New machine setup

Operating System setup

• Latest Ubuntu distribution
• full disk encryption
• /etc/fstab add noatime in front of errors, and after defaults
• usb audio drivers (default install)
• bluetooth drivers (default install)
• powertop profile (manually generated)
• hosts file

Install packages

Common Desktop Utilities

• chromuim-browser
• vlc
• devilspie
• gnome-shell
• gnome-tweak-tool
• gnome themes

Command Line Utilities

• tmux
• feh
• git
• htop (process explorer)
• keynav (mouse simulator for X)
• mouseemu (allow scrolling using mouse with key modifier)
• ncdu (explore disk usage)
• nettools (for ifconfig)
• profanity (xmpp)
• screen
• tree
• w3m
• xterm
• newsboat (rss reader)
• epy (ebook reader) https://github.com/wustho/epy
• vlock

System Extras

• lightdm (solves many rotation issues (and DPI?) on GPD Pocket and ASUS Transformer tablets)

• xcalib (invert screen colors to be used for keyboard shortcuts listed below)

• psensor (may need libappindicator1 and/or libappindicator3-1 to show in Ubuntu/Gnome toolbar)

  • gnome-tweak -> extensions -> ubuntu app indicators
  • and/or sudo apt purge indicator-common (removes unity)

• virtualbox, virtualbox-guest-additions-iso

  • VBoxManage internalcommands createrawvmdk -rawdisk /dev/sdb -filename /opt/USB-Boot-SDB.vmdk

External Apps (not in Ubuntu repos, or best to get elsewhere)

• VS Code #- Slack (not really using this anymore, use the browser)
• Zoom - configure and set to completely close app when quitting
• docker
• docker-compose
• vagrant
• vagrant scp
• vagrant digital-ocean
• nvm
• yarn
• now.sh (npm package)

Startup erogonomics

• gnome-session-properties
• add keynav
• add xterm fullscreen (something like: cd /home/rcw && xrdb .Xdefaults && xterm -fullscreen &)

No longer doing mouseemu but here was the old config:

• /etc/default/mouseemu
• SCROLL="-scroll 100"
• (set to alt-right, determeined using showkey)
• service mouseemu restart
• hold alt-right and move cursor to scroll :)

ThinkPad USB keyboard trackpoint config:

• Set trackpoint to fastest possible setting: 9.
• /etc/udev/rules.d/10-trackpoint.rules:
• ACTION=="add", SUBSYSTEM=="hid", DRIVERS=="lenovo", ATTR{sensitivity}="9"
• save, unplug, replug. Done.

Browser extensions

• ublock

• disable autoplay

• block caribou (ubuntu specific)

• lastpass

• noscript

• multi-account containers (firefox specific)

• enable french and english dictionaries in settings

• set order of language preferences

Browser config (firefox)

The Firefox browser config manages cookies by using multi-account containers. Most of the settings therefore are oriented around preserving cookies but removing any references for fresh sessions.

The amount of configuration is excessive and pathetic at the same time. If it wasn't for MultiAccount tabs I would stop using Firefox... anyway...

• Touchscreen support

  • Ubuntu launcher:
    • sudo gedit /usr/share/applications/firefox.desktop
    • Exec=env MOZ_USE_XINPUT2=1 firefox %u
  • Command line:
    • env MOZ_USE_XINPUT2=1 firefox

• General:

  • Enable "Play DRM-controlled content"

• Search:

  • Use address bar for search and navigation
  • Default search engine: Duck Duck Go
    • Provide search suggestions: active
    • Show search suggestions in address bar results: active
    • Show search suggestions ahead of browsing history in address bar results: disabled

• Privacy:

  • Content Blocking: Strict
  • Send websites a “Do Not Track”: Always
  • Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed: Disabled
  • Ask to save logins and passwords for websites: Disabled
  • Autofill addresses: Disabled
  • History: custom settings
    • Use private browsing mode: Disabled
    • Remember browsing and download history: active
    • Remember search and form history: active
    • Clear history when firefox closes
    • Settings...
      • When closed Firefox should automatically clear all:
        • Browsing & Download History
        • Active Logins
        • Form & Search History
        • Cache
      • Do not delete:
        • Cookies
        • Site Preferences
        • Offline Website Data

vscode extensions

• vim

vscode settings

window.titleBarStyle = custom

Configuration

• set theme in tweak tool

• keyboard shorcuts:

  • control-shift-enter for terminal (notion.so uses control-enter for opening table items)
  • F4 xcalib -i -a
  • F6 xrandr -o normal
  • F7 xrandr -o right
  • F8 pietime .devilspie/golden.ds
  • F9 pietime .devilspie/golden-code.ds
  • (not in use anymore - control-alt-super i3lock -c 121212 -f)

• add devilspie shortcuts

• adjust code devilspie recipe

• adjust browser devilspie recipe

• configure DPI/pixel density

• disable some things: https://dev.to/prahladyeri/how-to-trim-your-ubuntu-installation-of-extra-fat-and-make-it-faster-58ib

• edit the startup list using gnome-session-properties

• disable horrible Nautilus keyboard (search system wide) behavior - gsettings set org.gnome.nautilus.preferences recursive-search 'never'

