15 things TO DO after your fresh ubuntu linux install

Why schools should use open-source software

This won’t be your standard list of what to do once installed, for those please go here for https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2020/10/things-to-do-after-installing-ubuntu-20-10-groovy-gorilla or here https://www.tecmint.com/things-to-do-after-installing-ubuntu. This is a more extensive dive into what teachers should do after installation and also give some best practices that I have accumulated over the years. Before listing the 15 things I do here is a bit of background of why.

My journey into the open-source world started with the introduction to the LTSP concept and specifically the Skolelinux variant that was being trialed at my school back in 2004. I would like to try to list pedagogical arguments for open-source software in schools. This list is certainly not complete and I will update it from time to time. Whoever has other ideas and reasons for or against the usage of Open Source in schools is encouraged to write a comment here or join my YouTube channel and comment in there. I will use two sets of criteria for my list; the first are the 6 guiding principles of learning from my current school and the second is the Technology Integration Matrix categories.

International School Mainfranken

• Authenticity
• Creativity
• Independence and Interaction
• Challenge
• Inclusivity
• Reflection

Technology Integration Matrix

• Active Learning
• Collaborative Learning
• Constructive Learning
• Authentic Learning
• Goal-Directed Learning

As you can see that we share quite a few values already, making my work a bit easier! The three big connections that I make with our Principles of Learning, Technology Matrix and using Open-source Software are:

Equity — Using open-source software allows all students to download and distribute the software free of charge for most operating systems. There is no need to buy any particular software to use at home. This means that weaker financial families have no disadvantages.

Values — Open source is based on sharing the knowledge, working together, openness, transparency, and free access to information. This practice and the culture of learning and sharing promote competencies that are ethically and socially important for an IB world school

Localization — open-source software is often available in the native language, or you can contribute a translation if there isn’t any available. Students can also contribute/participate in an authentic open-source project to enhance their communication, self-managment, social and thinking skills. Although many people are able to speak English, there is also empowerment with the knowledge that you are able to use your computer in any language you want.

Setting up your computer

Here is my list I have grouped into three distinctive categories for system work; ensure that your system is up to date and running smoothly, installing software that you need and then installing software that you need for teaching.

Before diving in it is always see what’s new:

To be able to do any of these tasks you need to understand the roles of a system administrator and standard user. In Ubuntu, you need to be a system administrator to be able to install updates, connect to a new WiFi, etc. A common misconception is that you have to use the command line aka terminal to do these things, but that is really just a misconception. Having said that, I do use the terminal to do most of my system updates as it is the fastest and most convenient way. Here is a great article about howto use the terminal in ubuntu https://www.howtoforge.com/tutorial/sudo-beginners-guide/

System Administration

• Check for Updates
  • If you have not chosen to install updates during the installation of the OS it is recommended to run an update, to make sure you are running the latest version of the software. You can do this either via software updater (Graphical Interface) or via Terminal: Input the following command:

$ sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

• Install Useful Gnome Extensions

Ubuntu uses the GNOME desktop environment. The GNOME extensions give you an easy way to add to and extend the functionality of the Ubuntu desktop. From subtle enhancements to more dramatic changes. To do this open a new terminal window and use the following command:

$ sudo apt install chrome-gnome-shell

• Install Media Codecs
  • If you didn’t opt for installing third-party sources during installation then you’ll need to install media codecs to be able to play popular music and video formats, This can be done by opening a terminal and running the following command:

$ sudo apt install ubuntu-restricted-extras

• Install GNOME Tweaks
  • GNOME Tweak Tool is a great application to have that lets you tweak Ubuntu and customize it in several ways to get a refreshing look and set it up according to your requirements. You can change the overall look and feel of the Ubuntu desktop environment, change default fonts, and customize desktop icons, manage extensions, and a whole lot of things.

$ sudo apt-get install gnome-tweak-tool

• Choose Default Applications
  • Select Settings –> Default Applications
• Install Graphics Drivers (if Needed)
  • Select Settings –>About–>Software Updates –>Additional Drivers
• Install Laptop Tools (if Needed)

$ sudo apt-get install laptop-mode-tools

Software

• Choose Your Favorite Browser
  • If you need to use a certain type of browser for your school/district and choosing the right web browser is essential for our online experience. There are many options for you in Ubuntu but the most popular/required are Google Chrome and Opera. Installing Chrome is one of the rare exceptions to the rule of how we usually do things in Ubuntu. (https://itsfoss.com/install-chrome-ubuntu/)
• Install Software that you need from the Software Center
  • What you install on your system depends entirely on you. Tecmint has compiled an example list:
    • VLC – a video player with great features.
    • GIMP – image editing software, often compared to Photoshop.
    • Spotify – music streaming application.
    • Skype – messaging and video messaging application.
    • Viber – messaging and free calls application between users.
    • GS Connect – Android phone integration on your desktop
    • Atom – nice text editor with plenty of extensions. Good for developers as well.
    • Calibre – eBook management tool.
    • DropBox – personal cloud storage to keep some files.
    • qBittorent – torrent client similar.

Educational Software
(emphasis on producing content for remote learning)

• Setup Cloud Accounts
  • Settings –> Online Accounts

Content creation

• For screen recording and streaming install Simple-Screen-Recorder, for older hardware, for modern computers with over 8Gb of RAM consider OBS-Studio
• To edit your videos install Openshot or ShotCut, unless you have a very powerful AMD system and then you can install DaVinci Resolve or Lightworks
• To record, edit and manipulate audio you’ll need to install Audacity – the free, open-source, cross-platform audio software. Audacity is an easy-to-use, multi-track audio editor and recorder
• Blogging can be done after installing WordPress Desktop Client or by using a browser of your choice

and finally: for games, you can install MultiMC to run your different Minecraft profiles, Minecraft Bedrock Client, Steam and Lutris

The following websites have all this information with pictures and have included way more tips:

• https://linuxhint.com/40_things_after_installing_ubuntu/
• https://www.tecmint.com/things-to-do-after-installing-ubuntu/
• https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2020/10/things-to-do-after-installing-ubuntu-20-10-groovy-gorilla