remmina

i create two connections for my home desktop — one that uses my lan ip and another that uses the subdomain i keep mapped to my internet ip. both use remmina vnc plugin for the protocol and specify [ip]:[port] or [subdomain]:[port] since i use a custom vnc port. username can be left blank, and user password can save my connection password. setting the password means if someone else got access to my laptop they could also access my desktop, so be sure to weigh the convenience against security for your situation.

i connect to my work computer over rdp, which i also do through remmina. create a new connection leaving the protocol on the default of RDP - Remote Desktop Protocol and set the server, username, password, and domain for the connection. switch to the advanced tab and change audio output mode to local to get both the speakers and microphone to work. toward the bottom, you might need to check the box to ignore certificate because when i installed this version it still wouldn’t trust my work computer’s certificate after it asked me about it and i said to trust it. save the connection. on the first connection (we’ll need to set up and connect to vpn first), it asks to accept a certificate for the machine.

in remmina preferences i turn off the setting that prevents screenshots from entering clipboard. then under applet, check the box to start in tray upon user login (if it’s not already checked). under keyboard i remove the host key since i commonly use the right control key for normal keyboard shortcuts, and i don’t really need to give up another key for remmina shortcuts i don’t remember anyway. under rdp, map the caps lock key to insert by entering 0x3a=0x52 for keyboard scancode remapping (needs to be done separately from mapping it locally because rdp doesn’t care about local mappings even when i check the box to use client keyboard mapping).

== work vpn ==
my job provides cisco anyconnect vpn for me to connect remotely, but thankfully it’s compatible with openconnect which is *much* easier to use and integrates with the network manager built into ubuntu. install openconnect with its network manager integration and its editor (gnome is the name of the desktop environment ubuntu uses, even for cinnamon):

sudo apt install network-manager-openconnect-gnome

now go to the network icon in the panel (lower right, probably looks like wifi), click it, and choose "Network Connections." add a new connection using the plus button in the lower left of that window, and choose "Cisco AnyConnect or OpenConnect (OpenConnect)" from under the VPN heading. give it a name (i use the company name) and enter the vpn server as the gateway (something like vpn.example.com). the vpn protocol should already be set to "cisco anyconnect or openconnect" from the earlier choice. set user agent to "AnyConnect" so it won't give a 404 error trying to connect. i also needed to go to the ipv6 settings tab and disable it because otherwise my remote desktop connection fails. save the connection.

now, just under the list of available SSIDs in the network menu it will show "VPN Connections" with a toggle next to it. select this to connect. i have to click the login button in the window that pops up, then enter my work email, then my work password, then go to my phone and enter the number that shows on my laptop into the authenticator app, then verify my fingerprint. there was a time openconnect would save my username and password even while anyconnect didn’t, but unfortunately that time has passed. once it finishes connecting you should see the lock icon on your wifi. disconnect either by deselecting the vpn the same way you selected it to connect or by shutting down the laptop.

= configuration =
== map caps lock key as insert ==
to remap capslock to insert for the entire machine, edit <code>/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc</code> as root, and set the <code>key <CAPS></code> line to:

key <CAPS> {[ Insert ]};

this takes effect on your next login. it doesn’t apply to rdp connections in remmina though, so be sure to also follow the instructions from earlier for mapping it there too.

== system settings ==
access system settings from the panel menu. they’re grouped into sections so i’m using those same groupings here. if i don’t list a settings option it’s because i don’t actually change anything in that one.

=== appearance ===
==== background ====
default background files are <code>/usr/share/backgrounds/</code>, so that’s where i put my own backgrounds. this isn’t enough to make them automatically show in settings > background though, so use the add button (bottom left) to get that backgrounds directory added, then select it and a background.

==== effects ====
i have all the effects turned on, and set new windows and close windows to fly while leaving minimize traditional.

==== themes ====
it defaulted to a dark theme, so i change the application and icon themes to a dark yaru one with the accent color i want. under settings i set dark mode to prefer dark mode and turn on icons for menus and buttons.

=== preferences ===
==== account details ====
similar to background files, i create <code>/usr/share/avatars/</code> to hold user avatars. there are some default avatar choices but i haven’t been able to find where those are stored. click the use picture and choose browse for more pictures to select your preferred avatar.

==== applets ====
configure calendar to set custom date format to <code>%l:%M %p %a %b %-e </code> (with two trailing spaces) to take up less space and use 12-hour time. similarly set date format for tooltip to <code>%A, %B %e, %l:%M %p</code> to use 12-hour time. select corner bar and click the minus button at the bottom to remove it. configure menu to use a custom icon and label, then set icon to <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/icons/ubuntucinnamon-symbolic.png</code> and icon size to 28 to keep the same icon and clear the text so it doesn’t take up space. also turn on menu animations.

==== date & time ====
turn off 24 hour clock and display seconds.

==== desktop ====
turn off all the desktop icons.

=== hardware ===
==== mouse and touchpad ====
under touchpad, i turn off reverse scrolling direction so that two-finger touchpad scroll works like moving the scroll bar not moving the content.

==== power management ====
change power button behavior to nothing. my laptop's power button is placed where i can very easily hit it by accident when picking it up so i prefer that it ignores when that happens.

==== sound ====
one of the reasons i prefer linux on my laptop is the over-amplification setting. turn on overamplification at the bottom of the output tab, which is often handy running off built-in speakers.

=== administration ===
==== login window ====
i like to use my own background for the login screen. set that here and then turn off draw user background to have a login background all the time. set the themes as close as i can to the themes i picked in themes. under settings, change clock format to <code>%l:%M %p</code> for 12-hour format.

= remove software =
sudo apt remove pidgin rhythmbox simple-scan
sudo apt autoremove

= install software =
here's some software i find useful to add:

sudo apt install gimp puddletag xsane

== firefox ==
=== touch scroll zoom ===
while the touch screen makes most windows scroll, firefox selects text by default. to make a lasting change edit <code>/etc/security/pam_env.conf</code> and add a line (i add it to the end) with <code>MOZ_USE_XINPUT2 DEFAULT=0 OVERRIDE=1</code>. this should take effect on next login.

=== switch away from snap ===
ubuntu comes with firefox (and thunderbird) installed through snap, but i’ve had problems with it telling me firefox needs to update but can’t because it's running. found these instructions on [omgubuntu.co.uk](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2022/04/how-to-install-firefox-deb-apt-ubuntu-22-04) — start by running these commands to remove the snap firefox and the apt redirect to snap firefox, trust mozilla’s signing, and add a mozilla source.

sudo snap remove firefox
sudo apt remove firefox
wget -q https://packages.mozilla.org/apt/repo-signing-key.gpg -O- | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc > /dev/null
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc] https://packages.mozilla.org/apt mozilla main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mozilla.list > /dev/null

then set priority to the mozilla source and suppress ubuntu’s redirect to snap:

echo '
Package: *
Pin: origin packages.mozilla.org
Pin-Priority: 1000

Package: firefox*
Pin: release o=Ubuntu
Pin-Priority: -1' | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozilla

lastly, update to include the mozilla source and install that (now prioritized) firefox package:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install firefox

User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 25.10 Questing Quokka Setup

2025-10-24T03:38:31Z

Misterhaan: /* work vpn */ useragent override

i use ubuntu cinnamon linux as my main operating system on my laptop. since the laptop came with windows 10 (which i upgraded to windows 11), i keep that around so i can choose windows on startup when i need one of the manufacturer’s utilities. these instructions are what i did when i installed ubuntu cinnamon 25.10 questing quokka on my laptop westinghouse. i started with ubuntu cinnamon desktop (minimized) so there’s less to uninstall. i do install third-party graphics and wifi as well as additional media formats. as an upgrade i choose to erase my previous ubuntu and install over that, but there’s also an install alongside option for the initial setup keeping windows around. i don’t use file encryption because i keep my important files on a server instead.

= connections to other systems =
most of what i use my laptop for is connecting to other systems, including my home file shares. i set those up first so i have access to my files and the ability to connect to my home desktop and work computer right away.

== home server nfs shares ==
i have command-line ubuntu installed on a different computer at home that stores my files, so my laptop should mount its shares when i’m on my home network. i can’t just do a normal mount because if i travel with my laptop, my home server isn’t available and i have to wait for those connections to time out before it will finish booting. still, the first couple steps are the same as mounting the shares from a desktop:

# edit <code>/etc/hosts</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/hosts</code> and add a line mapping the lan ip of the server to its name. follow the format of the line that has 127.0.0.1 localhost. saving this change makes sure the laptop can resolve the name of the server, which usually doesn’t work without this step.
# install nfs support with <code>sudo apt install nfs-common</code>
# edit <code>/etc/fstab</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/fstab</code> and add a line for each nfs share to mount, in this format: <code>server:/nfs_share /local/mount/point nfs noexec,noauto 0 0</code>
# create the local mount points for each share (the second column in fstab) with a command like <code>sudo mkdir /local/mount/point</code>
# create a new file as root in <code>/etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/</code> and enter the following code (make sure to put in your ssid and your actual mount points), then set its permissions to rwxr-xr-x with <code>chmod 755 /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/nfs-mount</code>:

#!/bin/bash
SSID="your-wifi-ssid"
INTERFACE=$1
ACTION=$2
ESSID=`nmcli -t -f active,ssid dev wifi | egrep '^yes' | cut -d: -f2`

if [ "$SSID" == "$ESSID" ] && [ "$ACTION" == "up" ]; then
mount /local/mount/point/one
mount /local/mount/point/two
fi

the network shares should be mounted whenever connecting to the wifi SSID. the <code>noauto</code> in fstab tells the system not to attempt to mount those shares on startup, so it doesn’t have to wait for that to fail when they’re not available. the NetworkManager script makes sure to mount them once connected to the correct wifi, but if you’re going to connect to your network with a cable it won’t see the ssid and you’ll need to issue the mount commands manually.

=== change user id ===
ubuntu uses 1000 as the id for the user it creates, but i have a different id on my server and they need to match up for nfs to know who i am. you can’t change your user id while you’re logged in, so i’ll create another admin account temporarily and use that. do that and set a password with the following:

sudo useradd -G adm,sudo -m -s /bin/bash tempadmin
sudo passwd tempadmin

now log out and you should be able to log back in as tempadmin with the password you just set, though it may be necessary to restart if it tells you your original user is in use by a process. run the following command to change your user id and update automounting:

sudo usermod -u [new_ID] [username]
sudo setfacl -m "u:[username]:r-x" /media/
sudo setfacl -x "u:1000" /media/

now we just need to get rid of tempadmin, so log out and log back in as your actual user. run <code>sudo userdel tempadmin</code> to go back to just one user. again, restart seems to be necessary as logging out doesn’t end all processes for the user.

== remote control ==
remmina is back in the default install as of 23.10 and works great to connect to my home desktop using vnc (i use tightvnc server on windows 11 there). it is simple to install it though if it wasn’t there for you:

sudo apt install remmina

i create two connections for my home desktop -- one that uses my lan ip and another that uses the subdomain i keep mapped to my internet ip. both use remmina vnc plugin for the protocol and specify [ip]:[port] or [subdomain]:[port] since i use a custom vnc port. username can be left blank, and user password can save my connection password. setting the password means if someone else got access to my laptop they could also access my desktop, so be sure to weigh the convenience against security for your situation.

i connect to my work computer over rdp, which i also do through remmina. create a new connection leaving the protocol on the default of RDP - Remote Desktop Protocol and set the server, username, password, and domain for the connection. switch to the advanced tab and change audio output mode to local to get both the speakers and microphone to work. toward the bottom, you might need to check the box to ignore certificates because when i installed this version it still wouldn’t trust my work computer’s certificate after it asked me about it and i said to trust it. save the connection. on the first connection (we’ll need to set up and connect to vpn first), it asks to accept a certificate for the machine.

in remmina preferences i turn off the setting that prevents screenshots from entering clipboard. then under applet, check the box to start in tray upon user login (if it’s not already checked). under keyboard i remove the host key since i commonly use the right control key for normal keyboard shortcuts, and i don’t really need to give up another key for remmina shortcuts i don’t remember anyway. under rdp, map the caps lock key to insert by entering 0x3a=0x52 for keyboard scancode remapping (needs to be done separately from mapping it locally because rdp doesn’t care about local mappings even when i check the box to use client keyboard mapping).

== work vpn ==
my job provides cisco anyconnect vpn for me to connect remotely, but thankfully it’s compatible with openconnect which is *much* easier to use and integrates with the network manager built into ubuntu. install openconnect, its network manager integration, and its editor (gnome is the name of the desktop environment ubuntu uses, even for cinnamon):

sudo apt install openconnect network-manager-openconnect network-manager-openconnect-gnome

now go to the network icon in the panel (lower right, probably looks like wifi), click it, and choose "Network Connections." add a new connection using the plus button in the lower left of that window, and choose "Cisco AnyConnect or OpenConnect (OpenConnect)" from under the VPN heading. give it a name (i use the company name) and enter the vpn server as the gateway (something like vpn.example.com). the vpn protocol should already be set to "cisco anyconnect or openconnect" from the earlier choice. set user agent to "AnyConnect" so it won't give a 404 error trying to connect. save the connection.

now, just under the list of available SSIDs in the network menu it will show "VPN Connections" with a toggle next to it. select this to connect. the first time you do this it will prompt for username and password, which you can tell it to remember so it's even easier next time. the window stays open for me until i confirm that it's me connecting through the authenticator app on my phone — my only real problem with this system is that it doesn't tell me i need to do that if i'm only looking at my laptop . . . but anyconnect doesn't either. disconnect by toggling VPN Connections back to off.

= configuration =
== map caps lock key as insert ==
to remap capslock to insert for the entire machine, edit <code>/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc</code> as root, and set the <code>key <CAPS></code> line to:

key <CAPS> {[ Insert ]};

this takes effect on your next login. it doesn’t apply to rdp connections in remmina though, so be sure to also follow the instructions from earlier for mapping it there too.

== system settings ==
access system settings from the panel menu. they’re grouped into sections so i’m using those same groupings here. if i don’t list a settings option it’s because i don’t actually change anything in that one.

=== appearance ===
==== background ====
default background files are <code>/usr/share/backgrounds/</code>, so that’s where i put my own backgrounds. this isn’t enough to make them automatically show in settings > background though, so use the add button (bottom left) to get that backgrounds directory added, then select it and a background.

==== effects ====
i have all the effects turned on, and set new windows and close windows to fly while leaving minimize traditional.

==== themes ====
it defaulted to a dark theme, so i change the application and icon themes to a dark yaru one with the accent color i want. under settings i set dark mode to prefer dark mode and turn on icons for menus and buttons.

=== preferences ===
==== account details ====
similar to background files, i create <code>/usr/share/avatars/</code> to hold user avatars. there are some default avatar choices but i haven’t been able to find where those are stored. click the use picture and choose browse for more pictures to select your preferred avatar.

==== applets ====
configure calendar to set custom date format to <code>%l:%M %p %a %b %-e </code> (with two trailing spaces) to take up less space and use 12-hour time. similarly set date format for tooltip to <code>%A, %B %e, %l:%M %p</code> to use 12-hour time. select corner bar and click the minus button at the bottom to remove it. configure menu to use a custom icon and label, then set icon to <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/icons/ubuntucinnamon-symbolic.png</code> and icon size to 28 to keep the same icon and clear the text so it doesn’t take up space. also turn on menu animations.

==== date & time ====
turn off 24 hour clock and display seconds.

==== desktop ====
turn off all the desktop icons.

=== hardware ===
==== mouse and touchpad ====
under touchpad, i turn off reverse scrolling direction so that two-finger touchpad scroll works like moving the scroll bar not moving the content.

==== power management ====
change power button behavior to nothing. my laptop's power button is placed where i can very easily hit it by accident when picking it up so i prefer that it ignores when that happens.

==== sound ====
one of the reasons i prefer linux on my laptop is the over-amplification setting. turn on overamplification at the bottom of the output tab, which is often handy running off built-in speakers.

=== administration ===
==== login window ====
i like to use my own background for the login screen. set that here and then turn off draw user background to have a login background all the time. set the themes as close as i can to the themes i picked in themes. under settings, change clock format to <code>%l:%M %p</code> for 12-hour format.

== firefox touch scroll zoom ==
while the touch screen makes most windows scroll, firefox selects text by default. to make a lasting change edit <code>/etc/security/pam_env.conf</code> and add a line (i add it to the end) with <code>MOZ_USE_XINPUT2 DEFAULT=0 OVERRIDE=1</code>. this should take effect on next login.

= remove software =
sudo apt remove pidgin rhythmbox simple-scan
sudo apt autoremove

= install software =
here's some software i find useful to add:

sudo apt install gimp puddletag xsane

== firefox ==
ubuntu comes with firefox (and thunderbird) installed through snap, but i’ve had problems with it telling me firefox needs to update but can’t because it's running. found these instructions on [omgubuntu.co.uk](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2022/04/how-to-install-firefox-deb-apt-ubuntu-22-04) — start by running these commands to remove the snap firefox and the apt redirect to snap firefox, trust mozilla’s signing, and add a mozilla source.

sudo snap remove firefox
sudo apt remove firefox
wget -q https://packages.mozilla.org/apt/repo-signing-key.gpg -O- | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc > /dev/null
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc] https://packages.mozilla.org/apt mozilla main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mozilla.list > /dev/null

then set priority to the mozilla source and suppress ubuntu’s redirect to snap:

echo '
Package: *
Pin: origin packages.mozilla.org
Pin-Priority: 1000

Package: firefox*
Pin: release o=Ubuntu
Pin-Priority: -1' | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozilla

lastly, update to include the mozilla source and install that (now prioritized) firefox package:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install firefox

== steam ==
there’s a steam-installer in the repository but it fails to install. looking for a solution i found someone claiming the apt package is a redirect to snap, and snap just doesn’t work well (maybe it’s not mature enough). so instead, go to the steam website and download the installer from there. it gave me a file named steam_latest.deb. install it and dependencies with `sudo apt install ~/Downloads/steam_latest.deb` and then run steam to complete the installation and sign in to steam.

