7 things to do after installing Pop!_OS
Are you new to Pop_OS? Unsure about what to do with the OS after installing it? If so, this list is for you! Here are 7 things to do after installing Pop_OS!
1. System update
After installing Pop_OS on your computer, you should first check for system updates and install them. There are two ways to check for updates in Pop_OS: the Pop Shop app store and the terminal.
If you’d like to check for updates for Pop_OS with the GUI, open up the Pop Shop app store. Once it is open, find the “Installed” button and click on it. After selecting the “Installed” button, you’ll see operating system updates available. Install the updates with the Pop Shop app.
Terminal update
If the Pop Shop is not your style, you can also upgrade Pop_OS using the terminal. To do it, launch a terminal window. You can launch a terminal window by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T on the keyboard or searching for “Terminal” in the app menu.
With the terminal window open, use the apt update command to check Pop_OS for operating system updates.
sudo apt update
After checking for software updates, you can install them by making use of the apt upgrade command.
sudo apt upgrade -y
2. Update your firmware
Pop_OS supports firmware updating within the operating system. So, if your Linux computer has hardware devices supported with this tool, it is good to use the Pop_OS firmware update tool.
To update your firmware on Pop_OS, start by pressing the Win key on the keyboard. After pressing the Win key, type “Settings” and open up the Pop_OS settings. Once inside of the “Settings” area, scroll down to “Firmware” and click on it with the mouse.
Once the “Firmware” tab is loaded, it will check for updates. Install Firmware upgrades if they are available. Otherwise, close the “Settings” window.
3. Create a backup with Timeshift
While Pop_OS doesn’t ship with Timeshift, it is good to install it and use it to create a backup. Creating a backup for Pop_OS means that you will be able to restore the backup if anything goes wrong.
To create a backup with Timeshift, start by installing the app on your computer. You can install it by searching for “Timeshift” in Pop Shop. Or, use the command below in a terminal window.
sudo apt install timeshift
After installing the Timeshift app, launch it. Then, select “Rsync” in the “Select Snapshot Type” area. Then, choose your snapshot location and your snapshot levels.
Once you’ve selected your snapshot levels, you’ll have to choose what to back up in the “User Home Directories” section. Then, finally, close the setup tool.
With the Timeshift setup tool closed, find the “Create” button to create a new backup. This backup will take a bit of time to complete. However, when done, your data will be safe.
4. Installing RestrictedFormats
Pop_OS doesn’t ship with the restricted codecs users need to play specific video and audio files out of the box. These codecs aren’t set up out of the box for legal reasons. However, if you plan to watch videos and play MP3 files, you’ll have to install them.
To install the codecs, launch a terminal window on the Pop_OS desktop. By pressing Ctrl + Alt + T on the keyboard, you can do this. Or, search for “Terminal” in the app menu and launch it that way.
With the terminal window open and ready to use, run the apt install command and set up the “ubuntu-restricted-extras” package. This package includes everything you will need to listen to proprietary audio files as well as proprietary video files.
sudo apt install ubuntu-restricted-extras
5. Enable the firewall
Another thing that users should do right after installing Pop_OS is to enable the firewall. To install, launch Pop Shop. Once inside of the Pop Shop, type in “Gufw” and select the “Firewall Configuration” app in the search results.
Install “Firewall Configuration” through the Pop Shop. Then, launch it on Pop_OS by searching for “Firewall Configuration” in the app menu.
With the “Firewall Configuration” app open on the Pop_OS desktop, find the slider next to “Status” and click it to enable the firewall. You can then close it when enabled, as the default settings are enough for most users. Or customize the rules if you have the know-how.
6. Enable Night Light
Pop_OS uses Gnome Shell. Gnome has a feature known as night-light. This feature tunes your display to protect your eyes to match the time of day. If you worry about your eye health, it’s a good idea to enable this feature once you’ve installed Pop_OS.
Open up the “Settings” window in Pop_OS to enable Night Light. Once inside the “Settings” window, scroll down and select the “Displays” option. Once in the “Displays” area, click on the “Night Light ” button to access the settings for the feature.
In the “Night Light” section, find the slider button next to it and click on it to enable the feature on Pop_OS.
7. Turn on minimize and maximize buttons
Pop_OS uses Gnome Shell, and Gnome Shell hides the minimize and maximize buttons by default. While this feature can be cool, many users dislike it. Thankfully, it is easy to re-enable.
To re-enable the minimize and maximize buttons, launch the Pop Shop, click on the search box, type in “Gnome Tweaks,” and install it. Launch it on the Pop_OS desktop once “Gnome Tweaks” is installed; launch it on the Pop_OS desktop.
Once “Gnome Tweaks” is open, find the “Window Titlebars” section and click on it. Then, select the sliders next to “Maximize” and “Minimize” to re-enable the buttons on your windows.
Conclusion
We covered 7 things to do after installing Pop_OS on your computer in this list. Hopefully, this will help those new to Pop_OS feel more comfortable using the operating system.
