Ubuntu

The most popular Linux distribution in the world.

Desktop Development Beginner Server Gaming

Overview

Based on	Debian
Package manager	APT (with Snap integration)
Package format	.deb
Release model	Fixed releases every 6 months. LTS every 2 years (5 year support).
Default DE	GNOME (modified)
Init system	systemd
Website	ubuntu.com

Why Ubuntu?

Largest community - If you have a problem, someone has already solved it and posted the answer
Commercial support - Canonical provides enterprise support and cloud images
Software availability - Nearly every Linux-compatible app provides Ubuntu packages first
Hardware support - Canonical works with hardware vendors for compatibility
LTS releases - 5 years of security updates for stability-focused deployments

Editions & Flavors

Ubuntu Desktop - Standard edition with GNOME
Ubuntu Server - No GUI, optimized for servers and cloud
Kubuntu - KDE Plasma desktop
Xubuntu - XFCE desktop (lightweight)
Lubuntu - LXQt desktop (ultra-lightweight)
Ubuntu MATE - MATE desktop (traditional layout)
Ubuntu Studio - Audio/video/graphics production tools

Package Management

Ubuntu uses APT for system packages. Canonical also pushes Snap packages for containerized, auto-updating applications.

# System updates
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

# Install packages
sudo apt install neovim git curl

# Search
apt search "image editor"

# Snap packages
sudo snap install code --classic
sudo snap install discord
snap list

Snap controversy: Ubuntu installs some packages as Snaps by default (including Firefox). Some users prefer to install Flatpak instead and avoid Snaps. You can remove snapd entirely if you prefer: sudo apt remove snapd.

Setting Up for Development

# Essential development tools
sudo apt install build-essential git curl wget

# Node.js (via nvm)
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.7/install.sh | bash
nvm install --lts

# Python
sudo apt install python3 python3-pip python3-venv

# Docker
sudo apt install docker.io docker-compose
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

# VS Code
sudo snap install code --classic
# Or via APT repo (preferred by many):
# See code.visualstudio.com/docs/setup/linux

Setting Up for Gaming

# Install Steam
sudo apt install steam

# Enable 32-bit libraries (required for many games)
sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo apt update

# Install latest GPU drivers
sudo ubuntu-drivers autoinstall

# Install Lutris (for non-Steam games)
sudo apt install lutris

# Install GameMode (optimizes system for gaming)
sudo apt install gamemode

Tips

Use LTS releases (24.04, 26.04) for maximum stability on workstations and servers
Use interim releases (24.10, 25.04) if you want newer software and don't mind upgrading every 6 months
Install GNOME Tweaks (sudo apt install gnome-tweaks) for additional customization
Consider replacing Snap Firefox with the Flatpak or APT version for better desktop integration
Set up Timeshift (sudo apt install timeshift) for system snapshots