Tuning and optimizing Ubuntu after installation

In this article I will try to answer the questions that, I think, arise for each user who has first installed his own GNU / Linux. I myself have been using the OS data for only a couple of years, and I myself have had similar questions, so I think I can help some newbies with these systems. At first glance, everything seems complicated and incomprehensible, but I will try to convince you that this is not so. I chose Ubuntu as a Linux OS for beginners, and I think I was not mistaken, because this distribution is really user friendly: it is very easy to install, it has a user-friendly graphical interface (regardless of Gnome, KDE or Unity), most full localization and of course the Application Center, installing software from which is the matter of pressing a single mouse button. But after installing the system, there are a number of unnecessary in my opinion programs and settings that it would be nice to change and supplement with something more convenient and functional. This is what we will do in this article. What actions to perform and which ones are not is a personal choice of each user; perhaps, only a couple of the commands listed below will be useful to you, or maybe you will configure your Ubuntu GNU / Linux exactly as stated in the article.
I will not describe the specific settings for each working environment (Gnome, KDE, Unity), and lay out only those settings that do not depend on the working environment and will be useful to all users.

All below listed commands need to be copied to the terminal. The terminal can be called with CTRL + ALT + T.

Update the system

To begin, we will update the list of repositories and search for indexes of updated versions of programs, drivers, the kernel, and everything else:
sudo apt-get update

Now, in fact, install all available updates:
sudo apt-get upgrade

Install flash, java, audio and video codecs:
apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras

Now let's move the window control buttons (minimize, maximize, close) to our usual position - on the right, not on the left, as in MAC:
gconftool-2 --set "/apps/metacity/general/button_layout" --type string "menu:minimize,maximize,close"

We remove the extra software:
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Remove the Pitivi video editor:
sudo apt-get remove pitivi

Delete the Empathy instant messaging client:
sudo apt-get remove empathy empathy-common nautilus-sendto-empathy

We delete the Gwibber microblogging client:
sudo apt-get remove gwibber gwibber-service

If you do not need to use UbuntuONE (storing data on a remote server to access it from anywhere), disable and delete this service:
sudo apt-get remove python-ubuntuone-client ubuntuone-client python-ubuntuone-storageprotocol ubuntuone-client-gnome rhythmbox-ubuntuone-music-store python-ubuntuone

If there is no need to provide someone with remote access to YOUR desktop, disable:
sudo apt-get remove vino

Remove the standard remote desktop client, as it has problems connecting to Windows machines:
sudo apt-get remove vinagre tsclient rdesktop

And we install a more functional RDP Remmina client, it allows you to connect via RDP to Windows, as well as to anything over SSH:
sudo apt-get install remmina

I propose to remove the application for cleaning the system, since it is under development and does not carry significant benefits:
sudo apt-get remove computer-janitor-gtk

Remove from the system everything related to assistive technologies, such as a screen magnifier:
sudo apt-get remove gnome-accessibility-themes gnome-dictionary gnome-mag at-spi libgail-gnome- module libatspi1.0-0 libgail-common libatk1.0-data libgnome-mag2 espeak-data espeak
module libatspi1.0-0 libgail-common libatk1.0-data libgnome-mag2 espeak-data espeak

If there is no Bluetooth adapter in your computer or laptop and you do not plan to use it, delete all services and applications associated with it:
sudo apt-get remove bluez-cups bluez bluez-alsa bluez-gstreamer pulseaudio-module-bluetooth

Put the gdebi application in order to install single .deb packages without building dependencies:
sudo apt-get install gdebi

Consider that after this procedure, it is necessary to restore compliance with the opening of gdebi .deb files. We target any .deb file, right-click it, select it in the Properties menu and then select the Gdebi Package Installer in the Open in Program tab.

Let's remove the default video player, as well as the music player, because in my opinion they are not quite convenient to use, but in general you are here to decide:
sudo apt-get remove rhythmbox totem totem-common

Instead, I put a simple and convenient player Deadbeef
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:alexey-smirnov/deadbeef
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install deadbeef

And films are very convenient to watch through VLC:
sudo apt-get install vlc mozilla-plugin-vlc

I put a pleasing to the eye theme and icons, here, too, your choice, so you can put any topic:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:tiheum/equinox
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install faenza-icon-theme equinox-theme equinox-ubuntu-theme

Turn on the display of additional icons in the menu:
gconftool-2 --type boolean --set /desktop/gnome/interface/menus_have_icons true

Turn on the display of additional icons on the buttons:
gconftool-2 --type boolean --set /desktop/gnome/interface/buttons_have_icons true

Put the Compiz desktop environment management utility:
sudo apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager

This concludes the first part of our settings, we will admire what we got on the output and reboot the system.

