dotfiles

Configuration for various things

NOTE: this is targeted for Ubuntu 20.04

Install packages and dotfiles

Change the terminal background and enable unlimited scrolling.

Make an ssh key & add it to github

Detailed instructions:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "EMAIL_ADDRESS | COMPUTER_NAME"
eval $(ssh-agent -s) && ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

Then add the key on github

Check the connection: ssh -T [email protected]

Install packages and settings

sudo apt install git
git clone [email protected]:krystofl/dotfiles.git && cd dotfiles
./install.sh

Other things to do after installing ubuntu

• disable sound effects (settings -> sound -> sound effects -> mute)
• install Dropbox
• install Signal
• install Nord VPN
• install VeraCrypt

Workspaces

18.04 redid workspaces, and they now suck. The convoluted process described below seems to be the simplest way to get a grid of workspaces (as was easy under Unity).

Note that this uses gnome-tweak-tool and chrome-gnome-shell, which get installed by install.sh

• launch the gnome-tweak-tool aka Tweaks
• Under Workspaces, select Static Workspaces and Workspaces span displays
• Install the GNOME Shell Integration browser extension for Firefox or Chrome

For 24.04 and higher:

• Gnome extensions have been moved to a dedicated "Gnome Extensions" application. Open it, go to Workspace Matrix settings, and configure as needed.

For 19.04 - 22.04:

• Go to https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/1485/workspace-matrix/ and install the extension
• configure workspaces from Tweaks -> Extensions -> Workspace Matrix (gear icon). Note the number of workspaces here must match the number set in Tweaks -> Workspaces

For 18.04:

• Install the GNOME extension: https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/484/workspace-grid/
• go back to Tweaks -> Extensions -> click the gear (settings) icon for Workspace grid, and configure as desired

git

If you already ran install.sh, all you need to run is:

git config --global user.email "EMAIL_HERE"

If you haven't (and don't want to) run install.sh, also run these:

git config --global user.name "Krystof Litomisky"
git config --global core.editor "emacs -nw"
git config --global push.default matching

Python

install.sh installs Python's virtualenv and virtualenvwrapper libs.

The virtualenvwrapper zsh plugin will automatically activate a virtualenv that maches the name of a directory, or you can manually set the virtualenv to activate using a .venv file (docs).

virtualenvwrapper command reference:

• workon - list all virtualenvs
• deactivate - deactivate the current virtualenv
• mkvirtualenv ENVNAME - make a virtualenv called ENVNAME
• rmvirtualenv ENVNAME - delete the virtualenv ENVNAME

For mkvirtualenv, you can specify a specific version of python to use like so: mkvirtualenv -p python3.8 VENV_NAME

Configuring which version of python virtualenvs should use

This is helpful on Ubuntu 18.04 if you want to use python 3, or if you want to use the non-default version of python. In general, changing the default version of python on Ubuntu is NOT a good idea - it can really break your system in pretty horrible ways (speaking from experience here).

To configure which version of python virtualenvs use, edit /usr/local/bin/virtualenvwrapper.sh. For example, to use python3.8, set the VIRTUALENVWRAPPER_PYTHON variable (line 50 as of this writing) like so:

VIRTUALENVWRAPPER_PYTHON="$(command \which python3.8)"

Misc

Gnome Extensions

• Focus My Window

Microk8s

To install Microk8s, you can run ./install_microk8s.sh

The script also enables the services dashboard dns registry istio

You can use the alias mkc for microk8s kubectl

Start and stop microk8s with microk8s start and microk8s stop

Nvidia drivers

The results with Nvidia drivers are sometimes unpredictable. One recommended way to install drivers is to run

ubuntu-drivers devices

to see the list of devices and their recommended drivers.

To automatically install the recommended drivers, run

sudo ubuntu-drivers autoinstall

grub customizer

Dual-booting? Install grub customizer:

sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:danielrichter2007/grub-customizer
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install grub-customizer

Video editing

If you have a beefy computer with a dedicated graphics card, DaVinci Resolve is a great option. Note that installation on Ubuntu is not quite simple - look up "Install DaVinci Resolve on Ubuntu" to get started; MakeResolveDeb seems like a good option to try.

Otherwise, kdenlive is a good option. Also install breeze to enable nicer themes.

sudo apt-get install kdenlive breeze

Autokey

AutoKey is a desktop automation utility for Linux and X11.

For instructions and scripts (setup for Jeepney), see the jeepney/autokey folder.

Tweak which icons are shown/hidden in the top menu

Use the Icon Hider Extension

revert to traditional Alt-Tab behavior on Ubuntu 18.04

go to settings -> Keyboard. In the Navigation section... disable the shortcut for "Switch applications" set the shortcut for "Switch windows" to Alt + Tab