Things to do after installing ubuntu

Ubuntu 12.04 is the latest LTS (long term support)  OS available.But after it is installed there are few things that can  be done – to make it more user friendly , to improve its performance and also to make it look  better.As i started using ubuntu, I started customizing and tweaking it . And while trying out new things like changing the startup sound, creating a 3d desktop ,etc  I found that I could have an operating system that  is so unique that, it represents me. A freedom which no one  will  find  in  any of the proprietary OS. Though there are tons of customization  that can be done,here are a few things to start with..

Keeping the OS updated–
Once Ubuntu is installed it is important to update the repositories so that all the features are updated and bugs if any are fixed.It can be done in two ways. One way is to use the software updater.To use it type  “software” in the dash and click on  the “software updater” application. This will automatically check for the updates and asks you weather to install it or not.Select install and let it do the process.  

the other way is to use the terminal.So type the following command in the terminal:
                        sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade

Once this is done, now the other software applications can be installed.Again  these software can be installed in two ways.
The first is by using the “Ubuntu software center”. Here you can search and install the software directly. The screenshots below shows installing Blender
animation software.
The second method is to use the command line.You can google  any particular software that you want to install and get the commands to install them.

some of the  Software to install-
This list mentions some of the software that are needed to perform some basic tasks:

1. VLC madia player – this is the best open source video and audio player known, having  the ability to play any kind of media format which makes it a                                                     preferred choice by most of the users.
2. Gimp – This is an image editor and has the capability to perform almost all the operations photoshop can.
3. Chromium – This is an open source browser and is a substitute to the “google chrome” browser.
4. Jupiter – This is an optimization software and it helps increasing the battery backup and also reduce the heating of the laptop.
5. Synaptiks –This package helps configure gestures for the laptop’s touchpad.
6. Gparted – Gparted partition editor  can be used to to maintain and edit the disk drives of the system.
7. Adobe flash plugin – This plugin is mainly  necessary , while video streaming on the web.The browser asks you to install the plugin when you try watching                                     a youtube video on the newly installed OS.
8. Bumblebee  –  Ubuntu by default doesn’t  use the external graphics card. But   bumblebee can be  to run specific software using the  external GPU.

All the above mentioned software other than bumblebee can be downloaded through the “software center”. These are just a few to start with.
Hundreds of other software, tweaks and customization can be done to make your ubuntu awesome .The only way to use ubuntu is by experimenting and trying out new things on it , so  that it can make your system  efficient and productive for you to use.