== visual studio code ==
visual studio code isn’t in the default apt repositories (it’s in snap but snap doesn’t update well), but downloading and installing the deb actually adds it to apt so it can keep updating. note the filename will probably change to whichever version is current, so for the last two lines press the tab key to autocomplete after you’ve typed “code”:

wget 'https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/download?build=stable&os=linux-deb-x64' --trust-server-names
sudo dpkg -i code_1.105.1-1760482543_amd64.deb
rm code_1.105.1-1760482543_amd64.deb

== zoom ==
the official way to install zoom on ubuntu is to download the deb and install that, but it won’t auto-update and i end up having to manually update before every time i use it. instead, set up a custom archive that will update itself with everything else. start with installing apt-utils which is required but not in the default install as of 25.10:

sudo apt install apt-utils

next copy this into a script file (run <code>chmod +x install-zoom</code> assuming you’ve saved it as install-zoom) and run it:

#!/usr/bin/env bash

url=https://zoom.us/client/latest/zoom_amd64.deb
debdir=/usr/local/zoomdebs
aptconf=/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/100update_zoom
sourcelist=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/zoomdebs.list

sudo mkdir -p $debdir
( echo 'APT::Update::Pre-Invoke {"cd '$debdir' && wget -qN '$url' && apt-ftparchive packages . > Packages && apt-ftparchive release . > Release";};' | sudo tee $aptconf
echo 'deb [trusted=yes lang=none] file:'$debdir' ./' | sudo tee $sourcelist
) >/dev/null

sudo apt update
sudo apt install zoom

User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 25.10 Questing Quokka Setup

2025-10-23T22:51:01Z

Misterhaan: add instructions for apt-utils

i use ubuntu cinnamon linux as my main operating system on my laptop. since the laptop came with windows 10 (which i upgraded to windows 11), i keep that around so i can choose windows on startup when i need one of the manufacturer’s utilities. these instructions are what i did when i installed ubuntu cinnamon 25.10 questing quokka on my laptop westinghouse. i started with ubuntu cinnamon desktop (minimized) so there’s less to uninstall. i do install third-party graphics and wifi as well as additional media formats. as an upgrade i choose to erase my previous ubuntu and install over that, but there’s also an install alongside option for the initial setup keeping windows around. i don’t use file encryption because i keep my important files on a server instead.

= connections to other systems =
most of what i use my laptop for is connecting to other systems, including my home file shares. i set those up first so i have access to my files and the ability to connect to my home desktop and work computer right away.

== home server nfs shares ==
i have command-line ubuntu installed on a different computer at home that stores my files, so my laptop should mount its shares when i’m on my home network. i can’t just do a normal mount because if i travel with my laptop, my home server isn’t available and i have to wait for those connections to time out before it will finish booting. still, the first couple steps are the same as mounting the shares from a desktop:

# edit <code>/etc/hosts</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/hosts</code> and add a line mapping the lan ip of the server to its name. follow the format of the line that has 127.0.0.1 localhost. saving this change makes sure the laptop can resolve the name of the server, which usually doesn’t work without this step.
# install nfs support with <code>sudo apt install nfs-common</code>
# edit <code>/etc/fstab</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/fstab</code> and add a line for each nfs share to mount, in this format: <code>server:/nfs_share /local/mount/point nfs noexec,noauto 0 0</code>
# create the local mount points for each share (the second column in fstab) with a command like <code>sudo mkdir /local/mount/point</code>
# create a new file as root in <code>/etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/</code> and enter the following code (make sure to put in your ssid and your actual mount points), then set its permissions to rwxr-xr-x with <code>chmod 755 /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/nfs-mount</code>:

#!/bin/bash
SSID="your-wifi-ssid"
INTERFACE=$1
ACTION=$2
ESSID=`nmcli -t -f active,ssid dev wifi | egrep '^yes' | cut -d: -f2`

if [ "$SSID" == "$ESSID" ] && [ "$ACTION" == "up" ]; then
mount /local/mount/point/one
mount /local/mount/point/two
fi

the network shares should be mounted whenever connecting to the wifi SSID. the <code>noauto</code> in fstab tells the system not to attempt to mount those shares on startup, so it doesn’t have to wait for that to fail when they’re not available. the NetworkManager script makes sure to mount them once connected to the correct wifi, but if you’re going to connect to your network with a cable it won’t see the ssid and you’ll need to issue the mount commands manually.

=== change user id ===
ubuntu uses 1000 as the id for the user it creates, but i have a different id on my server and they need to match up for nfs to know who i am. you can’t change your user id while you’re logged in, so i’ll create another admin account temporarily and use that. do that and set a password with the following:

sudo useradd -G adm,sudo -m -s /bin/bash tempadmin
sudo passwd tempadmin

now log out and you should be able to log back in as tempadmin with the password you just set, though it may be necessary to restart if it tells you your original user is in use by a process. run the following command to change your user id and update automounting:

sudo usermod -u [new_ID] [username]
sudo setfacl -m "u:[username]:r-x" /media/
sudo setfacl -x "u:1000" /media/

now we just need to get rid of tempadmin, so log out and log back in as your actual user. run <code>sudo userdel tempadmin</code> to go back to just one user. again, restart seems to be necessary as logging out doesn’t end all processes for the user.

== remote control ==
remmina is back in the default install as of 23.10 and works great to connect to my home desktop using vnc (i use tightvnc server on windows 11 there). it is simple to install it though if it wasn’t there for you:

sudo apt install remmina

i create two connections for my home desktop -- one that uses my lan ip and another that uses the subdomain i keep mapped to my internet ip. both use remmina vnc plugin for the protocol and specify [ip]:[port] or [subdomain]:[port] since i use a custom vnc port. username can be left blank, and user password can save my connection password. setting the password means if someone else got access to my laptop they could also access my desktop, so be sure to weigh the convenience against security for your situation.

i connect to my work computer over rdp, which i also do through remmina. create a new connection leaving the protocol on the default of RDP - Remote Desktop Protocol and set the server, username, password, and domain for the connection. switch to the advanced tab and change audio output mode to local to get both the speakers and microphone to work. toward the bottom, you might need to check the box to ignore certificates because when i installed this version it still wouldn’t trust my work computer’s certificate after it asked me about it and i said to trust it. save the connection. on the first connection (we’ll need to set up and connect to vpn first), it asks to accept a certificate for the machine.

in remmina preferences i turn off the setting that prevents screenshots from entering clipboard. then under applet, check the box to start in tray upon user login (if it’s not already checked). under keyboard i remove the host key since i commonly use the right control key for normal keyboard shortcuts, and i don’t really need to give up another key for remmina shortcuts i don’t remember anyway. under rdp, map the caps lock key to insert by entering 0x3a=0x52 for keyboard scancode remapping (needs to be done separately from mapping it locally because rdp doesn’t care about local mappings even when i check the box to use client keyboard mapping).

== work vpn ==
my job provides cisco anyconnect vpn for me to connect remotely, but thankfully it’s compatible with openconnect which is *much* easier to use and integrates with the network manager built into ubuntu. install openconnect, its network manager integration, and its editor (gnome is the name of the desktop environment ubuntu uses, even for cinnamon):

sudo apt install openconnect network-manager-openconnect network-manager-openconnect-gnome

now go to the network icon in the panel (lower right, probably looks like wifi), click it, and choose "Network Connections." add a new connection using the plus button in the lower left of that window, and choose "Cisco AnyConnect or OpenConnect (OpenConnect)" from under the VPN heading. give it a name (i use the company name) and enter the vpn server as the gateway (something like vpn.example.com). the vpn protocol should already be set to "cisco anyconnect or openconnect" from the earlier choice. save the connection.

now, just under the list of available SSIDs in the network menu it will show "VPN Connections" with a toggle next to it. select this to connect. the first time you do this it will prompt for username and password, which you can tell it to remember so it's even easier next time. the window stays open for me until i confirm that it's me connecting through the authenticator app on my phone — my only real problem with this system is that it doesn't tell me i need to do that if i'm only looking at my laptop . . . but anyconnect doesn't either. disconnect by toggling VPN Connections back to off.

= configuration =
== map caps lock key as insert ==
to remap capslock to insert for the entire machine, edit <code>/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc</code> as root, and set the <code>key <CAPS></code> line to:

key <CAPS> {[ Insert ]};

this takes effect on your next login. it doesn’t apply to rdp connections in remmina though, so be sure to also follow the instructions from earlier for mapping it there too.

== system settings ==
access system settings from the panel menu. they’re grouped into sections so i’m using those same groupings here. if i don’t list a settings option it’s because i don’t actually change anything in that one.

=== appearance ===
==== background ====
default background files are <code>/usr/share/backgrounds/</code>, so that’s where i put my own backgrounds. this isn’t enough to make them automatically show in settings > background though, so use the add button (bottom left) to get that backgrounds directory added, then select it and a background.

==== effects ====
i have all the effects turned on, and set new windows and close windows to fly while leaving minimize traditional.

==== themes ====
it defaulted to a dark theme, so i change the application and icon themes to a dark yaru one with the accent color i want. under settings i set dark mode to prefer dark mode and turn on icons for menus and buttons.

=== preferences ===
==== account details ====
similar to background files, i create <code>/usr/share/avatars/</code> to hold user avatars. there are some default avatar choices but i haven’t been able to find where those are stored. click the use picture and choose browse for more pictures to select your preferred avatar.

==== applets ====
configure calendar to set custom date format to <code>%l:%M %p %a %b %-e </code> (with two trailing spaces) to take up less space and use 12-hour time. similarly set date format for tooltip to <code>%A, %B %e, %l:%M %p</code> to use 12-hour time. select corner bar and click the minus button at the bottom to remove it. configure menu to use a custom icon and label, then set icon to <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/icons/ubuntucinnamon-symbolic.png</code> and icon size to 28 to keep the same icon and clear the text so it doesn’t take up space. also turn on menu animations.

==== date & time ====
turn off 24 hour clock and display seconds.

==== desktop ====
turn off all the desktop icons.

=== hardware ===
==== mouse and touchpad ====
under touchpad, i turn off reverse scrolling direction so that two-finger touchpad scroll works like moving the scroll bar not moving the content.

==== power management ====
change power button behavior to nothing. my laptop's power button is placed where i can very easily hit it by accident when picking it up so i prefer that it ignores when that happens.

==== sound ====
one of the reasons i prefer linux on my laptop is the over-amplification setting. turn on overamplification at the bottom of the output tab, which is often handy running off built-in speakers.

=== administration ===
==== login window ====
i like to use my own background for the login screen. set that here and then turn off draw user background to have a login background all the time. set the themes as close as i can to the themes i picked in themes. under settings, change clock format to <code>%l:%M %p</code> for 12-hour format.

== firefox touch scroll zoom ==
while the touch screen makes most windows scroll, firefox selects text by default. to make a lasting change edit <code>/etc/security/pam_env.conf</code> and add a line (i add it to the end) with <code>MOZ_USE_XINPUT2 DEFAULT=0 OVERRIDE=1</code>. this should take effect on next login.

= remove software =
sudo apt remove pidgin rhythmbox simple-scan
sudo apt autoremove

= install software =
here's some software i find useful to add:

sudo apt install gimp puddletag xsane

== firefox ==
ubuntu comes with firefox (and thunderbird) installed through snap, but i’ve had problems with it telling me firefox needs to update but can’t because it's running. found these instructions on [omgubuntu.co.uk](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2022/04/how-to-install-firefox-deb-apt-ubuntu-22-04) — start by running these commands to remove the snap firefox and the apt redirect to snap firefox, trust mozilla’s signing, and add a mozilla source.

sudo snap remove firefox
sudo apt remove firefox
wget -q https://packages.mozilla.org/apt/repo-signing-key.gpg -O- | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc > /dev/null
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc] https://packages.mozilla.org/apt mozilla main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mozilla.list > /dev/null

then set priority to the mozilla source and suppress ubuntu’s redirect to snap:

echo '
Package: *
Pin: origin packages.mozilla.org
Pin-Priority: 1000

Package: firefox*
Pin: release o=Ubuntu
Pin-Priority: -1' | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozilla

lastly, update to include the mozilla source and install that (now prioritized) firefox package:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install firefox

== steam ==
there’s a steam-installer in the repository but it fails to install. looking for a solution i found someone claiming the apt package is a redirect to snap, and snap just doesn’t work well (maybe it’s not mature enough). so instead, go to the steam website and download the installer from there. it gave me a file named steam_latest.deb. install it and dependencies with `sudo apt install ~/Downloads/steam_latest.deb` and then run steam to complete the installation and sign in to steam.

== visual studio code ==
visual studio code isn’t in the default apt repositories (it’s in snap but snap doesn’t update well), but downloading and installing the deb actually adds it to apt so it can keep updating. note the filename will probably change to whichever version is current, so for the last two lines press the tab key to autocomplete after you’ve typed “code”:

wget 'https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/download?build=stable&os=linux-deb-x64' --trust-server-names
sudo dpkg -i code_1.105.1-1760482543_amd64.deb
rm code_1.105.1-1760482543_amd64.deb

== zoom ==
the official way to install zoom on ubuntu is to download the deb and install that, but it won’t auto-update and i end up having to manually update before every time i use it. instead, set up a custom archive that will update itself with everything else. start with installing apt-utils which is required but not in the default install as of 25.10:

sudo apt install apt-utils

next copy this into a script file (run <code>chmod +x install-zoom</code> assuming you’ve saved it as install-zoom) and run it:

#!/usr/bin/env bash

url=https://zoom.us/client/latest/zoom_amd64.deb
debdir=/usr/local/zoomdebs
aptconf=/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/100update_zoom
sourcelist=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/zoomdebs.list

sudo mkdir -p $debdir
( echo 'APT::Update::Pre-Invoke {"cd '$debdir' && wget -qN '$url' && apt-ftparchive packages . > Packages && apt-ftparchive release . > Release";};' | sudo tee $aptconf
echo 'deb [trusted=yes lang=none] file:'$debdir' ./' | sudo tee $sourcelist
) >/dev/null

sudo apt update
sudo apt install zoom

User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 25.10 Questing Quokka Setup

2025-10-22T03:16:56Z

Misterhaan: more setup progress

i use ubuntu cinnamon linux as my main operating system on my laptop. since the laptop came with windows 10 (which i upgraded to windows 11), i keep that around so i can choose windows on startup when i need one of the manufacturer’s utilities. these instructions are what i did when i installed ubuntu cinnamon 25.10 questing quokka on my laptop westinghouse. i started with ubuntu cinnamon desktop (minimized) so there’s less to uninstall. i do install third-party graphics and wifi as well as additional media formats. as an upgrade i choose to erase my previous ubuntu and install over that, but there’s also an install alongside option for the initial setup keeping windows around. i don’t use file encryption because i keep my important files on a server instead.

= connections to other systems =
most of what i use my laptop for is connecting to other systems, including my home file shares. i set those up first so i have access to my files and the ability to connect to my home desktop and work computer right away.

== home server nfs shares ==
i have command-line ubuntu installed on a different computer at home that stores my files, so my laptop should mount its shares when i’m on my home network. i can’t just do a normal mount because if i travel with my laptop, my home server isn’t available and i have to wait for those connections to time out before it will finish booting. still, the first couple steps are the same as mounting the shares from a desktop:

# edit <code>/etc/hosts</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/hosts</code> and add a line mapping the lan ip of the server to its name. follow the format of the line that has 127.0.0.1 localhost. saving this change makes sure the laptop can resolve the name of the server, which usually doesn’t work without this step.
# install nfs support with <code>sudo apt install nfs-common</code>
# edit <code>/etc/fstab</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/fstab</code> and add a line for each nfs share to mount, in this format: <code>server:/nfs_share /local/mount/point nfs noexec,noauto 0 0</code>
# create the local mount points for each share (the second column in fstab) with a command like <code>sudo mkdir /local/mount/point</code>
# create a new file as root in <code>/etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/</code> and enter the following code (make sure to put in your ssid and your actual mount points), then set its permissions to rwxr-xr-x with <code>chmod 755 /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/nfs-mount</code>:

#!/bin/bash
SSID="your-wifi-ssid"
INTERFACE=$1
ACTION=$2
ESSID=`nmcli -t -f active,ssid dev wifi | egrep '^yes' | cut -d: -f2`

if [ "$SSID" == "$ESSID" ] && [ "$ACTION" == "up" ]; then
mount /local/mount/point/one
mount /local/mount/point/two
fi

the network shares should be mounted whenever connecting to the wifi SSID. the <code>noauto</code> in fstab tells the system not to attempt to mount those shares on startup, so it doesn’t have to wait for that to fail when they’re not available. the NetworkManager script makes sure to mount them once connected to the correct wifi, but if you’re going to connect to your network with a cable it won’t see the ssid and you’ll need to issue the mount commands manually.

=== change user id ===
ubuntu uses 1000 as the id for the user it creates, but i have a different id on my server and they need to match up for nfs to know who i am. you can’t change your user id while you’re logged in, so i’ll create another admin account temporarily and use that. do that and set a password with the following:

sudo useradd -G adm,sudo -m -s /bin/bash tempadmin
sudo passwd tempadmin

now log out and you should be able to log back in as tempadmin with the password you just set, though it may be necessary to restart if it tells you your original user is in use by a process. run the following command to change your user id and update automounting:

sudo usermod -u [new_ID] [username]
sudo setfacl -m "u:[username]:r-x" /media/
sudo setfacl -x "u:1000" /media/

now we just need to get rid of tempadmin, so log out and log back in as your actual user. run <code>sudo userdel tempadmin</code> to go back to just one user. again, restart seems to be necessary as logging out doesn’t end all processes for the user.

== remote control ==
remmina is back in the default install as of 23.10 and works great to connect to my home desktop using vnc (i use tightvnc server on windows 11 there). it is simple to install it though if it wasn’t there for you:

sudo apt install remmina

i create two connections for my home desktop -- one that uses my lan ip and another that uses the subdomain i keep mapped to my internet ip. both use remmina vnc plugin for the protocol and specify [ip]:[port] or [subdomain]:[port] since i use a custom vnc port. username can be left blank, and user password can save my connection password. setting the password means if someone else got access to my laptop they could also access my desktop, so be sure to weigh the convenience against security for your situation.

i connect to my work computer over rdp, which i also do through remmina. create a new connection leaving the protocol on the default of RDP - Remote Desktop Protocol and set the server, username, password, and domain for the connection. switch to the advanced tab and change audio output mode to local to get both the speakers and microphone to work. toward the bottom, you might need to check the box to ignore certificates because when i installed this version it still wouldn’t trust my work computer’s certificate after it asked me about it and i said to trust it. save the connection. on the first connection (we’ll need to set up and connect to vpn first), it asks to accept a certificate for the machine.

in remmina preferences i turn off the setting that prevents screenshots from entering clipboard. then under applet, check the box to start in tray upon user login (if it’s not already checked). under keyboard i remove the host key since i commonly use the right control key for normal keyboard shortcuts, and i don’t really need to give up another key for remmina shortcuts i don’t remember anyway. under rdp, map the caps lock key to insert by entering 0x3a=0x52 for keyboard scancode remapping (needs to be done separately from mapping it locally because rdp doesn’t care about local mappings even when i check the box to use client keyboard mapping).

