Configuration Common Linux

This page details a common configuration for Linux, independent of the underlying platform.

To Do

Basic configuration for standard installation
Move settings that can be recovered from HOME directory in separate section.

Base

First we install etckeeper (with git)

# ### etckeeper + git

sudo apt install git etckeeper
git config --global user.email "user@server.com"       # Make sure this is defined for admin user + root
git config --global user.name "User Name"              # or release upgrade might fail in the future
sudo su -
git config --global user.email "user@server.com"
git config --global user.name "User Name (root)"
logout

sudo vi /etc/etckeeper/etckeeper.conf                  # Select git, AVOID_DAILY_AUTOCOMMITS, AVOID_COMMIT_BEFORE_INSTALL
sudo etckeeper init
sudo etckeeper commit "1st commit"
cd /etc
sudo vi .gitignore                                     # Ignore resolv.c* (and cups/subscriptions.* before Ubuntu Precise)
sudo git rm --cached resolv.c*
sudo git rm --cached cups/subscriptions.*              # No longer needed on Ubuntu Precise and after
sudo git add .gitignore
sudo etckeeper commit "ignore resolv.c*, cups/subscriptions.*"

Then we install ssh, ssh server, and vim + mc

# ### SSH + vim + mc

sudo apt install ssh openssh-server vim-gnome mc

From now, the configuration can continue either locally or remotely (using ssh).

We now install a few repositories, as required.

Ubuntu Tweak
XBMC)
(obsolete since 14.04) Synapse
(not using anymore) Opera
(obsolete since Ubvuntu Precise) Gnome Terminator
(obsolete) Medibuntu (replaced by Videolan)

# ### Repositories (enable as required)

sudo vi /etc/apt/sources.list                                      # Ubuntu/debian - Enable 'partner' (and 'extra' if available)
sudo etckeeper commit "enable partners, extra repositories"

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:phoerious/keepassxc                    # keepassxc
# sudo add-apt-repository ppa:synapse-core/ppa                     # Synapse - older ubuntu release
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:tualatrix/next                         # Ubuntu Tweak
                                                                   # 14.04 Trusty: ppa not yet available
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:team-xbmc/ppa                          # XBMC
sudo etckeeper commit "Add a few repositories"

sudo apt update

hosts — Update /etc/hosts

sudo vi /etc/hosts                                                 # Add any relevant entries.
                                                                   # Make sure localhost as FQDN:
                                                                   #     127.0.1.1	myhost.domain.com
sudo etckeeper commit "update hosts file"

sudoers — Create new files in /etc/sudoers.d as required:

# envkeep
# http_proxy, https_proxy -- to keep proxy settings for apt-get etc
# GREP_OPTIONS            -- keep grep options
# DISPLAY, XAUTHORITY     -- avoid doing 'xhost local:root' before launching X pgm
# HOME                    -- e.g. to keep git aliases and settings when using etckeeper
# PASSWD                  -- e.g. to pass password via env. var to <code>mount.cifs</code>
echo "Defaults env_keep += \"http_proxy https_proxy GREP_OPTIONS DISPLAY XAUTHORITY HOME\"" | sudo tee /etc/sudoers.d/envkeep
# Truecrypt
echo "ALL ALL = NOPASSWD: /usr/bin/truecrypt" | sudo tee /etc/sudoers.d/truecrypt
# Privoxy - no longer needed with tun2socks-manager
#echo "ALL ALL = (ALL) NOPASSWD: /etc/privoxy/set-network-config" | sudo tee /etc/sudoers.d/privoxy
# rfkill - no more used
#echo "ALL ALL = NOPASSWD: /sbin/rfkill" | sudo tee /etc/sudoers.d/rfkill
sudo chmod o-r /etc/sudoers.d/*
sudo etckeeper commit "update sudoers.d files"

Restore home profile (from git)

