There will always be a lot of things to do after a fresh Ubuntu installation. Ubuntu 13.04 Raring Ringtail was scheduled to be released on April 25th. Here are some steps may help after installing Ubuntu 13.04.

1. Select Best Download Server: The default server may not be the “Best Server” which will speed up your regular update and software installation by apt command or software center.

To select the best one, go to System Settings -> Software Sources. In drop-down menu, choose “others” and then you can click “select best server” at next window. It tests downloading from servers and finally highlight the fastest one.

2. Check for updates: There may be a few bug fixes and important updates after new Ubuntu release. Keep your system up-to-date by Software Updater which is available in Unity Dash.

3. Disable Shopping Lens and Adjust privacy settings: In Unity Dash, you’ll see Amozon searching results and a list of your recent activities. You can disable them by System Settings -> Privacy.

4. Install Media Codecs For legal reasons Ubuntu doesn’t provide necessary codecs for playing music & video. But you can install the most common codecs by the Ubuntu Software Center.

Install Media Codecs

5. Install Google Chrome or Chromium web browser If you prefer Google Chrome web browser, you can download the DEB from www.google.com/chrome. Or install the open-source alternative:

Install Chromium

6. Video Additional Drivers Install a proper graphics drivers by System Settings -> Software Sources -> Additional Drivers to get a better performance.

7. Setup your accounts: Setup your accounts by System Settings -> Online Accounts.

8. Enable DVD playback: For legal reasons Ubuntu can’t play encrypted DVDs by default, but your can manually install the codecs. Hit Ctrl+Alt+T to open terminal, then run following 2 commands one by one:

sudo apt-get install libdvdread4

sudo /usr/share/doc/libdvdread4/install-css.sh

9. Tweak your desktop To move window buttons to right, run command:

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.wm.preferences button-layout ':minimize,maxmize,close'

To install gnome shell:

sudo apt-get install gnome-shell

Install Unity Tweak Tool (Customize Unity Desktop):

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:freyja-dev/unity-tweak-tool-daily

sudo apt-get install unity-tweak-tool

To install Ubuntu-Tweak (System configuration and desktop settings tool):

And more…

Enjoy!