== work vpn ==
my job provides cisco anyconnect vpn for me to connect remotely, but thankfully it’s compatible with openconnect which is *much* easier to use and integrates with the network manager built into ubuntu. install openconnect, its network manager integration, and its editor (gnome is the name of the desktop environment ubuntu uses, even for cinnamon):

sudo apt install openconnect network-manager-openconnect network-manager-openconnect-gnome

now go to the network icon in the panel (lower right, probably looks like wifi), click it, and choose "Network Connections." add a new connection using the plus button in the lower left of that window, and choose "Cisco AnyConnect or OpenConnect (OpenConnect)" from under the VPN heading. give it a name (i use the company name) and enter the vpn server as the gateway (something like vpn.example.com). the vpn protocol should already be set to "cisco anyconnect or openconnect" from the earlier choice. save the connection.

now, just under the list of available SSIDs in the network menu it will show "VPN Connections" with a toggle next to it. select this to connect. the first time you do this it will prompt for username and password, which you can tell it to remember so it's even easier next time. the window stays open for me until i confirm that it's me connecting through the authenticator app on my phone — my only real problem with this system is that it doesn't tell me i need to do that if i'm only looking at my laptop . . . but anyconnect doesn't either. disconnect by toggling VPN Connections back to off.

= configuration =
== map caps lock key as insert ==
to remap capslock to insert for the entire machine, edit <code>/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc</code> as root, and set the <code>key <CAPS></code> line to:

key <CAPS> {[ Insert ]};

this takes effect on your next login. it doesn’t apply to rdp connections in remmina though, so be sure to also follow the instructions from earlier for mapping it there too.

== system settings ==
access system settings from the panel menu. they’re grouped into sections so i’m using those same groupings here. if i don’t list a settings option it’s because i don’t actually change anything in that one.

=== appearance ===
==== background ====
default background files are <code>/usr/share/backgrounds/</code>, so that’s where i put my own backgrounds. this isn’t enough to make them automatically show in settings > background though, so use the add button (bottom left) to get that backgrounds directory added, then select it and a background.

==== effects ====
i have all the effects turned on, and set new windows and close windows to fly while leaving minimize traditional.

==== themes ====
it defaulted to a dark theme, so i change the application and icon themes to a dark yaru one with the accent color i want. under settings i set dark mode to prefer dark mode and turn on icons for menus and buttons.

=== preferences ===
==== account details ====
similar to background files, i create <code>/usr/share/avatars/</code> to hold user avatars. there are some default avatar choices but i haven’t been able to find where those are stored. click the use picture and choose browse for more pictures to select your preferred avatar.

==== applets ====
configure calendar to set custom date format to <code>%l:%M %p %a %b %-e </code> (with two trailing spaces) to take up less space and use 12-hour time. similarly set date format for tooltip to <code>%A, %B %e, %l:%M %p</code> to use 12-hour time. select corner bar and click the minus button at the bottom to remove it. configure menu to use a custom icon and label, then set icon to <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/icons/ubuntucinnamon-symbolic.png</code> and icon size to 28 to keep the same icon and clear the text so it doesn’t take up space. also turn on menu animations.

==== date & time ====
turn off 24 hour clock and display seconds.

==== desktop ====
turn off all the desktop icons.

=== hardware ===
==== mouse and touchpad ====
under touchpad, i turn off reverse scrolling direction so that two-finger touchpad scroll works like moving the scroll bar not moving the content.

==== power management ====
change power button behavior to nothing. my laptop's power button is placed where i can very easily hit it by accident when picking it up so i prefer that it ignores when that happens.

==== sound ====
one of the reasons i prefer linux on my laptop is the over-amplification setting. turn on overamplification at the bottom of the output tab, which is often handy running off built-in speakers.

=== administration ===
==== login window ====
i like to use my own background for the login screen. set that here and then turn off draw user background to have a login background all the time. set the themes as close as i can to the themes i picked in themes. under settings, change clock format to <code>%l:%M %p</code> for 12-hour format.

== firefox touch scroll zoom ==
while the touch screen makes most windows scroll, firefox selects text by default. to make a lasting change edit <code>/etc/security/pam_env.conf</code> and add a line (i add it to the end) with <code>MOZ_USE_XINPUT2 DEFAULT=0 OVERRIDE=1</code>. this should take effect on next login.

= remove software =
sudo apt remove pidgin rhythmbox simple-scan
sudo apt autoremove

= install software =
here's some software i find useful to add:

sudo apt install gimp puddletag xsane

== firefox ==
ubuntu comes with firefox (and thunderbird) installed through snap, but i’ve had problems with it telling me firefox needs to update but can’t because it's running. found these instructions on [omgubuntu.co.uk](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2022/04/how-to-install-firefox-deb-apt-ubuntu-22-04) — start by running these commands to remove the snap firefox and the apt redirect to snap firefox, trust mozilla’s signing, and add a mozilla source.

sudo snap remove firefox
sudo apt remove firefox
wget -q https://packages.mozilla.org/apt/repo-signing-key.gpg -O- | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc > /dev/null
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc] https://packages.mozilla.org/apt mozilla main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mozilla.list > /dev/null

then set priority to the mozilla source and suppress ubuntu’s redirect to snap:

echo '
Package: *
Pin: origin packages.mozilla.org
Pin-Priority: 1000

Package: firefox*
Pin: release o=Ubuntu
Pin-Priority: -1' | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozilla

lastly, update to include the mozilla source and install that (now prioritized) firefox package:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install firefox

== steam ==
there’s a steam-installer in the repository but it fails to install. looking for a solution i found someone claiming the apt package is a redirect to snap, and snap just doesn’t work well (maybe it’s not mature enough). so instead, go to the steam website and download the installer from there. it gave me a file named steam_latest.deb. install it and dependencies with `sudo apt install ~/Downloads/steam_latest.deb` and then run steam to complete the installation and sign in to steam.

== visual studio code ==
visual studio code isn’t in the default apt repositories (it’s in snap but snap doesn’t update well), but downloading and installing the deb actually adds it to apt so it can keep updating. note the filename will probably change to whichever version is current, so for the last two lines press the tab key to autocomplete after you’ve typed “code”:

wget 'https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/download?build=stable&os=linux-deb-x64' --trust-server-names
sudo dpkg -i code_1.105.1-1760482543_amd64.deb
rm code_1.105.1-1760482543_amd64.deb

== zoom ==
the official way to install zoom on ubuntu is to download the deb and install that, but it won’t auto-update and i end up having to manually update before every time i use it. instead, copy this into a script file (run <code>chmod +x install-zoom</code> assuming you’ve saved it as install-zoom) and run it:

#!/usr/bin/env bash

url=https://zoom.us/client/latest/zoom_amd64.deb
debdir=/usr/local/zoomdebs
aptconf=/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/100update_zoom
sourcelist=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/zoomdebs.list

sudo mkdir -p $debdir
( echo 'APT::Update::Pre-Invoke {"cd '$debdir' && wget -qN '$url' && apt-ftparchive packages . > Packages && apt-ftparchive release . > Release";};' | sudo tee $aptconf
echo 'deb [trusted=yes lang=none] file:'$debdir' ./' | sudo tee $sourcelist
) >/dev/null

sudo apt update
sudo apt install zoom

User:Misterhaan

2025-10-21T12:21:21Z

Misterhaan: add 25.10 inscrutions

I’m misterhaan, the owner of [http://www.track7.org/ track7], which includes auWiki. I wrote everything here so far (there are no [[Special:Listusers|other users]] yet!).

My own notes which may someday appear on track7 somewhere (mostly in the [http://www.track7.org/geek/guides/ guides / tips section]):
* [[/Nuvexport Tweaks|Nuvexport Tweaks]]
* [[User:Misterhaan/Dual Booting Ubuntu and Vista|Dual Booting Ubuntu and Vista]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 10 Setup|Windows 10 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 8.1 Setup|Windows 8.1 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 8 Setup|Windows 8 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 7 Setup|Windows 7 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Vista Setup|Vista Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Linux Client Setup|Linux Client Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 25.10 Questing Quokka Setup|Ubuntu 25.10 Questing Quokka Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 25.04 Plucky Puffin Setup|Ubuntu 25.04 Plucky Puffin Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 24.10 Oracular Oriole Setup|Ubuntu 24.10 Oracular Oriole Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 24.04 Noble Numbat Setup|Ubuntu 24.04 Noble Numbat Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 23.10 Mantic Minotaur Setup|Ubuntu 23.10 Mantic Minotaur Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 23.04 Lunar Lobster Setup|Ubuntu 23.04 Lunar Lobster Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 22.10 Kinetic Kudu Setup|Ubuntu 22.10 Kinetic Kudu Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy Jellyfish Setup|Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy Jellyfish Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Linux Virtual Machine Setup|Linux Virtual Machine Setup]]
* [[/Basic Ubuntu Setup]]
** [[/HTPC Setup]]
* [[User:Misterhaan/Dreamhost SVN Setup|Dreamhost SVN Setup]]

These reviews are for adventures made in Spore Galactic Adventures, which I am slowly posting on the Spore forums.
* [[User:Misterhaan/HUAR|HUAR]]

User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 25.04 Plucky Puffin Setup

2025-10-21T12:20:59Z

Misterhaan: fix version number

i use ubuntu cinnamon linux as my main operating system on my laptop. since the laptop came with windows 10 (which i upgraded to windows 11), i keep that around so i can choose windows on startup when i need one of the manufacturer's utilities. these instructions are what i did when i installed ubuntu cinnamon 25.04 plucky puffin on my laptop westinghouse. i started with ubuntu cinnamon desktop (minimized) so there’s less to uninstall. i do install third-party graphics and wifi as well as additional media formats. glad to see this version the installer brought back the option to erase my old ubuntu and install over that.

= fix boot getting stuck =
for a few versions now, my laptop tends to get stuck booting linux if it’s showing the ubuntu splash screen, so i might need 3 or 4 attempts to actually get it to a usable desktop. to turn off the splash screen, edit <code>/etc/default/grub</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/default/grub</code> and change the <code>GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT</code> line (for me it was line 10) by removing <code>quiet</code> and <code>splash</code>. for me this left it as <code>GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=""</code>. save the file and then run <code>sudo update-grub</code> to apply the change.

= connections to other systems =
most of what i use my laptop for is connecting to other systems, including my home file shares. i set those up first so i have access to my files and the ability to connect to my home desktop and work computer right away.

== home server nfs shares ==
i have command-line ubuntu installed on a different computer at home that stores my files, so my laptop should mount its shares when i'm on my home network. i can't just do a normal mount because if i travel with my laptop, my home server isn't available and i have to wait for those connections to time out before it will finish booting. still, the first couple steps are the same as mounting the shares from a desktop:

# edit <code>/etc/hosts</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/hosts</code> and add a line mapping the lan ip of the server to its name. follow the format of the line that has 127.0.0.1 localhost. saving this change makes sure the laptop can resolve the name of the server, which usually doesn't work without this step.
# install nfs support with <code>sudo apt install nfs-common</code>
# edit <code>/etc/fstab</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/fstab</code> and add a line for each nfs share to mount, in this format: <code>server:/nfs_share /local/mount/point nfs noexec,noauto 0 0</code>
# create the local mount points for each share (the second column in fstab) with a command like <code>sudo mkdir /local/mount/point</code>
# create a new file as root in <code>/etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/</code> and enter the following code (make sure to put in your ssid and your actual mount points), then set its permissions to rwxr-xr-x with <code>chmod 755 /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/nfs-mount</code>:

#!/bin/bash
SSID="your-wifi-ssid"
INTERFACE=$1
ACTION=$2
ESSID=`nmcli -t -f active,ssid dev wifi | egrep '^yes' | cut -d: -f2`

if [ "$SSID" == "$ESSID" ] && [ "$ACTION" == "up" ]; then
mount /local/mount/point/one
mount /local/mount/point/two
fi

the network shares should be mounted whenever connecting to the wifi SSID. the <code>noauto</code> in fstab tells the system not to attempt to mount those shares on startup, so it doesn't have to wait for that to fail when they're not available. the NetworkManager script makes sure to mount them once connected to the correct wifi, but if you're going to connect to your network with a cable it won't see the ssid and you'll need to issue the mount commands manually.

=== change user id ===
ubuntu uses 1000 as the id for the user it creates, but i have a different id on my server and they need to match up for nfs to know who i am. you can't change your user id while you're logged in, so i'll create another admin account temporarily and use that. do that and set a password with the following:

sudo useradd -G adm,sudo -m -s /bin/bash tempadmin
sudo passwd tempadmin

now log out and you should be able to log back in as tempadmin with the password you just set, though it may be necessary to restart if it tells you your original user is in use by a process. run the following command to change your user id and update automounting:

sudo usermod -u [new_ID] [username]
sudo setfacl -m "u:[username]:r-x" /media/
sudo setfacl -x "u:1000" /media/

now we just need to get rid of tempadmin, so log out and log back in as your actual user. run <code>sudo userdel tempadmin</code> to go back to just one user.

== remote control ==
remmina is back in the default install as of 23.10 and works great to connect to my home desktop using vnc (i use tightvnc server on windows 11 there). it is simple to install it though if it wasn't there for you:

sudo apt install remmina

i create two connections for my home desktop -- one that uses my lan ip and another that uses the subdomain i keep mapped to my internet ip. both use remmina vnc plugin for the protocol and specify [ip]:[port] or [subdomain]:[port] since i use a custom vnc port. username can be left blank, and user password can save my connection password. setting the password means if someone else got access to my laptop they could also access my desktop, so be sure to weigh the convenience against security for your situation.

i connect to my work computer over rdp, which i also do through remmina. create a new connection leaving the protocol on the default of RDP - Remote Desktop Protocol and set the server, username, password, and domain for the connection. switch to the advanced tab and change audio output mode to local to get both the speakers and microphone to work. toward the bottom, you might need to check the box to ignore certificates because when i installed this version it still wouldn’t trust my work computer’s certificate after it asked me about it and i said to trust it. save the connection. on the first connection (we'll need to set up and connect to vpn first), it asks to accept a certificate for the machine.

in remmina preferences i turn off the setting that prevents screenshots from entering clipboard. then under applet, check the box to start in tray upon user login (if it’s not already checked). under keyboard i remove the host key since i commonly use the right control key for normal keyboard shortcuts, and i don't really need to give up another key for remmina shortcuts i don't remember anyway. under rdp, map the caps lock key to insert by entering 0x3a=0x52 for keyboard scancode remapping (needs to be done separately from mapping it locally because rdp doesn't care about local mappings even when i check the box to use client keyboard mapping).

== work vpn ==
my job provides cisco anyconnect vpn for me to connect remotely, but thankfully it's compatible with openconnect which is *much* easier to use and integrates with the network manager built into ubuntu. install openconnect, its network manager integration, and its editor (gnome is the name of the desktop environment ubuntu uses, even for cinnamon):

sudo apt install openconnect network-manager-openconnect network-manager-openconnect-gnome

now go to the network icon in the panel (lower right, probably looks like wifi), click it, and choose "Network Connections." add a new connection using the plus button in the lower left of that window, and choose "Cisco AnyConnect or OpenConnect (OpenConnect)" from under the VPN heading. give it a name (i use the company name) and enter the vpn server as the gateway (something like vpn.example.com). the vpn protocol should already be set to "cisco anyconnect or openconnect" from the earlier choice. save the connection.

now, just under the list of available SSIDs in the network menu it will show "VPN Connections" with a toggle next to it. select this to connect. the first time you do this it will prompt for username and password, which you can tell it to remember so it's even easier next time. the window stays open for me until i confirm that it's me connecting through the authenticator app on my phone — my only real problem with this system is that it doesn't tell me i need to do that if i'm only looking at my laptop . . . but anyconnect doesn't either. disconnect by toggling VPN Connections back to off.

= configuration =
== map caps lock key as insert ==
to remap capslock to insert for the entire machine, edit <code>/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc</code> as root, and set the <code>key <CAPS></code> line to:

key <CAPS> {[ Insert ]};

this takes effect on your next login. it doesn’t apply to rdp connections in remmina though, so be sure to also follow the instructions from earlier for mapping it there too.

== enable dark mode ==
by default ubuntu cinnamon uses a dark theme, but doesn’t tell all apps they should do that too. not sure why this isn't in system settings anywhere, but this tells gtk 4 applications such as firefox and the text editor that they should show a dark mode theme:

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface color-scheme prefer-dark

i had firefox open when i entered this command and it immediately switched!

== system settings ==
access system settings from the panel menu. they’re grouped into sections so i’m using those same groupings here. if i don’t list a settings option it’s because i don’t actually change anything in that one.

=== appearance ===
==== background ====
default background files are <code>/usr/share/backgrounds/</code>, so that’s where i put my own backgrounds. this isn’t enough to make them automatically show in settings > background though, so use the add button (bottom left) to get that backgrounds directory added, then select it and a background.

==== effects ====
i have all the effects turned on, and set new windows and close windows to fly while leaving minimize traditional.

==== themes ====
it defaulted to a dark theme, so i change the application and icon themes to a dark yaru one with the accent color i want. under settings i turn on icons for menus and buttons.

=== preferences ===
==== account details ====
similar to background files, i create <code>/usr/share/avatars/</code> to hold user avatars. there are some default avatar choices but i haven’t been able to find where those are stored. click the use picture and choose browse for more pictures to select your preferred avatar.

==== applets ====
configure calendar to set custom date format to <code>%l:%M %p %a %b %-e </code> (with two trailing spaces) to take up less space and use 12-hour time. similarly set date format for tooltip to <code>%A, %B %e, %l:%M %p</code> to use 12-hour time. select corner bar and click the minus button at the bottom to remove it. configure menu to use a custom icon and label, then set icon to <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/icons/ubuntucinnamon-symbolic.png</code> and icon size to 28 to keep the same icon and clear the text so it doesn’t take up space. also turn on menu animations.

==== date & time ====
turn off 24 hour clock and display seconds.

==== desktop ====
turn off all the desktop icons.

=== hardware ===
==== mouse and touchpad ====
under touchpad, i turn off reverse scrolling direction so that two-finger touchpad scroll works like moving the scroll bar not moving the content.

==== power management ====
change power button behavior to nothing. my laptop's power button is placed where i can very easily hit it by accident when picking it up so i prefer that it ignores when that happens.

==== sound ====
one of the reasons i prefer linux on my laptop is the over-amplification setting. turn on overamplification at the bottom of the output tab, which is often handy running off built-in speakers.

=== administration ===
==== login window ====
i like to use my own background for the login screen. set that here and then turn off draw user background to have a login background all the time. set the themes as close as i can to the themes i picked in themes. under settings, change clock format to <code>%l:%M %p</code> for 12-hour format.