# Restore my profile
mv home/.git .
rm -rf home
git reset --hard
git st
export PATH=$PATH:$HOME/bin
set-network.sh
~/setup.sh

Kernel update

Install latest kernel [1]

# Get Utopic kernel
sudo apt install --install-recommends linux-generic-lts-utopic xserver-xorg-lts-utopic libgl1-mesa-glx-lts-utopic libegl1-mesa-drivers-lts-utopic
# Get Vivid kernel
# DO NOT UPDATE TO VIVID X.ORG - IT LEAKS LIKE HELL
# sudo apt install --install-recommends linux-generic-lts-vivid xserver-xorg-lts-vivid libgl1-mesa-glx-lts-vivid libegl1-mesa-drivers-lts-vivid
sudo apt install --install-recommends linux-generic-lts-vivid

Standard packages

Install packages - standard

# Common Applications
# sudo apt install synapse                                                # No longer available (U 13.10)

sudo apt install keepassxc                                                # Upgrade: keepassx -> keepassxc
sudo apt install rpcbind                                                  # Use 'portmap' before oneiric ocelot
sudo apt install cifs-utils                                               # Use 'smbfs' with precise pangolin or before

sudo apt install libnss-mdns avahi-daemon mdns-scan autossh terminator \
                 smbclient nfs-kernel-server nfs-common \
                 autofs apt-file p7zip-full p7zip-rar dlocate \
                 chromium-browser ttf-mscorefonts-installer \
                 qiv gthumb gnupg-agent renameutils mplayer \
                 mplayer-doc mplayer-fonts gimp gparted \
                 xsel moreutils tmux libavcodec-extra \
                 pepperflashplugin-nonfree dconf-tools \
                 gnome-tweak-tool silversearcher-ag gawk
                                                                          # moreutils: for chronic, sponge
                                                                          # Removed in Bionic: gnome-mplayer gecko-mediaplayer ubuntu-tweak 
                                                                          #     app-install-data-medibuntu
                                                                          # Upgraded: libavcodec-extra-54
                                                                          # Discontinued: ubuntu-restricted-extras (would install libdvdread4)
                                                                          # 14.04 Trusty: packages 'ubuntu-tweak', 'app-install-data-medibuntu',
                                                                          # 'smbfs' missing
sudo apt install unity-tweak-tool compizconfig-settings-manager compiz-plugins 
sudo apt install xbmc
sudo apt install thunderbird
sudo apt install wine-stable
sudo apt install chrome-gnome-shell                                       # Since U18.04, to manage Gnome extension in Chrome / FF. Require browser ext.
sudo dpkg -i ripgrep_0.10.0_amd64.deb                                     # Download from https://github.com/BurntSushi/ripgrep
wget https://github.com/sharkdp/bat/releases/download/v0.10.0/bat_0.10.0_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i bat_0.10.0_amd64.deb
sudo apt install fasd fd-find

sudo apt-file update
sudo /usr/share/doc/libdvdread4/install-css.sh
# Optional essentials
sudo apt install nmap                                                     # For various personal scripts (''prj'', ''tsync''')
sudo apt install winbind libnss-winbind                                   # winbind + libnss-winbind for NetBIOS name resolution
sudo vi /etc/nsswitch.conf                                                # Add "wins" at the end of "hosts:" line

Desktop - Gnome

Gnome tweak

Top bar → Application Menu → OFF.

Gnome extensions

On Debian:

There are gnome-shell-extension* package, but installing these has no effect.
To install extension, go to Chromium. If necessary, in Chromium, install the add-on Gnome Shell Integration (go to https://chrome.google.com/webstore/).