Work environments

• create SSH keys: ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096
• deploy public keys for certain hosts/servies
• git clone relevant project repos
• run docker-compose up one time per project to provision
• npm i each project

Timezones

• https://github.com/mibus/MultiClock edit extension.js to add custom TZ to toolbar
• gnome-clocks standalone clock app adds to calendar click on clock
• gworldclock, sunclock ... the classics

Connectivity

• On Android, go to Settings, ...More, connection sharing, enable Bluetooth sharing
• In Ubuntu, go to Bluetooth settings and select phone
• Confirm when prompted on your phone
• Click continue to accept in Ubuntu
• Go to Network settings in Ubuntu 17.10 and enable Bluetooth slider

Now your phone is your network proxy. It can route either wifi or LTE or whatever you happen to be connected to.

I often use the phone to connect with hotel wifi and proxy it to my laptop to avoid logging into their systems multiple times.

In previous versions I needed to install dhclient before any routing would occur. Now it "just works". You will see the BT icon on your phone probably has two dots on it now to reflect that data binding is occuring.

If you are only using BT you will save some battery, so power down wifi if you do not need it. Bluetooth is closer to ISDN speeds so if you have big downloads use wifi.

Crontab

DISPLAY=:0
58 * * * * /usr/local/bin/check-instances 2>&1 >/dev/null
0 17,18,19,20,21,22,23,0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 * * * /usr/bin/killall firefox 2>&1 >/dev/null
0 17,18,19,20,21,22,23,0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 * * * /usr/bin/killall  /usr/lib/chromium-browser/chromium-browser 2>&1 >/dev/null

Terminal Config & Tools

Performance tuning

sudo swapoff -a
sudo powertop --auto-tune

Virtual KVM switching

ssh -XC user@laptop  x2x -east -to :0.0

# x2x with keep alive...
#!/bin/bash
x2x -west -from :0.0  &
while true; do echo -n "." ; sleep 1; done

Tripped out xterm

~/.Xdefaults
xterm*selectToClipboard: true

# install solarized theme for xerm
xrdb ./Xdefaults && xterm -fullscreen &

Kiosk mode

startx chromium --kiosk --

~/.xinitrc:
#!/bin/sh
exec chromium --kiosk

Capslock remapping (Ubuntu & Gnome)

setxkbmap -option caps:ctrl_modifier

/etc/default/keyboard variant:  
XKBOPTIONS="caps:ctrl_modifier"

the Gnome way:
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.input-sources xkb-options "['caps:ctrl_modifier']"

Mail config

adapted from: https://gist.github.com/mike-burns/986fae26fd1fdb331b59

apt-get install msmtp
create .msmtprc
chmod 600 .msmtprc
edit .muttrc:
set sendmail="/usr/bin/msmtp"
set use_from=yes
set realname=""

productivity extras:
sudo apt-get install vdirsyncer todoman khard khal

Ubuntu "wifi roaming aggressiveness"

• No longer using this setting, use wires!

  iwconfig iwconfig wlp1s0 sens -60 # percent or if negative, in decibels

xterm Solarized terminal theme

adapted from: https://github.com/maniat1k/Solarizedxterm/blob/master/.Xdefaults

xrdb .Xdefaults
xrdb .Xdefaults && xterm -fullscreen &

gnome-terminal's built-in Solarized is "ok" but you will want to set black & bright-black to both be #000000; check the box to enable bold for lightness.

TTY theme... and eliminate X from your life...

• Add color overrides to .bashrc described here: https://askubuntu.com/questions/147462/how-can-i-change-the-tty-colors :

  if [ "$TERM" = "linux" ]; then
      echo -en "\e]P0000000" #black
      echo -en "\e]P8454545" #darkgrey
      echo -en "\e]P1D75F5F" #darkred
      echo -en "\e]P9CC896D" #red
      echo -en "\e]P26C7E55" #darkgreen
      echo -en "\e]PAC4DF90" #green
      echo -en "\e]P3CAAF2B" #brown
      echo -en "\e]PBFFE080" #yellow
      echo -en "\e]P47FB8D8" #darkblue
      echo -en "\e]PCB8DDEA" #blue
      echo -en "\e]P5956D9D" #darkmagenta
      echo -en "\e]PDC18FCB" #magenta
      echo -en "\e]P64c8ea1" #darkcyan
      echo -en "\e]PE6bc1d0" #cyan
      echo -en "\e]P7D2D2D2" #lightgrey
      echo -en "\e]PFFAFAFA" #white
      clear #for background artifacting
      echo Hello
  fi
  

TTY Keyboard Mappings

• sudo su
• dumpkeys > dumpkeys.txt
• find keycode 58, set to Control:
• keycode 58 = Control
• sudo loadkeys dumpkeys.txt
• need loadkeys to run at startup...

TTY Brightness settings

• Adjust brightness echo 4 > /sys/class/backlight/*/brightness

TTY Lockscreen

• .tmux.conf for lockscreen:

  set-option -g lock-command vlock
  set-option -g lock-after-time 0
  bind y lock-session
  

  then do (ctrl-b) source-file .tmux.conf to reload daemon