== firefox touch scroll zoom ==
while the touch screen makes most windows scroll, firefox selects text by default. to make a lasting change edit <code>/etc/security/pam_env.conf</code> and add a line (i add it to the end) with <code>MOZ_USE_XINPUT2 DEFAULT=0 OVERRIDE=1</code>. this should take effect on next login.

= remove software =
sudo apt remove pidgin rhythmbox simple-scan
sudo apt autoremove

= install software =
here's some software i find useful to add:

sudo apt install gimp puddletag xsane

== firefox ==
ubuntu comes with firefox (and thunderbird) installed through snap, but i’ve had problems with it telling me firefox needs to update but can’t because it's running. found these instructions on [omgubuntu.co.uk](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2022/04/how-to-install-firefox-deb-apt-ubuntu-22-04) — start by running these commands to remove the snap firefox and the apt redirect to snap firefox, trust mozilla’s signing, and add a mozilla source.

sudo snap remove firefox
sudo apt remove firefox
wget -q https://packages.mozilla.org/apt/repo-signing-key.gpg -O- | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc > /dev/null
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc] https://packages.mozilla.org/apt mozilla main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mozilla.list > /dev/null

then set priority to the mozilla source and suppress ubuntu’s redirect to snap:

echo '
Package: *
Pin: origin packages.mozilla.org
Pin-Priority: 1000

Package: firefox*
Pin: release o=Ubuntu
Pin-Priority: -1' | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozilla

lastly, update to include the mozilla source and install that (now prioritized) firefox package:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install firefox

== steam ==
there’s a steam-installer in the repository but it fails to install. looking for a solution i found someone claiming the apt package is a redirect to snap, and snap just doesn’t work well (maybe it’s not mature enough). so instead, go to the steam website and download the installer from there. it gave me a file named steam_latest.deb. install it and dependencies with `sudo apt install ~/Downloads/steam_latest.deb` and then run steam to complete the installation and sign in to steam.

== visual studio code ==
visual studio code isn’t in the default apt repositories (it’s in snap but snap doesn’t update well), but downloading and installing the deb actually adds it to apt so it can keep updating. note the filename will probably change to whichever version is current, so for the last two lines press the tab key to autocomplete after you’ve typed “code”:

wget 'https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/download?build=stable&os=linux-deb-x64' --trust-server-names
sudo dpkg -i code_1.99.3-1744761595_amd64.deb
rm code_1.99.3-1744761595_amd64.deb

== zoom ==
the official way to install zoom on ubuntu is to download the deb and install that, but it won’t auto-update and i end up having to manually update before every time i use it. instead, copy this into a script file (run <code>chmod +x install-zoom</code> assuming you’ve saved it as install-zoom) and run it:

#!/usr/bin/env bash

url=https://zoom.us/client/latest/zoom_amd64.deb
debdir=/usr/local/zoomdebs
aptconf=/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/100update_zoom
sourcelist=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/zoomdebs.list

sudo mkdir -p $debdir
( echo 'APT::Update::Pre-Invoke {"cd '$debdir' && wget -qN '$url' && apt-ftparchive packages . > Packages && apt-ftparchive release . > Release";};' | sudo tee $aptconf
echo 'deb [trusted=yes lang=none] file:'$debdir' ./' | sudo tee $sourcelist
) >/dev/null

sudo apt update
sudo apt install zoom

== minecraft ==
my son’s laptop isn’t powerful enough to run minecraft with mods, so he sometimes borrows my laptop. he gets my custom mod pack that i build through [curseforge](https://www.curseforge.com/download/app) but just built into the minecraft launcher so he doesn’t get distracted by the curseforge ads.

before you can do anything you need java, so grab openjdk which is the default:

sudo apt install default-jre

next get the minecraft launcher for debian from https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/download, which will be easier from linux because windows will show you the windows download first and you'll have to look for linux options. this should get you a Minecraft.deb file which you can install using apt so it also installs any dependencies (use the correct path if you downloaded it somewhere else):

sudo apt install ~/Downloads/Minecraft.deb

at this point i needed to reboot and log in to the account that’s going to play minecraft, because otherwise it was crashing back out to the login screen. run the minecraft launcher, which may ask you to set a keyring password. this is optional, so you can leave it blank if you don’t want a password for your passwords stored on your keyring. sign in with the microsoft account that’s going to play minecraft. if you’re going to continue through installing forge and some mods, you should now close the minecraft launcher.

now find the exact minecraft+forge version at https://files.minecraftforge.net/net/minecraftforge/forge/ (you’ll need to click show all versions to get the correct forge version after selecting the page for your minecraft version). find the direct download link by pointing at the information icon next to the installer for your version and download. start the installer with:

java -jar forge-*-installer.jar

(use tab to autocomplete the filename.) if it warns that it can’t find a directory, make sure you’ve gone far enough with the minecraft launcher so it gets created first. it should have install client selected already, so click ok to install it.

this should have created a mods directory under ~/.minecraft where you can put your mods. similarly, config and defaultconfigs are next to that. copy those in and run the minecraft launcher again. the forge installation should be chosen by default, and playing that should include the mods.

User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 25.10 Questing Quokka Setup

2025-10-21T12:20:17Z

Misterhaan: start 25.10 instructions

MediaWiki:Vector-2022.css

2025-10-09T20:38:01Z

Misterhaan: Created page with ".mw-logo .mw-logo-icon { width: auto; }"

.mw-logo .mw-logo-icon { width: auto; }

MediaWiki:Vector.css

2025-10-09T20:32:10Z

Misterhaan:

/* All CSS here will be loaded for users of the Vector skin */

MediaWiki:Vector.css

2025-10-09T20:18:15Z

Misterhaan: support non-square logo "icon"

/* All CSS here will be loaded for users of the Vector skin */
.mw-logo .mw-logo-icon { width: auto; }

User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 25.04 Plucky Puffin Setup

2025-10-09T18:55:52Z

Misterhaan: /* remote control */ note that use client keyboard mapping doesn't work

i use ubuntu cinnamon linux as my main operating system on my laptop. since the laptop came with windows 10 (which i upgraded to windows 11), i keep that around so i can choose windows on startup when i need one of the manufacturer's utilities. these instructions are what i did when i installed ubuntu cinnamon 25.05 plucky puffin on my laptop westinghouse. i started with ubuntu cinnamon desktop (minimized) so there’s less to uninstall. i do install third-party graphics and wifi as well as additional media formats. glad to see this version the installer brought back the option to erase my old ubuntu and install over that.

= fix boot getting stuck =
for a few versions now, my laptop tends to get stuck booting linux if it’s showing the ubuntu splash screen, so i might need 3 or 4 attempts to actually get it to a usable desktop. to turn off the splash screen, edit <code>/etc/default/grub</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/default/grub</code> and change the <code>GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT</code> line (for me it was line 10) by removing <code>quiet</code> and <code>splash</code>. for me this left it as <code>GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=""</code>. save the file and then run <code>sudo update-grub</code> to apply the change.

= connections to other systems =
most of what i use my laptop for is connecting to other systems, including my home file shares. i set those up first so i have access to my files and the ability to connect to my home desktop and work computer right away.

== home server nfs shares ==
i have command-line ubuntu installed on a different computer at home that stores my files, so my laptop should mount its shares when i'm on my home network. i can't just do a normal mount because if i travel with my laptop, my home server isn't available and i have to wait for those connections to time out before it will finish booting. still, the first couple steps are the same as mounting the shares from a desktop:

# edit <code>/etc/hosts</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/hosts</code> and add a line mapping the lan ip of the server to its name. follow the format of the line that has 127.0.0.1 localhost. saving this change makes sure the laptop can resolve the name of the server, which usually doesn't work without this step.
# install nfs support with <code>sudo apt install nfs-common</code>
# edit <code>/etc/fstab</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/fstab</code> and add a line for each nfs share to mount, in this format: <code>server:/nfs_share /local/mount/point nfs noexec,noauto 0 0</code>
# create the local mount points for each share (the second column in fstab) with a command like <code>sudo mkdir /local/mount/point</code>
# create a new file as root in <code>/etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/</code> and enter the following code (make sure to put in your ssid and your actual mount points), then set its permissions to rwxr-xr-x with <code>chmod 755 /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/nfs-mount</code>:

#!/bin/bash
SSID="your-wifi-ssid"
INTERFACE=$1
ACTION=$2
ESSID=`nmcli -t -f active,ssid dev wifi | egrep '^yes' | cut -d: -f2`

if [ "$SSID" == "$ESSID" ] && [ "$ACTION" == "up" ]; then
mount /local/mount/point/one
mount /local/mount/point/two
fi

the network shares should be mounted whenever connecting to the wifi SSID. the <code>noauto</code> in fstab tells the system not to attempt to mount those shares on startup, so it doesn't have to wait for that to fail when they're not available. the NetworkManager script makes sure to mount them once connected to the correct wifi, but if you're going to connect to your network with a cable it won't see the ssid and you'll need to issue the mount commands manually.

=== change user id ===
ubuntu uses 1000 as the id for the user it creates, but i have a different id on my server and they need to match up for nfs to know who i am. you can't change your user id while you're logged in, so i'll create another admin account temporarily and use that. do that and set a password with the following:

sudo useradd -G adm,sudo -m -s /bin/bash tempadmin
sudo passwd tempadmin

now log out and you should be able to log back in as tempadmin with the password you just set, though it may be necessary to restart if it tells you your original user is in use by a process. run the following command to change your user id and update automounting:

sudo usermod -u [new_ID] [username]
sudo setfacl -m "u:[username]:r-x" /media/
sudo setfacl -x "u:1000" /media/

now we just need to get rid of tempadmin, so log out and log back in as your actual user. run <code>sudo userdel tempadmin</code> to go back to just one user.

== remote control ==
remmina is back in the default install as of 23.10 and works great to connect to my home desktop using vnc (i use tightvnc server on windows 11 there). it is simple to install it though if it wasn't there for you:

sudo apt install remmina

i create two connections for my home desktop -- one that uses my lan ip and another that uses the subdomain i keep mapped to my internet ip. both use remmina vnc plugin for the protocol and specify [ip]:[port] or [subdomain]:[port] since i use a custom vnc port. username can be left blank, and user password can save my connection password. setting the password means if someone else got access to my laptop they could also access my desktop, so be sure to weigh the convenience against security for your situation.

i connect to my work computer over rdp, which i also do through remmina. create a new connection leaving the protocol on the default of RDP - Remote Desktop Protocol and set the server, username, password, and domain for the connection. switch to the advanced tab and change audio output mode to local to get both the speakers and microphone to work. toward the bottom, you might need to check the box to ignore certificates because when i installed this version it still wouldn’t trust my work computer’s certificate after it asked me about it and i said to trust it. save the connection. on the first connection (we'll need to set up and connect to vpn first), it asks to accept a certificate for the machine.

in remmina preferences i turn off the setting that prevents screenshots from entering clipboard. then under applet, check the box to start in tray upon user login (if it’s not already checked). under keyboard i remove the host key since i commonly use the right control key for normal keyboard shortcuts, and i don't really need to give up another key for remmina shortcuts i don't remember anyway. under rdp, map the caps lock key to insert by entering 0x3a=0x52 for keyboard scancode remapping (needs to be done separately from mapping it locally because rdp doesn't care about local mappings even when i check the box to use client keyboard mapping).

== work vpn ==
my job provides cisco anyconnect vpn for me to connect remotely, but thankfully it's compatible with openconnect which is *much* easier to use and integrates with the network manager built into ubuntu. install openconnect, its network manager integration, and its editor (gnome is the name of the desktop environment ubuntu uses, even for cinnamon):

sudo apt install openconnect network-manager-openconnect network-manager-openconnect-gnome

now go to the network icon in the panel (lower right, probably looks like wifi), click it, and choose "Network Connections." add a new connection using the plus button in the lower left of that window, and choose "Cisco AnyConnect or OpenConnect (OpenConnect)" from under the VPN heading. give it a name (i use the company name) and enter the vpn server as the gateway (something like vpn.example.com). the vpn protocol should already be set to "cisco anyconnect or openconnect" from the earlier choice. save the connection.

now, just under the list of available SSIDs in the network menu it will show "VPN Connections" with a toggle next to it. select this to connect. the first time you do this it will prompt for username and password, which you can tell it to remember so it's even easier next time. the window stays open for me until i confirm that it's me connecting through the authenticator app on my phone — my only real problem with this system is that it doesn't tell me i need to do that if i'm only looking at my laptop . . . but anyconnect doesn't either. disconnect by toggling VPN Connections back to off.

= configuration =
== map caps lock key as insert ==
to remap capslock to insert for the entire machine, edit <code>/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc</code> as root, and set the <code>key <CAPS></code> line to:

key <CAPS> {[ Insert ]};

this takes effect on your next login. it doesn’t apply to rdp connections in remmina though, so be sure to also follow the instructions from earlier for mapping it there too.

== enable dark mode ==
by default ubuntu cinnamon uses a dark theme, but doesn’t tell all apps they should do that too. not sure why this isn't in system settings anywhere, but this tells gtk 4 applications such as firefox and the text editor that they should show a dark mode theme:

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface color-scheme prefer-dark

i had firefox open when i entered this command and it immediately switched!

== system settings ==
access system settings from the panel menu. they’re grouped into sections so i’m using those same groupings here. if i don’t list a settings option it’s because i don’t actually change anything in that one.

=== appearance ===
==== background ====
default background files are <code>/usr/share/backgrounds/</code>, so that’s where i put my own backgrounds. this isn’t enough to make them automatically show in settings > background though, so use the add button (bottom left) to get that backgrounds directory added, then select it and a background.

==== effects ====
i have all the effects turned on, and set new windows and close windows to fly while leaving minimize traditional.

==== themes ====
it defaulted to a dark theme, so i change the application and icon themes to a dark yaru one with the accent color i want. under settings i turn on icons for menus and buttons.

=== preferences ===
==== account details ====
similar to background files, i create <code>/usr/share/avatars/</code> to hold user avatars. there are some default avatar choices but i haven’t been able to find where those are stored. click the use picture and choose browse for more pictures to select your preferred avatar.

==== applets ====
configure calendar to set custom date format to <code>%l:%M %p %a %b %-e </code> (with two trailing spaces) to take up less space and use 12-hour time. similarly set date format for tooltip to <code>%A, %B %e, %l:%M %p</code> to use 12-hour time. select corner bar and click the minus button at the bottom to remove it. configure menu to use a custom icon and label, then set icon to <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/icons/ubuntucinnamon-symbolic.png</code> and icon size to 28 to keep the same icon and clear the text so it doesn’t take up space. also turn on menu animations.

==== date & time ====
turn off 24 hour clock and display seconds.

==== desktop ====
turn off all the desktop icons.

=== hardware ===
==== mouse and touchpad ====
under touchpad, i turn off reverse scrolling direction so that two-finger touchpad scroll works like moving the scroll bar not moving the content.

==== power management ====
change power button behavior to nothing. my laptop's power button is placed where i can very easily hit it by accident when picking it up so i prefer that it ignores when that happens.

==== sound ====
one of the reasons i prefer linux on my laptop is the over-amplification setting. turn on overamplification at the bottom of the output tab, which is often handy running off built-in speakers.

=== administration ===
==== login window ====
i like to use my own background for the login screen. set that here and then turn off draw user background to have a login background all the time. set the themes as close as i can to the themes i picked in themes. under settings, change clock format to <code>%l:%M %p</code> for 12-hour format.

== firefox touch scroll zoom ==
while the touch screen makes most windows scroll, firefox selects text by default. to make a lasting change edit <code>/etc/security/pam_env.conf</code> and add a line (i add it to the end) with <code>MOZ_USE_XINPUT2 DEFAULT=0 OVERRIDE=1</code>. this should take effect on next login.

= remove software =
sudo apt remove pidgin rhythmbox simple-scan
sudo apt autoremove

= install software =
here's some software i find useful to add:

sudo apt install gimp puddletag xsane

== firefox ==
ubuntu comes with firefox (and thunderbird) installed through snap, but i’ve had problems with it telling me firefox needs to update but can’t because it's running. found these instructions on [omgubuntu.co.uk](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2022/04/how-to-install-firefox-deb-apt-ubuntu-22-04) — start by running these commands to remove the snap firefox and the apt redirect to snap firefox, trust mozilla’s signing, and add a mozilla source.

sudo snap remove firefox
sudo apt remove firefox
wget -q https://packages.mozilla.org/apt/repo-signing-key.gpg -O- | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc > /dev/null
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc] https://packages.mozilla.org/apt mozilla main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mozilla.list > /dev/null

then set priority to the mozilla source and suppress ubuntu’s redirect to snap:

echo '
Package: *
Pin: origin packages.mozilla.org
Pin-Priority: 1000

Package: firefox*
Pin: release o=Ubuntu
Pin-Priority: -1' | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozilla

lastly, update to include the mozilla source and install that (now prioritized) firefox package:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install firefox

== steam ==
there’s a steam-installer in the repository but it fails to install. looking for a solution i found someone claiming the apt package is a redirect to snap, and snap just doesn’t work well (maybe it’s not mature enough). so instead, go to the steam website and download the installer from there. it gave me a file named steam_latest.deb. install it and dependencies with `sudo apt install ~/Downloads/steam_latest.deb` and then run steam to complete the installation and sign in to steam.