AlternateTab

By default, Gnome Alt-Tab will group windows from the same application. To get rid of this annoying behaviour and restore the good old one, install extension AlternateTab.
Debian: To install it, go to Gnome Tweaks (package gnome-tweaks).
Ubuntu: press Super key, then AlternateTab, it will be installed automatically. This might require installing sudo apt install gnome-tweak-tool [2].

system-monitor (github)

This replaces applet indicator-multiload that no longer works since Ubuntu Bionic.
Requires the following package:

sudo apt install gir1.2-gtop-2.0 gir1.2-networkmanager-1.0  gir1.2-clutter-1.0   # Ubuntu
sudo apt install gir1.2-gtop-2.0 gir1.2-nm-1.0  gir1.2-clutter-1.0               # Debian

However the indicator conflicts with owncloud client indicator (no longer visible).
Selects memory, cpu, network.

No title bar

Revive Unity-like merging of window title bar with desktop top bar.
Caveat: Window's menu is not merged [3]

Gnome Global Application Menu

AVOID 'ALT' KEY STEALING FOCUS → In extension configuration (via Gnome Tweaks), Go to main menu, click on Alt, then Backspace to remove the shortcut. Breathe again.
To merge application menu in top title bar.
As a side-effect, this extension fixes the owncloud-icon-not-showing bug.

Development packages

Install packages - development

sudo apt install gitk git-gui git-doc exuberant-ctags cscope ruby meld colordiff  # ruby for Vim plugin snipMate.vim

# Optional
sudo apt install gitweb git-svn

Optional packages

AutoFS

sudo apt install autofs

Mount mnemosyne shares as NFS autofs (see [4]) and as SMB autofs

Enabled/created the following automounters in /etc/auto.master:

/net                /etc/auto.net                   --ghost
/smb/mnemosyne      /etc/auto.smb.mnemosyne         --ghost
/smb/lacie-cloudbox /etc/auto.smb.lacie-cloudbox    --ghost

Create configuration file /etc/auto.smb.mnemosyne
Create SMB credential files /etc/auto.smb.mnemosyne.* (see man mount.cifs)
~~Created path for mount points:~~

~~sudo mkdir /net sudo mkdir -p /smb/mnemosyne # ls /net/mnemosyne # sudo mkdir -p /mnt/mnemosyne # for i in /net/mnemosyne/volume1/*; do sudo ln -s $i /mnt/mnemosyne/$(basename $i); done~~

Or recover settings from an already configured host:

scp griffin:tmp/autofs.tgz .                                        # Configure autofs
sudo tar -xvzf autofs.tgz
sudo cp etc/* /etc

If necessary, mount shares read-only: add option ro in /etc/autofs.smb.mnemosyne

Firefox

sudo apt install firefox

Set Ctrl-Tab to show last tab. Browse to about:config, and set browser.ctrlTab.previews to True.

fzf

fzf is a very fast fuzzy-finder written in Go.

It is installed when installing vim plugins. To install it in bash:

git clone https://github.com/junegunn/fzf.git ~/.fzf    # Skip this step if already present
cd ~/.fzf
./install

Gpg

sudo apt install gnupg-agent pgpgpg

Added use-agent at end of ~/.gnupg/gpg.conf
Edit ~/.gnupg/gpg.conf as necessary.

KeePass

sudo apt install keepassxc            # Now using KeepassXC
# sudo apt install keepassx

We store the database on Owncloud, and sync to local git repository with cron.

Script private/kdbx/sync_from_owncloud.sh:

#! /bin/bash

BASEDIR=$(dirname "$(readlink -nf "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")")
cd "$BASEDIR"

KDBX=work.kdbx
OWNCLOUD_DIR=~/ownCloud/kdbx

if ! diff -q $OWNCLOUD_DIR/$KDBX $KDBX; then
    echo "Adding $KDBX to git..."
    cp $OWNCLOUD_DIR/$KDBX $KDBX
    git add $KDBX
    git commit -m "Sync keepassx db with Owncloud"
fi

Cronjob:

31 * * * *      chronic ~peetersm/private/kdbx/sync_from_owncloud.sh

Workaround

Set kbd layout to fix autotype bug ([5]). Create ~/.xprofile and /etc/skel/.xprofile [6]:

