Your first hour on Ubuntu: make the desktop comfortable and recoverable

Start with a short record of the system

Open Settings and look for the system information or About page. Note the Ubuntu version, computer model and available storage. Keep that note with your setup records. When you later look up a problem, the release number is more useful than describing the computer as the latest Ubuntu.

Make a small checklist of the jobs this machine must do this week: a class video call, writing a document, printing, or connecting a monitor. That gives the session a finish line. Avoid changing several unfamiliar settings at once; one change followed by a check is easier to understand and undo.

Install routine updates before judging the system

Connect to a reliable network and open Software Updater. Let it check, review the proposed updates and finish the process. Restart if requested, after saving anything open. The installer’s copy of the software may predate the updates available today, even when the installation image itself is recent.

An alternative for Ubuntu packages is to run sudo apt update, then sudo apt upgrade, reading the proposed changes before agreeing. The first command refreshes package information; the second installs available package upgrades. These are routine package operations, not a request to move to a different Ubuntu release. Snaps have their own automatic refresh mechanism.

Use instructions that match this LTS release

Older walkthroughs may assume applications or desktop options that have changed. Ubuntu 26.04 LTS does not include Software & Updates by default. Its standard Ubuntu desktop session also uses Wayland, so an old instruction to select Ubuntu on Xorg is not a general solution for this release.

If hardware needs attention, describe the symptom precisely and consult the official release-specific guidance. A microphone selecting the wrong input and a missing audio device call for different investigations. Avoid installing a driver solely because an old forum answer names it; record the hardware and current behaviour first.

Make the screen and input devices easy to use

In Settings, review display resolution and scale, then read an ordinary web page and a document. Check an external screen both connected and disconnected if you use one. Text that looks impressive in a screenshot is not useful if it leaves you squinting through an evening of coursework.

Set the keyboard layout and test characters you actually type, including punctuation and accents. Adjust the touchpad and mouse to a comfortable speed. Review accessibility options when helpful; larger text, contrast and keyboard navigation can make daily use easier without a wholesale desktop redesign.

Check sound, camera, network and sleep as a routine

Use a familiar audio file to check output, then make a short microphone recording and listen back. Select the intended input and output devices rather than assuming a connected headset is being used. Test a camera in the application you plan to call from, allowing only the access that task needs.

Confirm Wi-Fi reconnects and try a normal suspend and wake with work saved. Repeat a relevant check with your dock or external display attached. These are your own acceptance checks, not a performance benchmark. If something fails, note the setup and change one thing before retesting.

Choose lock, power and privacy settings deliberately

Review automatic screen locking, the delay before sleep and what happens when the laptop lid closes. Try locking and unlocking once so you know the password works as expected. Choose a delay that suits where you use the computer and whether other people can reach the keyboard.

Review application access to camera, microphone and other resources, together with any optional online-account integration. Only connect accounts that serve a current need. A useful initial setup can be modest: notifications you understand, a readable desktop and a clear way to lock the screen when you leave.

Bring back files in a way you can inspect

Restore or copy a small set of personal files first, into an obvious folder. Open a document, photograph and project using the relevant applications. Keep the existing backup until you have confirmed the wider collection. Avoid merging everything into an unfamiliar folder layout and deleting the old copy immediately afterwards.

For example, 12 GB of documents and 88 GB of photos make a 100 GB starting collection. Future additions and saved older versions require extra room on the backup destination. The storage calculator can help explore allowances, but the first useful evidence is that a restored file opens and contains the expected work.

Finish with a backup date and a small recovery rehearsal

Choose where new work will be backed up and how often that destination will be available. Follow the separate Ubuntu personal-file backup guide for the application workflow. This first-hour check is simpler: identify a newly created file, include it in a completed backup, then restore it into a separate test folder.

Open the restored copy, record the successful date and keep backup credentials accessible without this machine. Install only the extra applications needed for your immediate tasks, using a source you can identify. You can personalise more later; the valuable result today is a desktop you can use and work you can recover.

• Updates completed and any requested restart done.
• Essential devices checked in your normal setup.
• Readable display, correct keyboard and sensible lock settings.
• A personal file restored separately and opened successfully.