Use this Ubuntu LTS post-installation checklist during the first week to prepare your system for daily use. Ubuntu LTS is ready for daily use after installation, but a few early decisions can make it easier to maintain. Organise updates, hardware support, backups, privacy settings, software sources, and recovery safeguards before using the computer regularly for study, development, or home tasks.
Table of Contents
1. Install available system updates
Start with the update step before adding many applications or changing system settings. Updates are a basic part of post-installation setup because they keep the installed system aligned with the current maintenance state for that Ubuntu release.
Complete the update process, then restart if Ubuntu requests it. A restart matters when updated system components are waiting to be loaded. The post-install checklists from Ubuntu.Fan and Ubuntu.Fan’s post-installation setup guide both place system preparation among the first tasks after installation.
2. Check hardware and drivers
Confirm that the hardware you plan to use works as expected. Check the display, network connection, sound, touchpad, camera, printer, and any graphics hardware that matters for your work.
Drivers provide the software connection between Ubuntu and hardware devices. Review the available driver options in Ubuntu’s system tools and apply a recommended option when one is offered for hardware that needs it. This is especially useful before development work that depends on reliable graphics, networking, or external devices.
3. Set up a backup routine
Backups protect personal files and project work from accidental deletion, damaged storage, or a failed system change. Decide what must be recoverable first, such as coursework, source code, documents, photos, and configuration files.
- Choose a backup location separate from the computer’s main system storage.
- Include both personal files and important development or study projects.
- Check that the backup can be opened and restored before relying on it.
A backup is useful only when it contains the files you need and can be restored. Add the backup task to your first-week setup rather than waiting until the system contains more important work.
4. Review privacy basics
Open Ubuntu’s privacy settings and review the available options before using the system for personal work. Check settings related to recent activity, location, screen lock, and removable media where those options are available in your installation.
Use a screen lock on a shared or portable computer. This separates normal access from unattended access and is particularly relevant for student laptops and home computers used by more than one person.
5. Choose software sources carefully
Decide where each application should come from before installing it. Ubuntu systems may present software through the standard application tools and other supported software sources. Use a consistent source for each application so updates and removal remain predictable.
For development tools, keep the project requirements in mind before adding repositories or changing system packages. A simple first-week setup is easier to maintain when unnecessary sources are not added at the start. The Ubuntu 24.04 checklist from Ubuntu Portal also treats application setup as part of post-installation preparation.
6. Prepare recovery safeguards
Recovery safeguards reduce the impact of a failed update, an unwanted configuration change, or a damaged installation. Keep a recovery method available and make sure important files are backed up before making major system changes.
Before changing drivers, adding system-wide development tools, or adjusting core settings, record what you changed. This gives you a clear starting point for reversing the change if the result is not suitable.
What to complete during the first week
- Finish system updates and restart when requested.
- Test the hardware needed for study, development, or home use.
- Set up and test a backup for important files.
- Review privacy and screen-lock settings.
- Install essential applications from a deliberate software source.
- Keep a recovery method ready before making major system changes.
Post-installation setup works best as a short sequence of checks rather than one large configuration project. The Ubuntu.Fan post-install checklist and its alternate checklist page provide additional post-installation reference material for Ubuntu systems.