Ubuntu Setup

If you are using Ubuntu as a base for various Linux projects you will find that as it comes with unnecessary packages. However installing minimal version is just stripped from everything. In this case I have builed a list of unnecessary packages and one liner to remove them all. Please modify for your needs.

The list has been built based on Ubuntu Desktop 14.04 LTS, 15.10

List of unnecessary packages

sudo apt-get remove libreoffice-* #Remove LibreOffice
sudo apt-get remove unity-lens-* #This package contains photos scopes which allow Unity to search for local and online photos.
sudo apt-get remove shotwell* #Photo organizer
sudo apt-get remove simple-scan #Scanner software
sudo apt-get remove empathy* #Internet messaging ~13M
sudo apt-get remove thunderbird* #Email client ~61M
sudo apt-get remove unity-scope-gdrive #Google Drive scope for Unity ~116KB
sudo apt-get remove cheese* #Cheese Webcam Booth - webcam software
sudo apt-get remove brasero* #Brasero Disc Burner ~6.5MB
sudo apt-get remove gnome-bluetooth Package to manipulate bloototh devices using Gnome desktop ~2MB
sudo apt-get remove gnome-orca Orca Screen Reader -Provide access to graphical desktop environments via synthesised speech and/or refreshable braille
sudo apt-get remove unity-webapps-common #Amazon Unity WebApp integration scripts ~133KB
sudo apt-get remove ibus-pinyin #IBus Bopomofo Preferences - ibus-pinyin is a IBus based IM engine for Chinese ~1.4MB
sudo apt-get remove apt-get remove printer-driver-foo2zjs* #Reactivate HP LaserJet 1018/1020 after reloading paper ~3.2MB

Remove all packages - one liner

Ubuntu 12, 14, 16

$ sudo apt-get remove libreoffice-* unity-lens-* shotwell* simple-scan empathy* thunderbird* unity-scope-gdrive cheese*\
brasero* gnome-bluetooth gnome-orca unity-webapps-common ibus-pinyin printer-driver-foo2zjs*

Ubuntu 18

$ sudo apt-get purge libreoffice-* unity-lens-* shotwell* simple-scan empathy* thunderbird* cheese* \
brasero* gnome-bluetooth gnome-orca ibus-pinyin printer-driver-foo2zjs* xul-ext-ubufox speech-dispatcher* \
rhythmbox* printer-driver-* mythes-en-us mobile-broadband-provider-inf* \
evolution-data-server* espeak-ng-data:amd64 bluez* ubuntu-web-launchers

sudo apt-get purge xul-ext-ubufox #Canonical FF customizations
sudo apt-get remove gnome-mahjongg gnome-mines gnome-sudoku #games
sudo apt-get remove gnome-video-effects gstreamer1.0-*

Install necessary packages

Adobe Flash Player

sudo apt-get install flashplugin-installer

Java JRE This will install the default verison Java for you distro plus Icedtea plugin for using Firefox with Java

sudo apt-get install default-jre icedtea-plugin

Unity Settings

sudo apt-get install unity-control-center

Opera

Add Opera repository deb http://deb.opera.com/opera/ stable non-free to the apt-get source list in /etc/apt/sources.list. Then import a public PGP repository key.

echo "deb http://deb.opera.com/opera/ stable non-free" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list
wget -qO - http://deb.opera.com/archive.key | sudo apt-key add -
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install opera

Silverlight

Pipelight has been released and we can use it for silverlight as a best alternative moonlight.

sudo apt-add-repository ppa:ehoover/compholio
sudo apt-add-repository ppa:mqchael/pipelight
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install pipelight

Customise Ubuntu

Fix Ubuntu Unity Dash Search for Applications and Files

sudo apt-get install unity-lens-files unity-lens-applications #log out and log back in required

Fix Ubuntu <17.10 missing Control Center

sudo apt-get install unity-control-center --no-install-recommends

Fix Ubuntu >18.04 missing System Settings

sudo apt install gnome-control-center

Remove background wallpaper

Tested on Ubuntu 14,16

gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.plugins.background active true
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background draw-background false        #disable 
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background primary-color "#000000"      #set to black
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background secondary-color "#000000"    #set to black
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background color-shading-type "solid"   #set solid colour
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background picture-uri file:///dev/null #remove wallpaper, not perfect but nothing worked in U15.10
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background picture-uri file:///usr/share/backgrounds/warty-final-ubuntu.png #resets to origin, U15.10
gsettings set com.canonical.unity-greeter background /usr/share/backgrounds/warty-final-ubuntu.png
gsettings set com.canonical.unity-greeter draw-user-backgrounds false   #disable not worked

Disable screen lock out

dconf write /org/gnome/desktop/screensaver/idle-activation-enabled false    #gnome
dconf write /org/gnome/desktop/screensaver/lock-enabled false
xset s off      #Xserver s parameter sets screensaver to off

Verify by navigating in dconf-editor to /org/gnome/desktop/screensaver/

Change number of workspaces

To get the current values:

dconf read /org/compiz/profiles/unity/plugins/core/hsize
dconf read /org/compiz/profiles/unity/plugins/core/vsize

To set new values:

dconf write /org/compiz/profiles/unity/plugins/core/hsize 2

or

gsettings set org.compiz.core:/org/compiz/profiles/unity/plugins/core/ hsize 4
gsettings set org.compiz.core:/org/compiz/profiles/unity/plugins/core/ vsize 4