Install settings
Perfect your Ubuntu install settings
LINUX BASICS
Nick Peers loves nothing better than dissecting system settings. Join him as he explores Ubuntu and Mint’s respective tools.
Part Four!
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OUR EXPERT
Nick Peers has decades of mileage when it comes to Linux. He refuses to say how much of that time has been spent productively.
QUICK TIP
If you’re looking for more ways to tweak your desktop, we recommend installing Gnome Tweaks, which you’ll find in the main Ubuntu App Centre. You’ll gain access to many of the same appearance-based tweaks that Mint users take for granted in their System Settings app.
Once you’ve grasped the fundamentals of your new Linux operating system, you’ll want to start moulding it in your own image. And the good news is that all Linux distros are keen to give you the tools you need to do just that. In this issue’s Linux Basics, we’re looking at what configuration options are available, where to find them, and what settings to choose. Our focus remains on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, but we’ll also reveal where to look in Linux Mint, too.
In Ubuntu, everything is in the Settings app, accessible from both the Launcher and the System menu in the top-right corner via the cog-like button. Linux Mint users will find a handy shortcut on the Start menu. You’ll also find shortcuts to specific parts of the Settings app from within other parts of the desktop, too – more shortly.
Take the grand tour
Ubuntu’s Settings menu (see top-right) is a two-paned affair: on the left is a series of categories, from Network and Bluetooth at the top to Accessibility, Privacy & Security and System at the bottom. Click one and its settings are displayed on the right. Mint displays its various options as a series of icons, split into four categories. Click one to switch to the relevant settings.
From here we’re going to largely focus on navigating Ubuntu’s settings – Mint users should be able to follow along using the search tool in the top-right corner of the Settings app if you can’t easily find the equivalent tool. For those options exclusive to Mint’s Settings tool – such as Firewall – check the box (opposite page).
In Ubuntu, you’ll notice the categories are split into five loosely related sections. The first can be described as Networking and contains two or three entries: Wi-Fi (if you have a Wi-Fi adaptor), Network and Bluetooth. All can be accessed via the System menu by clicking > next to the relevant adaptor and choosing All Networks (Wi-Fi) or Wired/Bluetooth Settings.
Networking settings
Wi-Fi enables you to manage existing saved networks as well as search for (and connect to) both visible and hidden networks. In the case of the latter, you need to know its SSID (the name that identifies it, and which is usually broadcast for people to connect to it) and what type of encryption it uses, typically WPA2 or WPA3.