== visual studio code ==
visual studio code isn’t in the default apt repositories (it’s in snap but snap doesn’t update well), but downloading and installing the deb actually adds it to apt so it can keep updating. note the filename will probably change to whichever version is current, so for the last two lines press the tab key to autocomplete after you’ve typed “code”:

wget 'https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/download?build=stable&os=linux-deb-x64' --trust-server-names
sudo dpkg -i code_1.99.3-1744761595_amd64.deb
rm code_1.99.3-1744761595_amd64.deb

== zoom ==
the official way to install zoom on ubuntu is to download the deb and install that, but it won’t auto-update and i end up having to manually update before every time i use it. instead, copy this into a script file (run <code>chmod +x install-zoom</code> assuming you’ve saved it as install-zoom) and run it:

#!/usr/bin/env bash

url=https://zoom.us/client/latest/zoom_amd64.deb
debdir=/usr/local/zoomdebs
aptconf=/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/100update_zoom
sourcelist=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/zoomdebs.list

sudo mkdir -p $debdir
( echo 'APT::Update::Pre-Invoke {"cd '$debdir' && wget -qN '$url' && apt-ftparchive packages . > Packages && apt-ftparchive release . > Release";};' | sudo tee $aptconf
echo 'deb [trusted=yes lang=none] file:'$debdir' ./' | sudo tee $sourcelist
) >/dev/null

sudo apt update
sudo apt install zoom

== minecraft ==
my son’s laptop isn’t powerful enough to run minecraft with mods, so he sometimes borrows my laptop. he gets my custom mod pack that i build through [curseforge](https://www.curseforge.com/download/app) but just built into the minecraft launcher so he doesn’t get distracted by the curseforge ads.

before you can do anything you need java, so grab openjdk which is the default:

sudo apt install default-jre

next get the minecraft launcher for debian from https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/download, which will be easier from linux because windows will show you the windows download first and you'll have to look for linux options. this should get you a Minecraft.deb file which you can install using apt so it also installs any dependencies (use the correct path if you downloaded it somewhere else):

sudo apt install ~/Downloads/Minecraft.deb

at this point i needed to reboot and log in to the account that’s going to play minecraft, because otherwise it was crashing back out to the login screen. run the minecraft launcher, which may ask you to set a keyring password. this is optional, so you can leave it blank if you don’t want a password for your passwords stored on your keyring. sign in with the microsoft account that’s going to play minecraft. if you’re going to continue through installing forge and some mods, you should now close the minecraft launcher.

now find the exact minecraft+forge version at https://files.minecraftforge.net/net/minecraftforge/forge/ (you’ll need to click show all versions to get the correct forge version after selecting the page for your minecraft version). find the direct download link by pointing at the information icon next to the installer for your version and download. start the installer with:

java -jar forge-*-installer.jar

(use tab to autocomplete the filename.) if it warns that it can’t find a directory, make sure you’ve gone far enough with the minecraft launcher so it gets created first. it should have install client selected already, so click ok to install it.

this should have created a mods directory under ~/.minecraft where you can put your mods. similarly, config and defaultconfigs are next to that. copy those in and run the minecraft launcher again. the forge installation should be chosen by default, and playing that should include the mods.

User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 25.04 Plucky Puffin Setup

2025-10-09T18:53:23Z

Misterhaan: /* configuration */ add gtk dark mode

i use ubuntu cinnamon linux as my main operating system on my laptop. since the laptop came with windows 10 (which i upgraded to windows 11), i keep that around so i can choose windows on startup when i need one of the manufacturer's utilities. these instructions are what i did when i installed ubuntu cinnamon 25.05 plucky puffin on my laptop westinghouse. i started with ubuntu cinnamon desktop (minimized) so there’s less to uninstall. i do install third-party graphics and wifi as well as additional media formats. glad to see this version the installer brought back the option to erase my old ubuntu and install over that.

= fix boot getting stuck =
for a few versions now, my laptop tends to get stuck booting linux if it’s showing the ubuntu splash screen, so i might need 3 or 4 attempts to actually get it to a usable desktop. to turn off the splash screen, edit <code>/etc/default/grub</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/default/grub</code> and change the <code>GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT</code> line (for me it was line 10) by removing <code>quiet</code> and <code>splash</code>. for me this left it as <code>GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=""</code>. save the file and then run <code>sudo update-grub</code> to apply the change.

= connections to other systems =
most of what i use my laptop for is connecting to other systems, including my home file shares. i set those up first so i have access to my files and the ability to connect to my home desktop and work computer right away.

== home server nfs shares ==
i have command-line ubuntu installed on a different computer at home that stores my files, so my laptop should mount its shares when i'm on my home network. i can't just do a normal mount because if i travel with my laptop, my home server isn't available and i have to wait for those connections to time out before it will finish booting. still, the first couple steps are the same as mounting the shares from a desktop:

# edit <code>/etc/hosts</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/hosts</code> and add a line mapping the lan ip of the server to its name. follow the format of the line that has 127.0.0.1 localhost. saving this change makes sure the laptop can resolve the name of the server, which usually doesn't work without this step.
# install nfs support with <code>sudo apt install nfs-common</code>
# edit <code>/etc/fstab</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/fstab</code> and add a line for each nfs share to mount, in this format: <code>server:/nfs_share /local/mount/point nfs noexec,noauto 0 0</code>
# create the local mount points for each share (the second column in fstab) with a command like <code>sudo mkdir /local/mount/point</code>
# create a new file as root in <code>/etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/</code> and enter the following code (make sure to put in your ssid and your actual mount points), then set its permissions to rwxr-xr-x with <code>chmod 755 /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/nfs-mount</code>:

#!/bin/bash
SSID="your-wifi-ssid"
INTERFACE=$1
ACTION=$2
ESSID=`nmcli -t -f active,ssid dev wifi | egrep '^yes' | cut -d: -f2`

if [ "$SSID" == "$ESSID" ] && [ "$ACTION" == "up" ]; then
mount /local/mount/point/one
mount /local/mount/point/two
fi

the network shares should be mounted whenever connecting to the wifi SSID. the <code>noauto</code> in fstab tells the system not to attempt to mount those shares on startup, so it doesn't have to wait for that to fail when they're not available. the NetworkManager script makes sure to mount them once connected to the correct wifi, but if you're going to connect to your network with a cable it won't see the ssid and you'll need to issue the mount commands manually.

=== change user id ===
ubuntu uses 1000 as the id for the user it creates, but i have a different id on my server and they need to match up for nfs to know who i am. you can't change your user id while you're logged in, so i'll create another admin account temporarily and use that. do that and set a password with the following:

sudo useradd -G adm,sudo -m -s /bin/bash tempadmin
sudo passwd tempadmin

now log out and you should be able to log back in as tempadmin with the password you just set, though it may be necessary to restart if it tells you your original user is in use by a process. run the following command to change your user id and update automounting:

sudo usermod -u [new_ID] [username]
sudo setfacl -m "u:[username]:r-x" /media/
sudo setfacl -x "u:1000" /media/

now we just need to get rid of tempadmin, so log out and log back in as your actual user. run <code>sudo userdel tempadmin</code> to go back to just one user.

== remote control ==
remmina is back in the default install as of 23.10 and works great to connect to my home desktop using vnc (i use tightvnc server on windows 11 there). it is simple to install it though if it wasn't there for you:

sudo apt install remmina

i create two connections for my home desktop -- one that uses my lan ip and another that uses the subdomain i keep mapped to my internet ip. both use remmina vnc plugin for the protocol and specify [ip]:[port] or [subdomain]:[port] since i use a custom vnc port. username can be left blank, and user password can save my connection password. setting the password means if someone else got access to my laptop they could also access my desktop, so be sure to weigh the convenience against security for your situation.

i connect to my work computer over rdp, which i also do through remmina. create a new connection leaving the protocol on the default of RDP - Remote Desktop Protocol and set the server, username, password, and domain for the connection. switch to the advanced tab and change audio output mode to local to get both the speakers and microphone to work. toward the bottom, you might need to check the box to ignore certificates because when i installed this version it still wouldn’t trust my work computer’s certificate after it asked me about it and i said to trust it. save the connection. on the first connection (we'll need to set up and connect to vpn first), it asks to accept a certificate for the machine.

in remmina preferences i turn off the setting that prevents screenshots from entering clipboard. then under applet, check the box to start in tray upon user login (if it’s not already checked). under keyboard i remove the host key since i commonly use the right control key for normal keyboard shortcuts, and i don't really need to give up another key for remmina shortcuts i don't remember anyway. under rdp, map the caps lock key to insert by entering 0x3a=0x52 for keyboard scancode remapping (needs to be done separately from mapping it locally because rdp doesn't care about local mappings).

== work vpn ==
my job provides cisco anyconnect vpn for me to connect remotely, but thankfully it's compatible with openconnect which is *much* easier to use and integrates with the network manager built into ubuntu. install openconnect, its network manager integration, and its editor (gnome is the name of the desktop environment ubuntu uses, even for cinnamon):

sudo apt install openconnect network-manager-openconnect network-manager-openconnect-gnome

now go to the network icon in the panel (lower right, probably looks like wifi), click it, and choose "Network Connections." add a new connection using the plus button in the lower left of that window, and choose "Cisco AnyConnect or OpenConnect (OpenConnect)" from under the VPN heading. give it a name (i use the company name) and enter the vpn server as the gateway (something like vpn.example.com). the vpn protocol should already be set to "cisco anyconnect or openconnect" from the earlier choice. save the connection.

now, just under the list of available SSIDs in the network menu it will show "VPN Connections" with a toggle next to it. select this to connect. the first time you do this it will prompt for username and password, which you can tell it to remember so it's even easier next time. the window stays open for me until i confirm that it's me connecting through the authenticator app on my phone — my only real problem with this system is that it doesn't tell me i need to do that if i'm only looking at my laptop . . . but anyconnect doesn't either. disconnect by toggling VPN Connections back to off.

= configuration =
== map caps lock key as insert ==
to remap capslock to insert for the entire machine, edit <code>/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc</code> as root, and set the <code>key <CAPS></code> line to:

key <CAPS> {[ Insert ]};

this takes effect on your next login. it doesn’t apply to rdp connections in remmina though, so be sure to also follow the instructions from earlier for mapping it there too.

== enable dark mode ==
by default ubuntu cinnamon uses a dark theme, but doesn’t tell all apps they should do that too. not sure why this isn't in system settings anywhere, but this tells gtk 4 applications such as firefox and the text editor that they should show a dark mode theme:

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface color-scheme prefer-dark

i had firefox open when i entered this command and it immediately switched!

== system settings ==
access system settings from the panel menu. they’re grouped into sections so i’m using those same groupings here. if i don’t list a settings option it’s because i don’t actually change anything in that one.

=== appearance ===
==== background ====
default background files are <code>/usr/share/backgrounds/</code>, so that’s where i put my own backgrounds. this isn’t enough to make them automatically show in settings > background though, so use the add button (bottom left) to get that backgrounds directory added, then select it and a background.

==== effects ====
i have all the effects turned on, and set new windows and close windows to fly while leaving minimize traditional.

==== themes ====
it defaulted to a dark theme, so i change the application and icon themes to a dark yaru one with the accent color i want. under settings i turn on icons for menus and buttons.

=== preferences ===
==== account details ====
similar to background files, i create <code>/usr/share/avatars/</code> to hold user avatars. there are some default avatar choices but i haven’t been able to find where those are stored. click the use picture and choose browse for more pictures to select your preferred avatar.

==== applets ====
configure calendar to set custom date format to <code>%l:%M %p %a %b %-e </code> (with two trailing spaces) to take up less space and use 12-hour time. similarly set date format for tooltip to <code>%A, %B %e, %l:%M %p</code> to use 12-hour time. select corner bar and click the minus button at the bottom to remove it. configure menu to use a custom icon and label, then set icon to <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/icons/ubuntucinnamon-symbolic.png</code> and icon size to 28 to keep the same icon and clear the text so it doesn’t take up space. also turn on menu animations.

==== date & time ====
turn off 24 hour clock and display seconds.

==== desktop ====
turn off all the desktop icons.

=== hardware ===
==== mouse and touchpad ====
under touchpad, i turn off reverse scrolling direction so that two-finger touchpad scroll works like moving the scroll bar not moving the content.

==== power management ====
change power button behavior to nothing. my laptop's power button is placed where i can very easily hit it by accident when picking it up so i prefer that it ignores when that happens.

==== sound ====
one of the reasons i prefer linux on my laptop is the over-amplification setting. turn on overamplification at the bottom of the output tab, which is often handy running off built-in speakers.

=== administration ===
==== login window ====
i like to use my own background for the login screen. set that here and then turn off draw user background to have a login background all the time. set the themes as close as i can to the themes i picked in themes. under settings, change clock format to <code>%l:%M %p</code> for 12-hour format.

== firefox touch scroll zoom ==
while the touch screen makes most windows scroll, firefox selects text by default. to make a lasting change edit <code>/etc/security/pam_env.conf</code> and add a line (i add it to the end) with <code>MOZ_USE_XINPUT2 DEFAULT=0 OVERRIDE=1</code>. this should take effect on next login.

= remove software =
sudo apt remove pidgin rhythmbox simple-scan
sudo apt autoremove

= install software =
here's some software i find useful to add:

sudo apt install gimp puddletag xsane

== firefox ==
ubuntu comes with firefox (and thunderbird) installed through snap, but i’ve had problems with it telling me firefox needs to update but can’t because it's running. found these instructions on [omgubuntu.co.uk](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2022/04/how-to-install-firefox-deb-apt-ubuntu-22-04) — start by running these commands to remove the snap firefox and the apt redirect to snap firefox, trust mozilla’s signing, and add a mozilla source.

sudo snap remove firefox
sudo apt remove firefox
wget -q https://packages.mozilla.org/apt/repo-signing-key.gpg -O- | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc > /dev/null
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc] https://packages.mozilla.org/apt mozilla main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mozilla.list > /dev/null

then set priority to the mozilla source and suppress ubuntu’s redirect to snap:

echo '
Package: *
Pin: origin packages.mozilla.org
Pin-Priority: 1000

Package: firefox*
Pin: release o=Ubuntu
Pin-Priority: -1' | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozilla

lastly, update to include the mozilla source and install that (now prioritized) firefox package:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install firefox

== steam ==
there’s a steam-installer in the repository but it fails to install. looking for a solution i found someone claiming the apt package is a redirect to snap, and snap just doesn’t work well (maybe it’s not mature enough). so instead, go to the steam website and download the installer from there. it gave me a file named steam_latest.deb. install it and dependencies with `sudo apt install ~/Downloads/steam_latest.deb` and then run steam to complete the installation and sign in to steam.

== visual studio code ==
visual studio code isn’t in the default apt repositories (it’s in snap but snap doesn’t update well), but downloading and installing the deb actually adds it to apt so it can keep updating. note the filename will probably change to whichever version is current, so for the last two lines press the tab key to autocomplete after you’ve typed “code”:

wget 'https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/download?build=stable&os=linux-deb-x64' --trust-server-names
sudo dpkg -i code_1.99.3-1744761595_amd64.deb
rm code_1.99.3-1744761595_amd64.deb

== zoom ==
the official way to install zoom on ubuntu is to download the deb and install that, but it won’t auto-update and i end up having to manually update before every time i use it. instead, copy this into a script file (run <code>chmod +x install-zoom</code> assuming you’ve saved it as install-zoom) and run it:

#!/usr/bin/env bash

url=https://zoom.us/client/latest/zoom_amd64.deb
debdir=/usr/local/zoomdebs
aptconf=/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/100update_zoom
sourcelist=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/zoomdebs.list

sudo mkdir -p $debdir
( echo 'APT::Update::Pre-Invoke {"cd '$debdir' && wget -qN '$url' && apt-ftparchive packages . > Packages && apt-ftparchive release . > Release";};' | sudo tee $aptconf
echo 'deb [trusted=yes lang=none] file:'$debdir' ./' | sudo tee $sourcelist
) >/dev/null

sudo apt update
sudo apt install zoom

== minecraft ==
my son’s laptop isn’t powerful enough to run minecraft with mods, so he sometimes borrows my laptop. he gets my custom mod pack that i build through [curseforge](https://www.curseforge.com/download/app) but just built into the minecraft launcher so he doesn’t get distracted by the curseforge ads.

before you can do anything you need java, so grab openjdk which is the default:

sudo apt install default-jre

next get the minecraft launcher for debian from https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/download, which will be easier from linux because windows will show you the windows download first and you'll have to look for linux options. this should get you a Minecraft.deb file which you can install using apt so it also installs any dependencies (use the correct path if you downloaded it somewhere else):

sudo apt install ~/Downloads/Minecraft.deb

at this point i needed to reboot and log in to the account that’s going to play minecraft, because otherwise it was crashing back out to the login screen. run the minecraft launcher, which may ask you to set a keyring password. this is optional, so you can leave it blank if you don’t want a password for your passwords stored on your keyring. sign in with the microsoft account that’s going to play minecraft. if you’re going to continue through installing forge and some mods, you should now close the minecraft launcher.

now find the exact minecraft+forge version at https://files.minecraftforge.net/net/minecraftforge/forge/ (you’ll need to click show all versions to get the correct forge version after selecting the page for your minecraft version). find the direct download link by pointing at the information icon next to the installer for your version and download. start the installer with:

java -jar forge-*-installer.jar

(use tab to autocomplete the filename.) if it warns that it can’t find a directory, make sure you’ve gone far enough with the minecraft launcher so it gets created first. it should have install client selected already, so click ok to install it.

this should have created a mods directory under ~/.minecraft where you can put your mods. similarly, config and defaultconfigs are next to that. copy those in and run the minecraft launcher again. the forge installation should be chosen by default, and playing that should include the mods.

User:Misterhaan

2025-04-25T18:30:05Z

Misterhaan: add ubuntu 25.04

I’m misterhaan, the owner of [http://www.track7.org/ track7], which includes auWiki. I wrote everything here so far (there are no [[Special:Listusers|other users]] yet!).

My own notes which may someday appear on track7 somewhere (mostly in the [http://www.track7.org/geek/guides/ guides / tips section]):
* [[/Nuvexport Tweaks|Nuvexport Tweaks]]
* [[User:Misterhaan/Dual Booting Ubuntu and Vista|Dual Booting Ubuntu and Vista]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 10 Setup|Windows 10 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 8.1 Setup|Windows 8.1 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 8 Setup|Windows 8 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 7 Setup|Windows 7 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Vista Setup|Vista Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Linux Client Setup|Linux Client Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 25.04 Plucky Puffin Setup|Ubuntu 25.04 Plucky Puffin Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 24.10 Oracular Oriole Setup|Ubuntu 24.10 Oracular Oriole Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 24.04 Noble Numbat Setup|Ubuntu 24.04 Noble Numbat Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 23.10 Mantic Minotaur Setup|Ubuntu 23.10 Mantic Minotaur Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 23.04 Lunar Lobster Setup|Ubuntu 23.04 Lunar Lobster Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 22.10 Kinetic Kudu Setup|Ubuntu 22.10 Kinetic Kudu Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy Jellyfish Setup|Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy Jellyfish Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Linux Virtual Machine Setup|Linux Virtual Machine Setup]]
* [[/Basic Ubuntu Setup]]
** [[/HTPC Setup]]
* [[User:Misterhaan/Dreamhost SVN Setup|Dreamhost SVN Setup]]

These reviews are for adventures made in Spore Galactic Adventures, which I am slowly posting on the Spore forums.
* [[User:Misterhaan/HUAR|HUAR]]

User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 25.04 Plucky Puffin Setup

2025-04-25T18:28:49Z

Misterhaan: Created page with "i use ubuntu cinnamon linux as my main operating system on my laptop. since the laptop came with windows 10 (which i upgraded to windows 11), i keep that around so i can choose windows on startup when i need one of the manufacturer's utilities. these instructions are what i did when i installed ubuntu cinnamon 25.05 plucky puffin on my laptop westinghouse. i started with ubuntu cinnamon desktop (minimized) so there’s less to uninstall. i do install third-party graph..."

i use ubuntu cinnamon linux as my main operating system on my laptop. since the laptop came with windows 10 (which i upgraded to windows 11), i keep that around so i can choose windows on startup when i need one of the manufacturer's utilities. these instructions are what i did when i installed ubuntu cinnamon 25.05 plucky puffin on my laptop westinghouse. i started with ubuntu cinnamon desktop (minimized) so there’s less to uninstall. i do install third-party graphics and wifi as well as additional media formats. glad to see this version the installer brought back the option to erase my old ubuntu and install over that.

