Hello all,
I would like to know what are the first steps you take on a brand new laptop or PC. I personally use Linux, macOS and Windows so the process is always different. I also try to help my family and friends when they buy a new laptop and set it up for them.
I'm curious to hear what you do on your new laptops or gaming/work PCs and what you'll perform on a friend or family member laptop as well.
I'll be glad to hear what are the first things you do on your:
- Work/Productive Laptops / PC / Raspberry PIs / Intel NUC, etc
- Entertainment Setups - This can be a Laptop or Gaming Station
- What you do on a laptop for a family member or a friend to ensure they will have everything they need for a daily use.
Top comments (32)
When I get a new laptop or PC, I first customize the desktop background – gotta make it feel like "mine," you know? 😄 Then, I'm all about setting up my preferred browser and connecting to the internet ASAP. It's like opening the door to a world of possibilities! Speaking of PCs, if you're ever torn between a laptop or a desktop, I came across a cool article that might help. Super helpful insights on making that decision.
Yeah, I have this same burning feeling to change the default wallpaper, taskbar and other stuff right away. :D
Install a linux distro (currently I'm on Ubuntu). Then I install ungoogled chromium, unity, vs code, Lmms, krita and other tools I need for game development and coding in general.
Thanks for sharing this! Can you share how is the general performance of the ungoogled chromium?
It's really great. You can customise it, e.g. so it deletes cookies after you close the browser. Of course, it features bookmarks and all of the other features most browsers have these days. It's basically like Google Chrome but all of the google integration is removed, so they can't spy on all the things you do within the browser. It's privacy oriented and does not share data. It also is extremely fast and you can install most chrome extensions via CXR installation.
Thanks! Do you use the build-in password management or you use third-party software like LastPass and etc?
I currently don't use any password manager, but I'm looking for one currently. Which one do you use? The password manager in ungoogled chromium is good, but I don't use it since I can't transfer them to other devices
I'm using LastPass and it's really good and simple to use.
Ok I'll check it out
I recently upgraded to the Family plan to sync all my devices as well.
If it’s Windows (which I only really use for gaming), the first step for me is always doing a clean reinstall of Windows, followed by installing Chocolatey and using that to pull in all the stuff I care about that isn’t handled through some game launcher or storefront. Usually the process also involves a lot of cursing at PowerShell (it’ß great for scripting, but horrendous for interactive usage).
If it’s Linux, the first step is beating the distro over the head to let me set up the storage stack the way I want (I’m super picky about how I set up my filesystems, and most distros do not work quite right out of the box for my usage), usually mixed with pulling in the relatively standard set of packages I use almost everywhere (ZSH, Vim, GNU screen, htop, and a bunch of other tools).
Hello, Austin
Thanks for sharing this! I also tend to use PowerShell scripts to enable/disable some features on Windows. On Linux, I set up new ssh-keys and add them to my servers, also I setup .zsh and install some additional software like VS Code, Sublime Text and etc.
What I usually do is to start with:
Those are the first main things, then I go with the flow and install any other apps whenever I need to!
Thanks for sharing this, Bobby!
For Linux or ubuntu machines I have built a script that installs all my configuration files and all my essential programs so I can just ./script and forget about all the basic setup :D
For Windows machines, I do kind of the same but for debbloating the system. I use some PowerShell scripts to uninstall all the garbage windows adds
That is a great idea! I was thinking of doing the same at some point, but I never really completed the script. This might be a good time to get back to this.
Oh I almost forget it:
Install Fish the best shell in the earth, and obviously configure my
.bashrcandconfig.fishfiles.I've used fish in the past, but atm I'm using ohmyzsh and if I need to find some command or ssh to a server that I already heave somewhere in the bash history file I use the reverse-search feature.
Hello, Daniel!
I also use some scripts from my previous configurations and with .zsh I also use pre-configured .bashrc/.zshrc file as well.
The first thing you do on a new laptop or desktop is install Linux. Then install all of your favorite programs.
Do you happen to install the software with scripts or from any git repository or you install different software every time you configure new laptop?
ninite.com
Oh this is pretty cool, haven't used it before.
It's pretty awesome! I use it when I configure a laptop for a friend. You just ask them what they need and there you go!
Hello, @madza
I've also used it in the past especially when I configure a laptop for a friend. It's really easy and quite fast to install everything you need at once.
Switch off the ludicrous 'natural scrolling' mode on the trackpad
I was very tempted to do the same, but I decided to give it a go. I still have headache when I switch to my other laptops.
I have a list of essential programs (with product keys) that I keep. For Windows I also turn off a bunch of visual effects out of personal preference.
I also tend to turn off some visual effects like the search bar on Windows 10. Feel free to share more details and screenshots if you're okay with it. I'll be happy to see your setup!