#!/bin/sh

#
setxkbmap be

Java from Oracle

Reference: https://launchpad.net/~webupd8team/+archive/ubuntu/java

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/java
sudo apt update

Java 8

sudo apt install oracle-java8-set-default

Java 7

sudo apt install oracle-java7-installer
# An error occur because archive is not found anymore
# ... so we copy back our backup at the right location
sudo cp /smb/lacie-cloudbox/family/archives/software/any/oracle-jdk-7u80-linux-x64/jdk-7u80-linux-x64.tar.gz /var/cache/oracle-jdk7-installer/
# Resume install
sudo apt install oracle-java7-installer

LibreOffice

Install latest LibreOffice by adding the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:libreoffice/ppa
sudo apt update

mDNS

sudo apt install libnss-mdns avahi-daemon mdns-scan

To scan:

mdns-scan

Machine should broadcast its ip address on griffin.local to all avahi clients. For some strange reason, avahi may append a -2 suffix to broadcast name. To avoid that, edit /etc/avahi/avahi-daemon.conf and set host-name variable:

host-name=griffin

Midnight Commander

sudo apt instal mc

See reference page.
Use vi as standard viewer/editor.
Installed version from mc official repository to fix file highlighting issue.

neovim / vim

See Neovim page to install Neovim.

Neovim / vim plugins are installed via vim-plug, which is part of the home git repository.

However the following plugins require extra configuration:

YouCompleteMe

This is the install script to enable the minimum features. Note that this is done automatically by vim-plug.

cd ~/.vim/plugged/YouCompleteMe
./install.py

cpsm

Run this script after installing the plugin with vim-plug.

sudo apt install libboost-all-dev cmake python-dev libicu-dev
cd ~/.vim/plugged/cpsm
./install.sh

NFS

NFS Server (nfs-kernel-server nfs-common rpcbind)||See NFS for more details; Created entries in /etc/exports. rpcbind replaces portmap since Oneiric.

Samba

sudo apt install smbclient cifs-utils

Use package smbfs for u1204 Precise Pangolin and before

SSH

Create / restore private key:

ln -sf ../private/ssh/id_rsa_work ~/.ssh/id_rsa

If using bin/ssh-agent-refresh.sh:

touch ~/.use_ssh_agent

Terminator

sudo apt install terminator

Install the new terminator that depends on GTK3 (terminator-gtk3, version 1.97~ppa3).
See Terminator.
See Gnome Terminator for tips.
Set background to transparent 6% (through ~/.config/terminator/config)
Set scrollback to infinite scrollback
Custom geometry terminator --geometry=1220x720+100+100 (in application menu)
Font Lucida Console, 9 (on nxl67002ux / nxl67063ux), or Bitstream Vera Sans Mono Roman 9 (on nxl67063 Cygwin-X).
(not needed on trusty) Set terminator as default terminal for Ctrl-Alt-T [7]:

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.default-applications.terminal exec 'terminator --geometry=1220x720+100+100'

Thunderbird

See Thunderbird.

tmux

Alternative to screen, but with support for multiple panes like terminator

Make sure that tmux is at least version 2.2. If not install it:

Compile 2.2-3 package from yakkety. See Package Management for instruction.
Compile from sources.

VirtualBox

sudo apt install virtualbox

Debian Buster

Mouse pad scrolling issue, and micro-freeze issues with vbox 6.04+ coming from distribution. As workaround we use Oracle (testing) packge (and ext-pack):

sudo ./VirtualBox-6.0.5-129923-Linux_amd64.run

Wine

Wine (wine)||See Wine page

XBMC

see XBMC

Configuration

Install fonts

Fantasque Sans Mono

mkdir ~/.fonts
wget https://github.com/belluzj/fantasque-sans/releases/download/v1.7.1/FantasqueSansMono.tar.gz
tar xvzf FantasqueSansMono.tar.gz -C ~/.fonts/ --wildcards *.ttf
sudo fc-cache -fv

Apply common settings (see below)
Applications not from repositories:
- Panda glGo 1.4.1 (local page, does not work on Oneiric 64-bit)
Install latest updates:

sudo apt dist-upgrade

Restore scrollbar behaviour in GTK3 [8], [9].