= fix boot getting stuck =
for a few versions now, my laptop tends to get stuck booting linux if it’s showing the ubuntu splash screen, so i might need 3 or 4 attempts to actually get it to a usable desktop. to turn off the splash screen, edit <code>/etc/default/grub</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/default/grub</code> and change the <code>GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT</code> line (for me it was line 10) by removing <code>quiet</code> and <code>splash</code>. for me this left it as <code>GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=""</code>. save the file and then run <code>sudo update-grub</code> to apply the change.

= connections to other systems =
most of what i use my laptop for is connecting to other systems, including my home file shares. i set those up first so i have access to my files and the ability to connect to my home desktop and work computer right away.

== home server nfs shares ==
i have command-line ubuntu installed on a different computer at home that stores my files, so my laptop should mount its shares when i'm on my home network. i can't just do a normal mount because if i travel with my laptop, my home server isn't available and i have to wait for those connections to time out before it will finish booting. still, the first couple steps are the same as mounting the shares from a desktop:

# edit <code>/etc/hosts</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/hosts</code> and add a line mapping the lan ip of the server to its name. follow the format of the line that has 127.0.0.1 localhost. saving this change makes sure the laptop can resolve the name of the server, which usually doesn't work without this step.
# install nfs support with <code>sudo apt install nfs-common</code>
# edit <code>/etc/fstab</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/fstab</code> and add a line for each nfs share to mount, in this format: <code>server:/nfs_share /local/mount/point nfs noexec,noauto 0 0</code>
# create the local mount points for each share (the second column in fstab) with a command like <code>sudo mkdir /local/mount/point</code>
# create a new file as root in <code>/etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/</code> and enter the following code (make sure to put in your ssid and your actual mount points), then set its permissions to rwxr-xr-x with <code>chmod 755 /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/nfs-mount</code>:

#!/bin/bash
SSID="your-wifi-ssid"
INTERFACE=$1
ACTION=$2
ESSID=`nmcli -t -f active,ssid dev wifi | egrep '^yes' | cut -d: -f2`

if [ "$SSID" == "$ESSID" ] && [ "$ACTION" == "up" ]; then
mount /local/mount/point/one
mount /local/mount/point/two
fi

the network shares should be mounted whenever connecting to the wifi SSID. the <code>noauto</code> in fstab tells the system not to attempt to mount those shares on startup, so it doesn't have to wait for that to fail when they're not available. the NetworkManager script makes sure to mount them once connected to the correct wifi, but if you're going to connect to your network with a cable it won't see the ssid and you'll need to issue the mount commands manually.

=== change user id ===
ubuntu uses 1000 as the id for the user it creates, but i have a different id on my server and they need to match up for nfs to know who i am. you can't change your user id while you're logged in, so i'll create another admin account temporarily and use that. do that and set a password with the following:

sudo useradd -G adm,sudo -m -s /bin/bash tempadmin
sudo passwd tempadmin

now log out and you should be able to log back in as tempadmin with the password you just set, though it may be necessary to restart if it tells you your original user is in use by a process. run the following command to change your user id and update automounting:

sudo usermod -u [new_ID] [username]
sudo setfacl -m "u:[username]:r-x" /media/
sudo setfacl -x "u:1000" /media/

now we just need to get rid of tempadmin, so log out and log back in as your actual user. run <code>sudo userdel tempadmin</code> to go back to just one user.

== remote control ==
remmina is back in the default install as of 23.10 and works great to connect to my home desktop using vnc (i use tightvnc server on windows 11 there). it is simple to install it though if it wasn't there for you:

sudo apt install remmina

i create two connections for my home desktop -- one that uses my lan ip and another that uses the subdomain i keep mapped to my internet ip. both use remmina vnc plugin for the protocol and specify [ip]:[port] or [subdomain]:[port] since i use a custom vnc port. username can be left blank, and user password can save my connection password. setting the password means if someone else got access to my laptop they could also access my desktop, so be sure to weigh the convenience against security for your situation.

i connect to my work computer over rdp, which i also do through remmina. create a new connection leaving the protocol on the default of RDP - Remote Desktop Protocol and set the server, username, password, and domain for the connection. switch to the advanced tab and change audio output mode to local to get both the speakers and microphone to work. toward the bottom, you might need to check the box to ignore certificates because when i installed this version it still wouldn’t trust my work computer’s certificate after it asked me about it and i said to trust it. save the connection. on the first connection (we'll need to set up and connect to vpn first), it asks to accept a certificate for the machine.

in remmina preferences i turn off the setting that prevents screenshots from entering clipboard. then under applet, check the box to start in tray upon user login (if it’s not already checked). under keyboard i remove the host key since i commonly use the right control key for normal keyboard shortcuts, and i don't really need to give up another key for remmina shortcuts i don't remember anyway. under rdp, map the caps lock key to insert by entering 0x3a=0x52 for keyboard scancode remapping (needs to be done separately from mapping it locally because rdp doesn't care about local mappings).

== work vpn ==
my job provides cisco anyconnect vpn for me to connect remotely, but thankfully it's compatible with openconnect which is *much* easier to use and integrates with the network manager built into ubuntu. install openconnect, its network manager integration, and its editor (gnome is the name of the desktop environment ubuntu uses, even for cinnamon):

sudo apt install openconnect network-manager-openconnect network-manager-openconnect-gnome

now go to the network icon in the panel (lower right, probably looks like wifi), click it, and choose "Network Connections." add a new connection using the plus button in the lower left of that window, and choose "Cisco AnyConnect or OpenConnect (OpenConnect)" from under the VPN heading. give it a name (i use the company name) and enter the vpn server as the gateway (something like vpn.example.com). the vpn protocol should already be set to "cisco anyconnect or openconnect" from the earlier choice. save the connection.

now, just under the list of available SSIDs in the network menu it will show "VPN Connections" with a toggle next to it. select this to connect. the first time you do this it will prompt for username and password, which you can tell it to remember so it's even easier next time. the window stays open for me until i confirm that it's me connecting through the authenticator app on my phone — my only real problem with this system is that it doesn't tell me i need to do that if i'm only looking at my laptop . . . but anyconnect doesn't either. disconnect by toggling VPN Connections back to off.

= configuration =
== map caps lock key as insert ==
to remap capslock to insert for the entire machine, edit <code>/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc</code> as root, and set the <code>key <CAPS></code> line to:

key <CAPS> {[ Insert ]};

this takes effect on your next login. it doesn’t apply to rdp connections in remmina though, so be sure to also follow the instructions from earlier for mapping it there too.

== system settings ==
access system settings from the panel menu. they’re grouped into sections so i’m using those same groupings here. if i don’t list a settings option it’s because i don’t actually change anything in that one.

=== appearance ===
==== background ====
default background files are <code>/usr/share/backgrounds/</code>, so that’s where i put my own backgrounds. this isn’t enough to make them automatically show in settings > background though, so use the add button (bottom left) to get that backgrounds directory added, then select it and a background.

==== effects ====
i have all the effects turned on, and set new windows and close windows to fly while leaving minimize traditional.

==== themes ====
it defaulted to a dark theme, so i change the application and icon themes to a dark yaru one with the accent color i want. under settings i turn on icons for menus and buttons.

=== preferences ===
==== account details ====
similar to background files, i create <code>/usr/share/avatars/</code> to hold user avatars. there are some default avatar choices but i haven’t been able to find where those are stored. click the use picture and choose browse for more pictures to select your preferred avatar.

==== applets ====
configure calendar to set custom date format to <code>%l:%M %p %a %b %-e </code> (with two trailing spaces) to take up less space and use 12-hour time. similarly set date format for tooltip to <code>%A, %B %e, %l:%M %p</code> to use 12-hour time. select corner bar and click the minus button at the bottom to remove it. configure menu to use a custom icon and label, then set icon to <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/icons/ubuntucinnamon-symbolic.png</code> and icon size to 28 to keep the same icon and clear the text so it doesn’t take up space. also turn on menu animations.

==== date & time ====
turn off 24 hour clock and display seconds.

==== desktop ====
turn off all the desktop icons.

=== hardware ===
==== mouse and touchpad ====
under touchpad, i turn off reverse scrolling direction so that two-finger touchpad scroll works like moving the scroll bar not moving the content.

==== power management ====
change power button behavior to nothing. my laptop's power button is placed where i can very easily hit it by accident when picking it up so i prefer that it ignores when that happens.

==== sound ====
one of the reasons i prefer linux on my laptop is the over-amplification setting. turn on overamplification at the bottom of the output tab, which is often handy running off built-in speakers.

=== administration ===
==== login window ====
i like to use my own background for the login screen. set that here and then turn off draw user background to have a login background all the time. set the themes as close as i can to the themes i picked in themes. under settings, change clock format to <code>%l:%M %p</code> for 12-hour format.

== firefox touch scroll zoom ==
while the touch screen makes most windows scroll, firefox selects text by default. to make a lasting change edit <code>/etc/security/pam_env.conf</code> and add a line (i add it to the end) with <code>MOZ_USE_XINPUT2 DEFAULT=0 OVERRIDE=1</code>. this should take effect on next login.

= remove software =
sudo apt remove pidgin rhythmbox simple-scan
sudo apt autoremove

= install software =
here's some software i find useful to add:

sudo apt install gimp puddletag xsane

== firefox ==
ubuntu comes with firefox (and thunderbird) installed through snap, but i’ve had problems with it telling me firefox needs to update but can’t because it's running. found these instructions on [omgubuntu.co.uk](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2022/04/how-to-install-firefox-deb-apt-ubuntu-22-04) — start by running these commands to remove the snap firefox and the apt redirect to snap firefox, trust mozilla’s signing, and add a mozilla source.

sudo snap remove firefox
sudo apt remove firefox
wget -q https://packages.mozilla.org/apt/repo-signing-key.gpg -O- | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc > /dev/null
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc] https://packages.mozilla.org/apt mozilla main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mozilla.list > /dev/null

then set priority to the mozilla source and suppress ubuntu’s redirect to snap:

echo '
Package: *
Pin: origin packages.mozilla.org
Pin-Priority: 1000

Package: firefox*
Pin: release o=Ubuntu
Pin-Priority: -1' | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozilla

lastly, update to include the mozilla source and install that (now prioritized) firefox package:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install firefox

== steam ==
there’s a steam-installer in the repository but it fails to install. looking for a solution i found someone claiming the apt package is a redirect to snap, and snap just doesn’t work well (maybe it’s not mature enough). so instead, go to the steam website and download the installer from there. it gave me a file named steam_latest.deb. install it and dependencies with `sudo apt install ~/Downloads/steam_latest.deb` and then run steam to complete the installation and sign in to steam.

== visual studio code ==
visual studio code isn’t in the default apt repositories (it’s in snap but snap doesn’t update well), but downloading and installing the deb actually adds it to apt so it can keep updating. note the filename will probably change to whichever version is current, so for the last two lines press the tab key to autocomplete after you’ve typed “code”:

wget 'https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/download?build=stable&os=linux-deb-x64' --trust-server-names
sudo dpkg -i code_1.99.3-1744761595_amd64.deb
rm code_1.99.3-1744761595_amd64.deb

== zoom ==
the official way to install zoom on ubuntu is to download the deb and install that, but it won’t auto-update and i end up having to manually update before every time i use it. instead, copy this into a script file (run <code>chmod +x install-zoom</code> assuming you’ve saved it as install-zoom) and run it:

#!/usr/bin/env bash

url=https://zoom.us/client/latest/zoom_amd64.deb
debdir=/usr/local/zoomdebs
aptconf=/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/100update_zoom
sourcelist=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/zoomdebs.list

sudo mkdir -p $debdir
( echo 'APT::Update::Pre-Invoke {"cd '$debdir' && wget -qN '$url' && apt-ftparchive packages . > Packages && apt-ftparchive release . > Release";};' | sudo tee $aptconf
echo 'deb [trusted=yes lang=none] file:'$debdir' ./' | sudo tee $sourcelist
) >/dev/null

sudo apt update
sudo apt install zoom

== minecraft ==
my son’s laptop isn’t powerful enough to run minecraft with mods, so he sometimes borrows my laptop. he gets my custom mod pack that i build through [curseforge](https://www.curseforge.com/download/app) but just built into the minecraft launcher so he doesn’t get distracted by the curseforge ads.

before you can do anything you need java, so grab openjdk which is the default:

sudo apt install default-jre

next get the minecraft launcher for debian from https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/download, which will be easier from linux because windows will show you the windows download first and you'll have to look for linux options. this should get you a Minecraft.deb file which you can install using apt so it also installs any dependencies (use the correct path if you downloaded it somewhere else):

sudo apt install ~/Downloads/Minecraft.deb

at this point i needed to reboot and log in to the account that’s going to play minecraft, because otherwise it was crashing back out to the login screen. run the minecraft launcher, which may ask you to set a keyring password. this is optional, so you can leave it blank if you don’t want a password for your passwords stored on your keyring. sign in with the microsoft account that’s going to play minecraft. if you’re going to continue through installing forge and some mods, you should now close the minecraft launcher.

now find the exact minecraft+forge version at https://files.minecraftforge.net/net/minecraftforge/forge/ (you’ll need to click show all versions to get the correct forge version after selecting the page for your minecraft version). find the direct download link by pointing at the information icon next to the installer for your version and download. start the installer with:

java -jar forge-*-installer.jar

(use tab to autocomplete the filename.) if it warns that it can’t find a directory, make sure you’ve gone far enough with the minecraft launcher so it gets created first. it should have install client selected already, so click ok to install it.

this should have created a mods directory under ~/.minecraft where you can put your mods. similarly, config and defaultconfigs are next to that. copy those in and run the minecraft launcher again. the forge installation should be chosen by default, and playing that should include the mods.

User:Misterhaan

2024-10-16T01:16:57Z

Misterhaan:

I’m misterhaan, the owner of [http://www.track7.org/ track7], which includes auWiki. I wrote everything here so far (there are no [[Special:Listusers|other users]] yet!).

My own notes which may someday appear on track7 somewhere (mostly in the [http://www.track7.org/geek/guides/ guides / tips section]):
* [[/Nuvexport Tweaks|Nuvexport Tweaks]]
* [[User:Misterhaan/Dual Booting Ubuntu and Vista|Dual Booting Ubuntu and Vista]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 10 Setup|Windows 10 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 8.1 Setup|Windows 8.1 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 8 Setup|Windows 8 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 7 Setup|Windows 7 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Vista Setup|Vista Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Linux Client Setup|Linux Client Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 24.10 Oracular Oriole Setup|Ubuntu 24.10 Oracular Oriole Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 24.04 Noble Numbat Setup|Ubuntu 24.04 Noble Numbat Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 23.10 Mantic Minotaur Setup|Ubuntu 23.10 Mantic Minotaur Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 23.04 Lunar Lobster Setup|Ubuntu 23.04 Lunar Lobster Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 22.10 Kinetic Kudu Setup|Ubuntu 22.10 Kinetic Kudu Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy Jellyfish Setup|Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy Jellyfish Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Linux Virtual Machine Setup|Linux Virtual Machine Setup]]
* [[/Basic Ubuntu Setup]]
** [[/HTPC Setup]]
* [[User:Misterhaan/Dreamhost SVN Setup|Dreamhost SVN Setup]]

These reviews are for adventures made in Spore Galactic Adventures, which I am slowly posting on the Spore forums.
* [[User:Misterhaan/HUAR|HUAR]]

User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 24.10 Oracular Oriole Setup

2024-10-16T01:15:41Z

Misterhaan: Created page with "i use ubuntu cinnamon linux as my main operating system on my laptop. since the laptop came with windows 10 (which i upgraded to windows 11), i keep that around so i can choose windows on startup when i need one of the manufacturer's utilities. these instructions are what i did when i installed ubuntu cinnamon 24.10 oracular oriole on my laptop westinghouse. i started with ubuntu cinnamon desktop (minimized) so there’s less to uninstall. i do install third-party gra..."

i use ubuntu cinnamon linux as my main operating system on my laptop. since the laptop came with windows 10 (which i upgraded to windows 11), i keep that around so i can choose windows on startup when i need one of the manufacturer's utilities. these instructions are what i did when i installed ubuntu cinnamon 24.10 oracular oriole on my laptop westinghouse. i started with ubuntu cinnamon desktop (minimized) so there’s less to uninstall. i do install third-party graphics and wifi as well as additional media formats. unfortunately the installer no longer has the option to erase my old ubuntu and install over that while leaving windows alone, so i have to choose manual installation and select the previous ubuntu partition to set as root.

= connections to other systems =
most of what i use my laptop for is connecting to other systems, including my home file shares. i set those up first so i have access to my files and the ability to connect to my home desktop and work computer right away.

== home server nfs shares ==
i have command-line ubuntu installed on a different computer at home that stores my files, so my laptop should mount its shares when i'm on my home network. i can't just do a normal mount because if i travel with my laptop, my home server isn't available and i have to wait for those connections to time out before it will finish booting. still, the first couple steps are the same as mounting the shares from a desktop:

# edit <code>/etc/hosts</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/hosts</code> and add a line mapping the lan ip of the server to its name. follow the format of the line that has 127.0.0.1 localhost. saving this change makes sure the laptop can resolve the name of the server, which usually doesn't work without this setting.
# install nfs support with <code>sudo apt install nfs-common</code>
# edit <code>/etc/fstab</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/fstab</code> and add a line for each nfs share to mount, in this format: <code>server:/nfs_share /local/mount/point nfs noexec,noauto 0 0</code>
# create the local mount points for each share (the second column in fstab) with a command like <code>sudo mkdir /local/mount/point</code>
# create a new file as root in <code>/etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/</code> and enter the following code (make sure to put in your uuid and your actual mount points), then set its permissions to rwxr-xr-x with <code>chmod 755 /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/nfs-mount</code>:

#!/bin/bash
SSID="your-wifi-ssid"
INTERFACE=$1
ACTION=$2
ESSID=`nmcli -t -f active,ssid dev wifi | egrep '^yes' | cut -d: -f2`

if [ "$SSID" == "$ESSID" ] && [ "$ACTION" == "up" ]; then
mount /local/mount/point/one
mount /local/mount/point/two
fi

the network shares should be mounted whenever connecting to the wifi SSID. the <code>noauto</code> in fstab tells the system not to attempt to mount those shares on startup, so it doesn't have to wait for that to fail when they're not available. the NetworkManager script makes sure to mount them once connected to the correct wifi, but if you're going to connect to your network with a cable it's not going to recognize the network and you'll need to issue the mount commands manually.

