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Consistent and Simple: My Standard Steps After Installing Linux with GNOME DE

·432 words·3 mins
Linux GNOME Dotfiles
Nofal Briansah
Author
Nofal Briansah
Holaaa :)
Table of Contents

TL;DR
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A streamlined workflow to transform a fresh GNOME install into a personalized, productive environment by focusing on essential apps, hardware verification, and configuration recovery.

My Post-Installation Guide
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1. Storage & Disk Management
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Ensuring data availability starts with proper mounting. I use GNOME Disks to automate this process so my secondary drives or partitions are ready at boot.

  • Process: Open GNOME Disks -> Select Drive & Partition -> Edit Mount Options.
    disk
  • Action: Disable User Session Defaults, check Mount at system startup, and set a clear Display Name using the Identify As: Label option for a cleaner file manager sidebar.
    disk

2. Browser & Online Identity (Firefox)
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The browser is my primary window to the world. I prioritize privacy and a seamless sync to get back to work quickly.

  • Account Sync: Log in to Firefox Sync and Google to restore bookmarks, history, and extensions.
  • Default App: Set Firefox as the system-wide default browser in GNOME Settings.
  • Privacy First: Harden privacy settings and install uBlock Origin immediately to ensure an ad-free experience.
    Firefox

3. Software Installation
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I populate the system using a mix of the official repositories(pacman) and the AUR (via paru) for binary-specific tools.

pacman

4. Graphics & Drivers (NVIDIA)
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Most modern distros include NVIDIA drivers in the ISO, so this step is mostly about verification.

  • Verification: Run nvidia-smi in the terminal to ensure the driver is loaded and recognizing the GPU.
  • Control Panel: Open nvidia-settings to verify GPU clock speeds, temperatures, and display refresh rates.
    nvidia-settings

5. Personalization via Dotfiles
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Instead of configuring every app manually, I rely on my saved configurations to restore my environment instantly.

dotfiles

  • Cloning: Pull personal dotfiles from GitHub
  • Deployment: Copy backgrounds, gnome-themes, and icons to ~/.local/share/. Copy cursor folders to /usr/share/icons/ so that Flatpak applications can correctly render the custom cursor.

6. Refining the GNOME Interface
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I use a combination of GNOME Tweaks and Extension Manager to achieve a streamlined workflow based on my preferences.

  • Interface: Adjust the Show Applications behavior for quicker access. Place apps according to tags
  • GNOME Extensions: Activate essential plugins like Blur my Shell and Vital.
  • Advanced Tweaks: Use dconf-editor for granular settings and GNOME Tweaks to re-enable Minimize/Maximize buttons and set system fonts.
  • System Settings: Finalize display scaling, power profiles, and touchpad gestures.
    gnome

7. Additional: Boot Configuration
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The final step is to minimize friction during the power-on process.

  • Boot Setup: Adjust GRUB or systemd-boot configurations to set a shorter timeout (e.g., 2 seconds) and ensure the default entry points to the correct kernel.

References
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Fixing GNOME Extension Compatibility with dconf-editor
Optimizing the GNOME Desktop: Essential Extensions