Use Shift+Click or Template:Right click to get the jump to click behaviour.

cat >> ~/.config/gtk-3.0/settings.ini <<__HERE__
[Settings]
gtk-primary-button-warps-slider=false
__HERE__

Ubuntu 12.04

sudo vi /etc/default/apport                         # Disable apport by setting "enabled=0"
sudo etckeeper commit "disable apport"

Fonts

Antialiasing RGBA, Hinting Slight, Text scaling factor 1.00.

Application	Font	Selected font
Terminator	Monospace font	`Fantasque Sans Mono 9`
Gnome Terminal	Monospace font	`Fantasque Sans Mono 9`
Unity (desktop)	Default font	`Lucida Sans Regular 9`
Unity (desktop)	Document font	`Lucida Sans Regular 10`
Unity (desktop)	Monospace font	`Fantasque Sans Mono 10`
Unity (desktop)	Windows title font	`Lucida Sans Unicode Bold 10`
Firefox	Sans-serif (latin)	`Liberation Sans 16`
Firefox	Monospace (Latin)	`Fantasque Sans Mono 16`

For firefox, fonts are inspired from Mediawiki Vector skin -- typography refresh.

Debian

Add contrib non-free repositories to apt source [10].

Add sid release apt sources.

cat << EOF | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/sid.list
# Unstable / Sid
deb http://ftp.debian.org/debian/ sid main contrib
deb-src http://ftp.debian.org/debian/ sid main contrib
EOF

cat << EOF | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/sid
Package: *
Pin: release a=unstable
Pin-Priority: 400
EOF

Install these packages

sudo apt install mlocate dnsmasq-base
sudo apt install libcanberra-gtk-module      # Fix truecrypt warning

We install Firefox 56 and Thunderbird 52.8 to preserve some important add-ons. These packages and their dependencies are no longer available but they can still be downloaded on http://snapshot.debian.org/:

sudo dpkg -i firefox_56.0-2_amd64.deb \
    libcurl3_7.52.1-5+deb9u9_amd64.deb \
    libevent-2.0-5_2.0.21-stable-3_amd64.deb \
    libhunspell-1.3-0_1.3.4-2_amd64.deb \
    libhunspell-1.6-0_1.6.2-2_amd64.deb \
    libvpx4_1.6.1-3+deb9u1_amd64.deb \
    thunderbird_52.8.0-1~deb8u1_amd64.deb
sudo apt install -f
echo "firefox hold" | sudo dpkg --set-selections
echo "thunderbird hold" | sudo dpkg --set-selections

Workaround

Install custom udisks package, version 1.0.4-5ubuntu2.1fuu1, to fix unreadable DVD-RW. See udisks, or bug 635499).

sudo dpkg -i udisks_1.0.4-5ubuntu2.1fuu1_amd64.deb

Add the following to ~/.bash_profile and ~/.profile to Meta-key (Alt) not working and Midnight Commander displays Press any key... after each command when in tmux session [11]:

# This fix meta-key support and stop mc displaying "Press any key..." in tmux session
if [ $TERM = "screen" ]; then
    export TERM=xterm
fi
if [ -n "$TMUX" ]; then
    export COLORTERM=rxvt
fi

The pit (things to tidy up)

Miscellaneous

Optional - Fix flash issue

# Optional - Fix blue video in flash (see below for details)
sudo mkdir /etc/adobe
echo -e "EnableLinuxHWVideoDecode=1\nOverrideGPUValidation=true" | sudo tee /etc/adobe/mms.cfg > /dev/null
sudo etckeeper commit "Fix blue video bug in adobe flashplayer"

Install packages - optional

# Optional applications
sudo apt install gnugo qgo uligo cgoban quarry pgpgpg powertop

Synapse

sudo apt install synapse

Install with:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:synapse-core/ppa
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install synapse

Start synapse → Preferences → click Startup on login
Still in preferences, set Activate shortcut to Ctrl-Alt-Space

Opera

sudo apt install opera

See Opera to fix apt key issues.