=== change user id ===
ubuntu uses 1000 as the id for the user it creates, but i have a different id on my server and they need to match up for nfs to know who i am. you can't change your user id while you're logged in, so i'll create another admin account temporarily and use that. do that and set a password with the following:

sudo useradd -G adm,sudo -m -s /bin/bash tempadmin
sudo passwd tempadmin

now log out and you should be able to log back in as tempadmin with the password you just set, though it may be necessary to restart if it tells you your original user is in use by a process. run the following command to change your user id and update automounting:

sudo usermod -u [new_ID] [username]
sudo setfacl -m "u:[username]:r-x" /media/
sudo setfacl -x "u:1000" /media/

now we just need to get rid of tempadmin, so log out and log back in as your actual user. run <code>sudo userdel tempadmin</code> to go back to just one user.

== remote control ==
remmina is back in the default install as of 23.10 and works great to connect to my home desktop using vnc (i use tightvnc server on windows 11 there). it is simple to install it though if it wasn't there for you:

sudo apt install remmina

i create two connections for my home desktop -- one that uses my lan ip and another that uses the subdomain i keep mapped to my internet ip. both use remmina vnc plugin for the protocol and specify [ip]:[port] or [subdomain]:[port] since i use a custom vnc port. username can be left blank, and user password can save my connection password. setting the password means if someone else got access to my laptop they could also access my desktop, so be sure to weigh the convenience against security for your situation.

i connect to my work computer over rdp, which i also do through remmina. create a new connection leaving the protocol on the default of RDP - Remote Desktop Protocol and set the server, username, password, and domain for the connection. choose a custom resolution (i use 2560x1440 since that's the resolution of the monitor i have at work -- it has to be added to the list using the ... button before you can choose it), then switch to the advanced tab and change audio output mode to local to get both the speakers and microphone to work. save the connection. on the first connection (we'll need to set up and connect to vpn first), it asks to accept a certificate for the machine.

in remmina preferences i turn off the setting that prevents screenshots from entering clipboard. then under applet, check the box to start in tray upon user login. under keyboard i clear the host key since i commonly use the right control key for normal keyboard shortcuts, and i don't really need to give up another key for remmina shortcuts i don't remember anyway. under rdp, map the caps lock key to insert by entering 0x3a=0x52 for keyboard scancode remapping (needs to be done separately from mapping it locally because rdp doesn't care about local mappings).

== work vpn ==
my job provides cisco anyconnect vpn for me to connect remotely, but thankfully it's compatible with openconnect which is *much* easier to use and integrates with the network manager built into ubuntu. install openconnect, its network manager integration, and its editor (gnome is the name of the desktop environment ubuntu uses, even for cinnamon):

sudo apt install openconnect network-manager-openconnect network-manager-openconnect-gnome

now go to the network icon in the panel (lower right, probably looks like wifi), click it, and choose "Network Connections." add a new connection using the plus button in the lower left of that window, and choose "Cisco AnyConnect or OpenConnect (OpenConnect)" from under the VPN heading. give it a name (i use the company name) and enter the vpn server as the gateway (something like vpn.example.com). the vpn protocol should already be set to "cisco anyconnect or openconnect" from the earlier choice. save the connection.

now, just under the list of available SSIDs in the network menu it will show "VPN Connections" with a toggle next to it. select this to connect. the first time you do this it will prompt for username and password, which you can tell it to remember so it's even easier next time. the window stays open for me until i confirm that it's me connecting through the authenticator app on my phone -- my only real problem with this system is that it doesn't tell me i need to do that if i'm only looking at my laptop . . . but anyconnect doesn't either. disconnect by toggling VPN Connections back to off.

= configuration =
== map caps lock key as insert ==
to remap capslock to insert for the entire machine, edit <code>/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc</code> as root, and set the <code>key <CAPS></code> line to:

key <CAPS> {[ Insert ]};

this takes effect on your next login. it doesn’t apply to rdp connections in remmina though, so be sure to also follow the instructions from earlier for mapping it there too.

== system settings ==
access system settings from the panel menu. they're grouped into sections so i'm using those same groupings here. if i don't list a settings option it's because i don't actually change anything in that one.

=== appearance ===
==== background ====
default background files are <code>/usr/share/backgrounds/</code>, so that's where i put my own backgrounds. this isn't enough to make them automatically show in settings > background though, so use the add button (bottom left) to get that backgrounds directory added, then select it and a background.

==== effects ====
i have all the effects turned on, and set new windows and close windows to fly while leaving minimize traditional.

==== themes ====
it defaulted to a dark theme, so i change the application and icon themes to a dark yaru one with the accent color i want. under settings i turn on icons for menus and buttons.

=== preferences ===
==== account details ====
similar to background files, i create <code>/usr/share/avatars/</code> to hold user avatars. there are some default avatar choices but i haven't been able to find where those are stored. click the use picture and choose browse for more pictures to select your preferred avatar.

==== applets ====
configure calendar to set custom date format to <code>%l:%M %p %a %b %-e </code> (with two trailing spaces) to take up less space and use 12-hour time. similarly set date format for tooltip to <code>%A, %B %e, %l:%M %p</code> to use 12-hour time. select corner bar and click the minus button at the bottom to remove it. configure menu to use a custom icon and label, then set icon to <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/icons/ubuntucinnamon-symbolic.png</code> and icon size to 28 to keep the same icon and clear the text so it doesn’t take up space. also turn on menu animations.

==== date & time ====
turn off 24 hour clock and display seconds.

==== desktop ====
turn off all the desktop icons.

=== hardware ===
==== mouse and touchpad ====
under touchpad, i turn off reverse scrolling direction so that two-finger touchpad scroll works like moving the scroll bar not moving the content.

==== power management ====
change power button behavior to nothing. my laptop's power button is placed where i can very easily hit it by accident when picking it up so i prefer that it ignores when that happens.

==== sound ====
one of the reasons i prefer linux on my laptop is the over-amplification setting. go to the settings tab and slide the maximum volume all the way up to 150%, which is often handy running off built-in speakers.

=== administration ===
==== login window ====
i like to use my own background for the login screen. set that here and then turn off draw user background to have a login background all the time. set the themes as close as i can to the themes i picked in themes. under settings, change clock format to <code>%l:%M %p</code> for 12-hour format.

== firefox touch scroll zoom ==
while the touch screen makes most windows scroll, firefox selects text by default. to make a lasting change edit <code>/etc/security/pam_env.conf</code> and add a line (i add it to the end) with <code>MOZ_USE_XINPUT2 DEFAULT=0 OVERRIDE=1</code>. this should take effect on next login.

= remove software =
sudo apt remove pidgin rhythmbox simple-scan
sudo apt autoremove

= install software =
here's some software i find useful to add:

sudo apt install gimp puddletag xsane

== firefox ==
ubuntu comes with firefox (and thunderbird) installed through snap, but i’ve had problems with it telling me firefox needs to update but can’t because it's running. found these instructions on [omgubuntu.co.uk](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2022/04/how-to-install-firefox-deb-apt-ubuntu-22-04) — start by running these commands to remove the snap firefox and the apt redirect to snap firefox, trust mozilla’s signing, and add a mozilla source.

sudo snap remove firefox
sudo apt remove firefox
wget -q https://packages.mozilla.org/apt/repo-signing-key.gpg -O- | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc > /dev/null
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc] https://packages.mozilla.org/apt mozilla main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mozilla.list > /dev/null

then set priority to the mozilla source and suppress ubuntu’s redirect to snap:

echo '
Package: *
Pin: origin packages.mozilla.org
Pin-Priority: 1000

Package: firefox*
Pin: release o=Ubuntu
Pin-Priority: -1' | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozilla

lastly, update to include the mozilla source and install that (now prioritized) firefox package:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install firefox

== steam ==

there’s a steam-installer in the repository but it fails to install. looking for a solution i found someone claiming the apt package is a redirect to snap, and snap just doesn’t work well (maybe it’s not mature enough). so instead, go to the steam website and download the installer from there. it gave me a file named steam_latest.deb. install it and dependencies with `sudo apt install ~/Downloads/steam_latest.deb` and then run steam to complete the installation and sign in to steam.

== visual studio code ==
visual studio code isn’t in the default apt repositories (it’s in snap but snap doesn’t update well), but downloading and installing the deb actually adds it to apt so it can keep updating. note the filename will probably change to whichever version is current, so for the last two lines press the tab key to autocomplete after you’ve typed “code”:

wget 'https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/download?build=stable&os=linux-deb-x64' --trust-server-names
sudo dpkg -i code_1.83.1-1696982868_amd64.deb
rm code_1.83.1-1696982868_amd64.deb

== zoom ==
the official way to install zoom on ubuntu is to download the deb and install that, but it won’t auto-update and i end up having to manually update before every time i use it. instead, copy this into a script file (run <code>chmod +x install-zoom</code> assuming you’ve saved it as install-zoom) and run it:

#!/usr/bin/env bash

url=https://zoom.us/client/latest/zoom_amd64.deb
debdir=/usr/local/zoomdebs
aptconf=/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/100update_zoom
sourcelist=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/zoomdebs.list

sudo mkdir -p $debdir
( echo 'APT::Update::Pre-Invoke {"cd '$debdir' && wget -qN '$url' && apt-ftparchive packages . > Packages && apt-ftparchive release . > Release";};' | sudo tee $aptconf
echo 'deb [trusted=yes lang=none] file:'$debdir' ./' | sudo tee $sourcelist
) >/dev/null

sudo apt update
sudo apt install zoom

== minecraft ==
my son’s laptop isn’t powerful enough to run minecraft with mods, so he sometimes borrows my laptop. he gets my custom mod pack that i build through [curseforge](https://www.curseforge.com/download/app) but just built into the minecraft launcher so he doesn’t get distracted by the curseforge ads.

before you can do anything you need java, so grab openjdk which is the default:

sudo apt install default-jre

next get the minecraft launcher for debian from https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/download, which will be easier from linux because windows will show you the windows download first and you'll have to look for linux options. this should get you a Minecraft.deb file which you can install using dpkg (use the correct path if you downloaded it somewhere else or aren’t in your home directory):

dpkg -i Downloads/Minecraft.deb

at this point i needed to reboot and log in to the account that’s going to play minecraft, because otherwise it was crashing back out to the login screen. run the minecraft launcher, which may ask you to set a keyring password. this is optional, so you can leave it blank if you don’t want a password for your passwords stored on your keyring. sign in with the microsoft account that’s going to play minecraft. if you’re going to continue through installing forge and some mods, you should now close the minecraft launcher.

no find the exact minecraft+forge version at https://files.minecraftforge.net/net/minecraftforge/forge/ (you’ll need to click show all versions to get the correct forge version after selecting the page for your minecraft version). find the direct download link by pointing at the information icon next to the installer for your version and download. start the installer with:

java -jar forge-*-installer.jar

(use tab to autocomplete the filename.) if it warns that it can’t find a directory, make sure you’ve gone far enough with the minecraft launcher so it gets created first. it should have install client selected already, so click ok to install it.

this should have created a mods directory under ~/.minecraft where you can put your mods. similarly, config and defaultconfigs are next to that. copy those in and run the minecraft launcher again. the forge installation should be chosen by default, and playing that should include the mods.

User:Misterhaan

2024-05-15T02:28:29Z

Misterhaan:

I’m misterhaan, the owner of [http://www.track7.org/ track7], which includes auWiki. I wrote everything here so far (there are no [[Special:Listusers|other users]] yet!).

My own notes which may someday appear on track7 somewhere (mostly in the [http://www.track7.org/geek/guides/ guides / tips section]):
* [[/Nuvexport Tweaks|Nuvexport Tweaks]]
* [[User:Misterhaan/Dual Booting Ubuntu and Vista|Dual Booting Ubuntu and Vista]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 10 Setup|Windows 10 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 8.1 Setup|Windows 8.1 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 8 Setup|Windows 8 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 7 Setup|Windows 7 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Vista Setup|Vista Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Linux Client Setup|Linux Client Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 24.04 Noble Numbat Setup|Ubuntu 24.04 Noble Numbat Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 23.10 Mantic Minotaur Setup|Ubuntu 23.10 Mantic Minotaur Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 23.04 Lunar Lobster Setup|Ubuntu 23.04 Lunar Lobster Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 22.10 Kinetic Kudu Setup|Ubuntu 22.10 Kinetic Kudu Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy Jellyfish Setup|Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy Jellyfish Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Linux Virtual Machine Setup|Linux Virtual Machine Setup]]
* [[/Basic Ubuntu Setup]]
** [[/HTPC Setup]]
* [[User:Misterhaan/Dreamhost SVN Setup|Dreamhost SVN Setup]]

These reviews are for adventures made in Spore Galactic Adventures, which I am slowly posting on the Spore forums.
* [[User:Misterhaan/HUAR|HUAR]]

User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 24.04 Noble Numbat Setup

2024-05-15T02:26:53Z

Misterhaan: Created page with "i use ubuntu cinnamon linux as my main operating system on my laptop. since the laptop came with windows 10 (which i upgraded to windows 11), i keep that around so i can choose windows on startup when i need one of the manufacturer's utilities. these instructions are what i did when i installed ubuntu cinnamon 24.04 noble numbat on my laptop westinghouse. = connections to other systems = most of what i use my laptop for is connecting to other systems, including my home..."

i use ubuntu cinnamon linux as my main operating system on my laptop. since the laptop came with windows 10 (which i upgraded to windows 11), i keep that around so i can choose windows on startup when i need one of the manufacturer's utilities. these instructions are what i did when i installed ubuntu cinnamon 24.04 noble numbat on my laptop westinghouse.

= connections to other systems =
most of what i use my laptop for is connecting to other systems, including my home file shares. i set those up first so i have access to my files and the ability to connect to my home desktop and work computer right away.

== home server nfs shares ==
i have command-line ubuntu installed on a different computer at home that stores my files, so my laptop should mount its shares when i'm on my home network. i can't just do a normal mount because if i travel with my laptop, my home server isn't available and i have to wait for those connections to time out before it will finish booting. still, the first couple steps are the same as mounting the shares from a desktop:

# edit <code>/etc/hosts</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/hosts</code> and add a line mapping the lan ip of the server to its name. follow the format of the line that has 127.0.0.1 localhost. saving this change makes sure the laptop can resolve the name of the server, which usually doesn't work without this setting.
# install nfs support with <code>sudo apt install nfs-common</code>
# edit <code>/etc/fstab</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/fstab</code> and add a line for each nfs share to mount, in this format: <code>server:/nfs_share /local/mount/point nfs noexec,noauto 0 0</code>
# create the local mount points for each share (the second column in fstab) with a command like <code>sudo mkdir /local/mount/point</code>
# create a new file as root in <code>/etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/</code> and enter the following code (make sure to put in your uuid and your actual mount points), then set its permissions to rwxr-xr-x with <code>chmod 755 /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/nfs-mount</code>:

#!/bin/bash
SSID="your-wifi-ssid"
INTERFACE=$1
ACTION=$2
ESSID=`iwconfig $INTERFACE | grep ESSID | cut -d":" -f2 | sed 's/^[^"]*"\|"[^"]*$//g'`

if [ "$SSID" == "$ESSID" ] && [ "$ACTION" == "up" ]; then
mount /local/mount/point/one
mount /local/mount/point/two
fi

the network shares should be mounted whenever connecting to the wifi SSID. the <code>noauto</code> in fstab tells the system not to attempt to mount those shares on startup, so it doesn't have to wait for that to fail when they're not available. the NetworkManager script makes sure to mount them once connected to the correct wifi, but if you're going to connect to your network with a cable it's not going to recognize the network and you'll need to issue the mount commands manually.

=== change user id ===
ubuntu uses 1000 as the id for the user it creates, but i have a different id on my server and they need to match up for nfs to know who i am. you can't change your user id while you're logged in, so i'll create another admin account temporarily and use that. do that and set a password with the following:

sudo useradd -G adm,sudo -m -s /bin/bash tempadmin
sudo passwd tempadmin

now log out and you should be able to log back in as tempadmin with the password you just set, though it may be necessary to restart if it tells you your original user is in use by a process. run the following command to change your user id and update automounting:

sudo usermod -u [new_ID] [username]
sudo setfacl -m "u:[username]:r-x" /media/
sudo setfacl -x "u:1000" /media/

now we just need to get rid of tempadmin, so log out and log back in as your actual user. run <code>sudo userdel tempadmin</code> to go back to just one user.

== remote control ==
remmina is back in the default install as of 23.10 and works great to connect to my home desktop using vnc (i use tightvnc server on windows 11 there). it is simple to install it though if it wasn't there for you:

sudo apt install remmina

i create two connections for my home desktop -- one that uses my lan ip and another that uses the subdomain i keep mapped to my internet ip. both use remmina vnc plugin for the protocol and specify [ip]:[port] or [subdomain]:[port] since i use a custom vnc port. username can be left blank, and user password can save my connection password. setting the password means if someone else got access to my laptop they could also access my desktop, so be sure to weigh the convenience against security for your situation.

i connect to my work computer over rdp, which i also do through remmina. create a new connection leaving the protocol on the default of RDP - Remote Desktop Protocol and set the server, username, password, and domain for the connection. choose a custom resolution (i use 2560x1440 since that's the resolution of the monitor i have at work -- it has to be added to the list using the ... button before you can choose it), then switch to the advanced tab and change audio output mode to local to get both the speakers and microphone to work. save the connection. on the first connection (we'll need to set up and connect to vpn first), it asks to accept a certificate for the machine.

in remmina preferences i turn off the setting that prevents screenshots from entering clipboard. then under applet, check the box to start in tray upon user login. under keyboard i clear the host key since i commonly use the right control key for normal keyboard shortcuts, and i don't really need to give up another key for remmina shortcuts i don't remember anyway. under rdp, map the caps lock key to insert by entering 0x3a=0x52 for keyboard scancode remapping (needs to be done separately from mapping it locally because rdp doesn't care about local mappings).