Select ICQ-client

Another important point in the transition to Ubuntu - the choice of ICQ-messenger for the OS. And so, which client to choose? On Windows, I'm used to using RnQ (in the common people - a rat). Unfortunately, there is still no such client for Linux, so I had to look for analogues. I also did not rule out the possibility of running a rat on Ubuntu from under Wine, but since we are switching to Linux, I decided to use something from Linux. The standard Pidgin did not suit my taste, so I settled on choosing Qutim. Why: Its interface strongly resembles Miranda and QIP of earlier versions, so it came at an opportune moment, the interface was not overloaded, and other amenities as well. Consider 2 ways:

Go to the installation process. As usual, we launch the terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T).

1) Add the program source in the system, execute the command in the terminal:
sudo wget linux.intonet.ru/ubuntu/qutim/hardy.list -O /etc/apt/sources.list.d/qutim.list

Now you need to update the package database. To do this, you need to run the command:
sudo apt-get update

After the update qutim will appear in the database. Now install it:
sudo apt-get install qutim

2) In this method we consider how to combine the execution of several commands at once, without dividing them into separate steps. We add a repository with one team, update the list of packages and install Qutim. This method was proposed by habrayuder ademaro , for which a special thanks to him.
Perform in the terminal:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:qutim/qutim && apt-get update && apt-get install qutim

You can add smilies and themes:
sudo apt-get install qutim-emoticons
sudo apt-get install qutim-themes

This is all, the installation is complete. Then you can play with the settings and make the client look like either QIP, or Miranda, or even RnQ. The client is really easy to use, so we use to health.

Now install Skype

As usual, we will install it by adding Skype - a repository through the terminal. And so, let's get started:

Open the terminal and execute the command (Instead of gedit, you can use any other text editor at your discretion, for example, nano):

sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

in the text editor that appears we add the line:
deb download.skype.com/linux/repos/debian stable non-free

We write in the terminal:
sudo apt-get update

and wait until the information is updated. Next, execute the following command in the terminal:
sudo apt-get install skype

After installing Skype, you can find it in Applications> Internet.

Install Opera

By default, Ufont has Firefox installed as an Internet browser. Personally, I don’t like it, although it’s easy, but by default it doesn’t have some of the features that are available in Opera. Of course, you can extend the functionality by finishing it with various plug-ins, but from these plug-ins it becomes heavier and begins to noticeably yield to speed in Opera. That is why I recommend to remove Ognelis and put the Opera. Let's get started

To get started, let's add a repository of operators to our source.list:
deb deb.opera.com/opera stable non-free

Next, add GPG-keys for updates:
wget -O - deb.opera.com/archive.key | sudo apt-key add -sudo apt-get install debian-archive-keyring

Actually, install Opera:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install opera

Now we check the availability of Opera on the way the main menu / Internet / Opera and run. We accept the license agreement and use on health.

And yes, Firefox is no longer needed:
sudo apt-get remove firefox

Finish the system

It will issue notifications about newly connected devices:
wget download.learnfree.eu/repository/skss/udev-notify-0.1.2-all.deb ;
dpkg -i udev-notify* ;
apt-get install -f ;

Put the Gimp graphic editor with a set of brushes and filters:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:shnatsel/gimp-paint-studio ;
sudo apt-get update ;
sudo apt-get install gimp-paint-studio ;

Add in surs list ...
ppa.launchpad.net/mars-core/ppa/ubuntu natty main
deb-src ppa.launchpad.net/mars-core/ppa/ubuntu natty main

... and put the toy:
apt-get update; apt-get install marsshooter -y

We optimize the OS a bit.

Commands beginning with # mean that they require superuser rights, for this we add before each command, as before in the sudo article, or execute it in the sudo su terminal, which will cause all subsequent commands to be executed on behalf of the superuser, so BDI, Annon.

We configure the swap (swap section) to be activated only when the physical RAM is completely filled:
# gedit /etc/sysctl.conf

Add a line to the end of the file: vm.swappiness = 0
Thus, we will most efficiently use all available RAM.

If the system has a two or more nuclear processor, I recommend the following:
# gedit /etc/init.d/rc

find CONCURRENCY = none and replace with:
CONCURRENCY = shell
This will significantly add to your system performance.

We will speed up the graphics a bit by assigning it a priority of 20.
# gedit /etc/rc.local

Paste it at the end of the file before the EXIT command.
sudo renice -n -20 $ (pidof X)

When creating this article were used the work of other authors, various blogs, forums and official documentation. Since all this information was collected in parts from various resources, and I just finished everything and gathered it together, adding my own ideas, it is not possible for me to publish the full list of authors. So if someone saw his author’s text here, you don’t need to tear his hair and blame him for copying and copying; all you have to do is to inform me about this by adding a link to your article and I will definitely include you in the list of authors.

Material prepared specifically for the competition of Russian-language articles Ubuntu.