Users

sudo useradd -s /bin/bash -m -u 1100 marie
sudo useradd -s /bin/bash -m -u 1200 isma
sudo useradd -s /bin/bash -m -u 1300 emma
sudo passwd marie
sudo passwd isma
sudo passwd emma

Flash

Flash Plugin 10 (flashplugin-installer)||
Enable Ubuntu partner repository if needed(deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu lucid partner).
In case of error failure to download extra data files flashplugin-installer, try

sudo apt-get --reinstall install flashplugin-installer

(Old recipe:

sudo aptitude autoremove "flashplugin-*"
sudo aptitude install flashplugin-installer

)

broken— This is too unstable, see next solution — On Ubuntu 12.04 with NVidia card, there is a bug Flash video appears blue. That link recommends to update libvdpau1, but in my case it was already at the latest version. Instead the following did the trick (from bug 968647):

sudo mkdir /etc/adobe
echo -e "EnableLinuxHWVideoDecode=1\nOverrideGPUValidation=true" | sudo tee /etc/adobe/mms.cfg > /dev/null

Another solution is to disable hardware acceleration, by going into flash player settings. If the settings window is not clickable, first disable unity 3D (for instance with metacity --replace&)

Quicktime

Quicktime plugin (gnome-mplayer gecko-mediaplayer)||To play Quicktime content in Opera, Firefox
libdvdcss2||Installed via sudo /usr/share/doc/libdvdread4/install-css.sh (see also [12])

Ubuntu tweak

Ubuntu tweak

sudo apt install ubuntu-tweak

see Ubuntu Tweak

Medibuntu application center (app-install-data-medibuntu)||

No longer available on u1404 Trusty Tahr
This install medibuntu apps in Ubuntu Application Center

Unity tweak tool

sudo apt install unity-tweak-tool

Don't show desktop in switcher
top right hot corner: Spread all windows

gdmap

sudo apt install gdmap                    # Graphical Disk Map - broken? using baobab instead

X11

Custom keyboard mapping be:

# From my profile
sudo cp ~/etc/be /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/be
sudo rm /var/lib/xkb/*.xkm
setxkbmap us
setxkbmap be

Use CapsLock as an extra Esc key (see X#Configuring_Layout_Options)

gsettings get org.gnome.desktop.input-sources xkb-options
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.input-sources xkb-options "@as ['caps:escape']"

Fonts — disable embedded bitmaps. See Fonts.

Miscellaneous

Disable apport. Set enabled=0 in /etc/default/apport

Edit AppArmor tunables. If home directories are not located at /home (e.g. /data/home), edit apparmor tunables. See here for details.

Configure the console:

dpkg-reconfigure console-setup
# utf-8 / latin1+latin5 / Terminus / 16

Network

Samba / NFS client: Via autofs

Preferences

Use Ctrl-Alt-Delete for shutdown dialog.

Configuration Common Linux

To Do

Base

Kernel update

Standard packages

Desktop - Gnome

Gnome tweak

Gnome extensions

Development packages

Optional packages

AutoFS

Firefox

fzf

Gpg

KeePass

Java from Oracle

LibreOffice

mDNS

Midnight Commander

neovim / vim

NFS

Samba

SSH

Terminator

Thunderbird

tmux

VirtualBox

Wine

XBMC

Configuration

Fonts

Debian

Workaround

The pit (things to tidy up)

Miscellaneous

Synapse

Opera

Users

Flash

Quicktime

Ubuntu tweak

gdmap

X11

Miscellaneous

Network

Preferences

Navigation menu

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