== work vpn ==
my job provides cisco anyconnect vpn for me to connect remotely, but thankfully it's compatible with openconnect which is *much* easier to use and integrates with the network manager built into ubuntu. install openconnect, its network manager integration, and its editor (gnome is the name of the desktop environment ubuntu uses, even for cinnamon):

sudo apt install openconnect network-manager-openconnect network-manager-openconnect-gnome

now go to the network icon in the panel (lower right, probably looks like wifi), click it, and choose "Network Connections." add a new connection using the plus button in the lower left of that window, and choose "Cisco AnyConnect or OpenConnect (OpenConnect)" from under the VPN heading. give it a name (i use the company name) and enter the vpn server as the gateway (something like vpn.example.com). the vpn protocol should already be set to "cisco anyconnect or openconnect" from the earlier choice. save the connection.

now, just under the list of available SSIDs in the network menu it will show "VPN Connections" with a toggle next to it. select this to connect. the first time you do this it will prompt for username and password, which you can tell it to remember so it's even easier next time. the window stays open for me until i confirm that it's me connecting through the authenticator app on my phone -- my only real problem with this system is that it doesn't tell me i need to do that if i'm only looking at my laptop . . . but anyconnect doesn't either. disconnect by toggling VPN Connections back to off.

= configuration =
== map caps lock key as insert ==
to remap capslock to insert for the entire machine, edit <code>/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc</code> as root, and set the <code>key <CAPS></code> line to:

key <CAPS> {[ Insert ]};

this takes effect on your next login. it doesn’t apply to rdp connections in remmina though, so be sure to also follow the instructions from earlier for mapping it there too.

== enable dark mode ==
by default ubuntu cinnamon uses a dark theme, but doesn’t tell all apps they should do that too. not sure why this isn't in system settings anywhere, but this tells gtk 4 applications such as the text editor that they should show a dark mode theme:

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface color-scheme prefer-dark

i had firefox open when i entered this command and it immediately switched!

== system settings ==
access system settings from the panel menu. they're grouped into sections so i'm using those same groupings here. if i don't list a settings option it's because i don't actually change anything in that one.

=== appearance ===
==== background ====
default background files are <code>/usr/share/backgrounds/</code>, so that's where i put my own backgrounds. this isn't enough to make them automatically show in settings > background though, so use the add button (bottom left) to get that backgrounds directory added, then select it and a background.

==== effects ====
i have all the effects turned on, and set new windows and close windows to fly while leaving minimize traditional.

==== themes ====
it defaulted to a dark theme, so i change the application and icon themes to a dark yaru one with the accent color i want. under settings i turn on icons for menus and buttons.

=== preferences ===
==== account details ====
similar to background files, i create <code>/usr/share/avatars/</code> to hold user avatars. there are some default avatar choices but i haven't been able to find where those are stored. click the use picture and choose browse for more pictures to select your preferred avatar.

==== applets ====
configure calendar to set custom date format to <code>%l:%M %p %a %b %-e </code> (with two trailing spaces) to take up less space and use 12-hour time. similarly set date format for tooltip to <code>%A, %B %e, %l:%M %p</code> to use 12-hour time. select corner bar and click the minus button at the bottom to remove it. configure menu to use a custom icon and label, then set icon to <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/icons/ubuntucinnamon-symbolic.png</code> and icon size to 28 to keep the same icon and clear the text so it doesn’t take up space. also turn on menu animations.

==== date & time ====
turn off 24 hour clock and display seconds.

==== desktop ====
turn off all the desktop icons.

=== hardware ===
==== mouse and touchpad ====
under touchpad, i turn off reverse scrolling direction so that two-finger touchpad scroll works like moving the scroll bar not moving the content.

==== power management ====
change power button behavior to nothing. my laptop's power button is placed where i can very easily hit it by accident when picking it up so i prefer that it ignores when that happens.

==== sound ====
one of the reasons i prefer linux on my laptop is the over-amplification setting. go to the settings tab and slide the maximum volume all the way up to 150%, which is often handy running off built-in speakers.

=== administration ===
==== login window ====
i like to use my own background for the login screen. set that here and then turn off draw user background to have a login background all the time. set the themes as close as i can to the themes i picked in themes. under settings, change clock format to <code>%l:%M %p</code> for 12-hour format.

== firefox touch scroll zoom ==
while the touch screen makes most windows scroll, firefox selects text by default. to make a lasting change edit <code>/etc/security/pam_env.conf</code> and add a line (i add it to the end) with <code>MOZ_USE_XINPUT2 DEFAULT=0 OVERRIDE=1</code>. this should take effect on next login.

= remove software =
sudo apt remove pidgin rhythmbox simple-scan
sudo apt autoremove

= install software =
here's some software i find useful to add:

sudo apt install puddletag xsane

== steam ==

there’s a steam-installer in the repository but it fails to install. looking for a solution i found someone claiming the apt package is a redirect to snap, and snap just doesn’t work well (maybe it’s not mature enough). so instead, go to the steam website and download the installer from there. it gave me a file named steam_latest.deb. install it and dependencies with `sudo apt install ~/Downloads/steam_latest.deb` and then run steam to complete the installation and sign in to steam.

== visual studio code ==
visual studio code isn’t in the default apt repositories (it’s in snap but snap doesn’t update well), but downloading and installing the deb actually adds it to apt so it can keep updating. note the filename will probably change to whichever version is current, so for the last two lines press the tab key to autocomplete after you’ve typed “code”:

wget 'https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/download?build=stable&os=linux-deb-x64' --trust-server-names
sudo dpkg -i code_1.83.1-1696982868_amd64.deb
rm code_1.83.1-1696982868_amd64.deb

== zoom ==
the official way to install zoom on ubuntu is to download the deb and install that, but it won’t auto-update and i end up having to manually update before every time i use it. instead, copy this into a script file (run <code>chmod +x install-zoom</code> assuming you’ve saved it as install-zoom) and run it:

#!/usr/bin/env bash

url=https://zoom.us/client/latest/zoom_amd64.deb
debdir=/usr/local/zoomdebs
aptconf=/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/100update_zoom
sourcelist=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/zoomdebs.list

sudo mkdir -p $debdir
( echo 'APT::Update::Pre-Invoke {"cd '$debdir' && wget -qN '$url' && apt-ftparchive packages . > Packages && apt-ftparchive release . > Release";};' | sudo tee $aptconf
echo 'deb [trusted=yes lang=none] file:'$debdir' ./' | sudo tee $sourcelist
) >/dev/null

sudo apt update
sudo apt install zoom

User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 23.10 Mantic Minotaur Setup

2023-10-21T04:16:15Z

Misterhaan:

i use ubuntu cinnamon linux as my main operating system on my laptop. since the laptop came with windows 10 (which i upgraded to windows 11), i keep that around so i can choose windows on startup when i need one of the manufacturer's utilities. these instructions are what i did when i installed ubuntu cinnamon 23.10 mantic minotaur on my laptop westinghouse.

= connections to other systems =
most of what i use my laptop for is connecting to other systems, including my home file shares. i set those up first so i have access to my files and the ability to connect to my home desktop and work computer right away.
== home server nfs shares ==
i have command-line ubuntu installed on a different computer at home that stores my files, so my laptop should mount its shares when i'm on my home network. i can't just do a normal mount because if i travel with my laptop, my home server isn't available and i have to wait for those connections to time out before it will finish booting. still, the first couple steps are the same as mounting the shares from a desktop:

# edit <code>/etc/hosts</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/hosts</code> and add a line mapping the lan ip of the server to its name. follow the format of the line that has 127.0.0.1 localhost. saving this change makes sure the laptop can resolve the name of the server, which usually doesn't work without this setting.
# install nfs support with <code>sudo apt install nfs-common</code>
# edit <code>/etc/fstab</code> as root with <code>sudo gedit /etc/fstab</code> and add a line for each nfs share to mount, in this format: <code>server:/nfs_share /local/mount/point nfs noexec,noauto 0 0</code>
# create the local mount points for each share (the second column in fstab) with a command like <code>sudo mkdir /local/mount/point</code>

#!/bin/bash
SSID="your-wifi-ssid"
INTERFACE=$1
ACTION=$2
ESSID=`iwconfig $INTERFACE | grep ESSID | cut -d":" -f2 | sed 's/^[^"]*"\|"[^"]*$//g'`

if [ "$SSID" == "$ESSID" ] && [ "$ACTION" == "up" ]; then
mount /local/mount/point/one
mount /local/mount/point/two
fi

the network shares should be mounted whenever connecting to the wifi SSID. the <code>noauto</code> in fstab tells the system not to attempt to mount those shares on startup, so it doesn't have to wait for that to fail when they're not available. the NetworkManager script makes sure to mount them once connected to the correct wifi, but if you're going to connect to your network with a cable it's not going to recognize the network and you'll need to issue the mount commands manually.

=== change user id ===
ubuntu uses 1000 as the id for the user it creates, but i have a different id on my server and they need to match up for nfs to know who i am. you can't change your user id while you're logged in, so i'll create another admin account temporarily and use that. do that and set a password with the following:

sudo useradd -G adm,sudo -m -s /bin/bash tempadmin
sudo passwd tempadmin

now log out and you should be able to log back in as tempadmin with the password you just set, though it may be necessary to restart if it tells you your original user is in use by a process. run the following command to change your user id and update automounting:

sudo usermod -u [new_ID] [username]
sudo setfacl -m "u:[username]:r-x" /media/
sudo setfacl -x "u:1000" /media/

now we just need to get rid of tempadmin, so log out and log back in as your actual user. run <code>sudo userdel tempadmin</code> to go back to just one user.

== remote control ==
remmina is back in the default install as of 23.10 and works great to connect to my home desktop using vnc (i use tightvnc server on windows 11 there). it is simple to install it though if it wasn't there for you:

sudo apt install remmina

i create two connections for my home desktop -- one that uses my lan ip and another that uses the subdomain i keep mapped to my internet ip. both use remmina vnc plugin for the protocol and specify [ip]:[port] or [subdomain]:[port] since i use a custom vnc port. username can be left blank, and user password can save my connection password. setting the password means if someone else got access to my laptop they could also access my desktop, so be sure to weigh the convenience against security for your situation.

i connect to my work computer over rdp, which i also do through remmina. create a new connection leaving the protocol on the default of RDP - Remote Desktop Protocol and set the server, username, password, and domain for the connection. choose a custom resolution (i use 2560x1440 since that's the resolution of the monitor i have at work -- it has to be added to the list using the ... button before you can choose it), then switch to the advanced tab and change audio output mode to local to get both the speakers and microphone to work. save the connection. on the first connection (we'll need to set up and connect to vpn first), it asks to accept a certificate for the machine.

in remmina preferences i turn off the setting that prevents screenshots from entering clipboard. then under applet, check the box to start in tray upon user login. under keyboard i clear the host key since i commonly use the right control key for normal keyboard shortcuts, and i don't really need to give up another key for remmina shortcuts i don't remember anyway. under rdp, map the caps lock key to insert by entering 0x3a=0x52 for keyboard scancode remapping (needs to be done separately from mapping it locally because rdp doesn't care about local mappings).

== work vpn ==
my job provides cisco anyconnect vpn for me to connect remotely, but thankfully it's compatible with openconnect which is *much* easier to use and integrates with the network manager built into ubuntu. install openconnect, its network manager integration, and its editor (gnome is the name of the desktop environment ubuntu uses, even for cinnamon):

sudo apt install openconnect network-manager-openconnect network-manager-openconnect-gnome

now go to the network icon in the panel (lower right, probably looks like wifi), click it, and choose "Network Connections." add a new connection using the plus button in the lower left of that window, and choose "Cisco AnyConnect or OpenConnect (OpenConnect)" from under the VPN heading. give it a name (i use the company name) and enter the vpn server as the gateway (something like vpn.example.com). the vpn protocol should already be set to "cisco anyconnect or openconnect" from the earlier choice. save the connection.

now, just under the list of available SSIDs in the network menu it will show "VPN Connections" with a toggle next to it. select this to connect. the first time you do this it will prompt for username and password, which you can tell it to remember so it's even easier next time. the window stays open for me until i confirm that it's me connecting through the authenticator app on my phone -- my only real problem with this system is that it doesn't tell me i need to do that if i'm only looking at my laptop . . . but anyconnect doesn't either. disconnect by toggling VPN Connections back to off.

= configuration =
== map caps lock key as insert ==
to remap capslock to insert for the entire machine, edit <code>/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc</code> as root, and set the <code>key <CAPS></code> line to:

key <CAPS> {[ Insert ]};

this takes effect on your next login. it doesn’t apply to rdp connections in remmina though, so be sure to also follow the instructions from earlier for mapping it there too.

== enable dark mode ==
by default ubuntu cinnamon uses a dark theme, but doesn’t tell all apps they should do that too. not sure why this isn't in system settings anywhere, but this tells gtk 4 applications such as the text editor that they should show a dark mode theme:

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface color-scheme prefer-dark

i had firefox open when i entered this command and it immediately switched!

== system settings ==
access system settings from the panel menu. they're grouped into sections so i'm using those same groupings here. if i don't list a settings option it's because i don't actually change anything in that one.

=== appearance ===
==== background ====
default background files are <code>/usr/share/backgrounds/</code>, so that's where i put my own backgrounds. this isn't enough to make them automatically show in settings > background though, so use the add button (bottom left) to get that backgrounds directory added, then select it and a background.

==== effects ====
i have all the effects turned on, and set new windows and close windows to fly while leaving minimize traditional.

==== themes ====
it defaulted to a dark theme, so i change the application and icon themes to a dark yaru one with the accent color i want. under settings i turn on icons for menus and buttons.

=== preferences ===
==== account details ====
similar to background files, i create <code>/usr/share/avatars/</code> to hold user avatars. there are some default avatar choices but i haven't been able to find where those are stored. click the use picture and choose browse for more pictures to select your preferred avatar.

==== applets ====
configure calendar to set custom date format to <code>%l:%M %p %a %b %-e </code> (with two trailing spaces) to take up less space and use 12-hour time. similarly set date format for tooltip to <code>%A, %B %e, %l:%M %p</code> to use 12-hour time. select corner bar and click the minus button at the bottom to remove it. configure menu to use a custom icon and label, then set icon to <code>/usr/share/cinnamon/icons/ubuntucinnamon-symbolic.png</code> and icon size to 28 to keep the same icon and clear the text so it doesn’t take up space. also turn on menu animations.

==== date & time ====
turn off 24 hour clock and display seconds.

==== desktop ====
turn off all the desktop icons.

=== hardware ===
==== mouse and touchpad ====
under touchpad, i turn off reverse scrolling direction so that two-finger touchpad scroll works like moving the scroll bar not moving the content.

==== power management ====
change power button behavior to nothing. my laptop's power button is placed where i can very easily hit it by accident when picking it up so i prefer that it ignores when that happens.

==== sound ====
one of the reasons i prefer linux on my laptop is the over-amplification setting. go to the settings tab and slide the maximum volume all the way up to 150%, which is often handy running off built-in speakers.

=== administration ===
==== login window ====
i like the mantic minotaur background for the login screen, but sometimes i like to use my own. set that here and then turn off draw user background to have a login background all the time. set the themes as close as i can to the themes i picked in themes. under settings, change clock format to <code>%l:%M %p</code> for 12-hour format.

== firefox touch scroll zoom ==
while the touch screen makes most windows scroll, firefox selects text by default. to make a lasting change edit <code>/etc/security/pam_env.conf</code> and add a line (i add it to the end) with <code>MOZ_USE_XINPUT2 DEFAULT=0 OVERRIDE=1</code>. this should take effect on next login.

= remove software =
sudo apt remove pidgin rhythmbox simple-scan
sudo apt autoremove

= install software =
here's some software i find useful to add:

sudo apt install puddletag steam xsane

steam doesn't install the whole steam because it wants to tell you it's proprietary and install it to your home directory. still works so whatever, but if you have multiple partitions for linux make sure to set storage for steam to the right one (assuming it's not /home).

== visual studio code ==
visual studio code isn’t in the default apt repositories (it’s in snap but snap doesn’t update well), but downloading and installing the deb actually adds it to apt so it can keep updating. note the filename will probably change to whichever version is current, so for the last two lines press the tab key to autocomplete after you’ve typed “code”:

wget 'https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/download?build=stable&os=linux-deb-x64' --trust-server-names
sudo dpkg -i code_1.83.1-1696982868_amd64.deb
rm code_1.83.1-1696982868_amd64.deb

== zoom ==
the official way to install zoom on ubuntu is to download the deb and install that, but it won’t auto-update and i end up having to manually update before every time i use it. instead, copy this into a script file (run <code>chmod +x install-zoom</code> assuming you’ve saved it as install-zoom) and run it:

#!/usr/bin/env bash

url=https://zoom.us/client/latest/zoom_amd64.deb
debdir=/usr/local/zoomdebs
aptconf=/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/100update_zoom
sourcelist=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/zoomdebs.list

sudo mkdir -p $debdir
( echo 'APT::Update::Pre-Invoke {"cd '$debdir' && wget -qN '$url' && apt-ftparchive packages . > Packages && apt-ftparchive release . > Release";};' | sudo tee $aptconf
echo 'deb [trusted=yes lang=none] file:'$debdir' ./' | sudo tee $sourcelist
) >/dev/null

sudo apt update
sudo apt install zoom

User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 23.10 Mantic Minotaur Setup

2023-10-19T04:04:06Z

Misterhaan:

User:Misterhaan

2023-10-19T03:18:19Z

Misterhaan:

I’m misterhaan, the owner of [http://www.track7.org/ track7], which includes auWiki. I wrote everything here so far (there are no [[Special:Listusers|other users]] yet!).

My own notes which may someday appear on track7 somewhere (mostly in the [http://www.track7.org/geek/guides/ guides / tips section]):
* [[/Nuvexport Tweaks|Nuvexport Tweaks]]
* [[User:Misterhaan/Dual Booting Ubuntu and Vista|Dual Booting Ubuntu and Vista]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 10 Setup|Windows 10 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 8.1 Setup|Windows 8.1 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 8 Setup|Windows 8 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Windows 7 Setup|Windows 7 Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Vista Setup|Vista Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Linux Client Setup|Linux Client Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 23.10 Mantic Minotaur Setup|Ubuntu 23.10 Mantic Minotaur Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 23.04 Lunar Lobster Setup|Ubuntu 23.04 Lunar Lobster Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 22.10 Kinetic Kudu Setup|Ubuntu 22.10 Kinetic Kudu Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy Jellyfish Setup|Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy Jellyfish Setup]]
** [[User:Misterhaan/Linux Virtual Machine Setup|Linux Virtual Machine Setup]]
* [[/Basic Ubuntu Setup]]
** [[/HTPC Setup]]
* [[User:Misterhaan/Dreamhost SVN Setup|Dreamhost SVN Setup]]

These reviews are for adventures made in Spore Galactic Adventures, which I am slowly posting on the Spore forums.
* [[User:Misterhaan/HUAR|HUAR]]