This article contains a detailed list of the software applications that I personally use on my Ubuntu 24.10 installation. For each application listed, I have included the method of installation that I utilized. This includes specifying whether the application was installed from a deb repository, a snap package, or a Flatpak package.

First of all…

To ensure a smooth start with your new Ubuntu 24.10 installation, it’s essential to update the system and expand your software installation options. First, open the terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run sudo apt update, sudo apt upgrade, and sudo snap refresh. This brings your system up to date. Then, to gain access to a broader range of applications via Flatpak, follow the setup instructions found here: https://flatpak.org/setup/Ubuntu.

Google Chrome

Downloaded the .deb version from the official source: https://www.google.com/chrome/

Dropbox

To get Dropbox on my system, I went to the Software app and searched for it. I selected and installed the regular ‘Dropbox’ .deb package, instead of the version tailored for the Caja file manager.

Sublime Text

I opted to install Sublime Text via its APT repository to receive automatic updates. I followed the setup instructions provided on the official Sublime Text website: https://www.sublimetext.com/docs/linux_repositories.html.

Virtualbox

I encountered issues installing VirtualBox through the standard Ubuntu repositories and Software app. To fix this, I completely removed the existing installation and downloaded the ‘All distributions’ package directly from the VirtualBox website: https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Linux_Downloads. After making the downloaded file executable, I needed to install a few dependencies:

sudo apt-get install python3-distutils-extra
sudo apt-get install -y libxcb-cursor-dev
sudo apt-get install build-essential gcc make perl dkms

Finally, I ran the installer using sudo ./VirtualBox-7.1.2-164945-Linux_amd64.run (replace the filename with the one you downloaded). This resolved the issues, and VirtualBox now runs smoothly, allowing me to access my existing virtual machines.

More of my daily-drivers

I’ve also installed these programs: SMPlayer, using the .deb package from Ubuntu’s Software app, and Slack, Viber, and Mailspring, all conveniently installed as Flatpaks from the same Software app.

Webapps

I prefer to use certain web applications as standalone apps on my Ubuntu system. Chrome makes this easy. Here’s how:

1. Navigate to the website in Chrome.
2. Click the three vertical dots (menu) in the top right corner.
3. Go to ‘More tools’ > ‘Create shortcut…’
4. Check the ‘Open as window’ box and click ‘Create’.

This creates a dedicated app window that appears in Ubuntu’s launcher, allowing you to pin it to the dock. I use this method for Gemini, Facebook Messenger, Todoist, Spotify, and YouTube.

YouTube required a slight workaround. Initially, the shortcut didn’t have a proper icon and couldn’t be pinned. To fix this:

1. Open a new Chrome tab.
2. If logged in, you’ll see a grid of nine dots in the top left. Click it.
3. Right-click the YouTube icon within the grid and select the option that opens YouTube in its own app window.
4. Now, you can pin that window to your dock.

Papercuts

To fine-tune my Ubuntu experience and eliminate some minor annoyances, I made a few adjustments:

• Silence the Screenshot Sound: To mute the camera shutter sound when taking screenshots, I renamed the sound file: sudo mv /usr/share/sounds/freedesktop/stereo/camera-shutter.oga /usr/share/sounds/freedesktop/stereo/camera-shutter-disabled.oga.
• Enable Minimize on Click: To minimize windows by clicking their icons in the dock, I used this command: gsettings set org.gnome.shell.extensions.dash-to-dock click-action 'minimize'.
• Resize Windows with Super + Right Click: To enable resizing windows with Super + right click, I installed Ubuntu Tweaks. You can install it through the Ubuntu Software center, or by adding the following ppa and installing via the terminal:
  • sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-tweaks/ppa
  • sudo apt update
  • sudo apt install ubuntu-tweaks Then, I opened Ubuntu Tweaks and enabled the ‘Resize with secondary click’ option.