Customize Ubuntu to Your Preferences

Reading time: about 8 min

You now have a functional, organized, and secure system. You have even dared to peek into the mythical terminal. Now it is time for the reward: making your new digital workplace personal and pleasant. An operating system should not just be a tool, it should be a place where you feel comfortable.

In this lesson we leave the technical settings and focus entirely on the visual. We go through how you easily change colors and shapes and, for those who want, how you can take customization even further with special tools.

What You Will Learn

After this lesson you will be able to:

• Change desktop background, switch between light/dark theme, and choose accent color.
• Customize the size and position of your Dock (favorites bar).
• Understand what Extensions are and how they can give your desktop new superpowers.
• Install and use the "Tweaks" tool for even more detailed control.

The Basics: Simple Customization via Settings

Most customizations you need can be done directly in the regular "Settings" program.

1. Open Settings: Find the gear icon in the system menu at the top right, or search for "Settings" in the Activities Overview.

2. The "Appearance" Menu:

   • Light/Dark: Here you can with one click switch the entire system's appearance between a light theme and a dark theme that is more restful for the eyes in dark rooms.
   • Accent color: Choose which color should be used to highlight selections, buttons, and other interactive elements. Choose one that matches your wallpaper for a nice overall look.

3. The "Desktop" Menu:

   • Background: Click on one of the pre-selected images or choose "Add Image..." to use your own photograph as desktop background.
   • The Dock: Here you can fine-tune the favorites bar.
     • Position on screen: Do you prefer the bar at the bottom like in Windows? No problem. Change from "Left" to "Bottom."
     • Panel mode: Turn this off to get a "floating" dock that is not stuck to the edge.
     • Icon size: Adjust the size of the icons in the bar.

Next Level: Tweaks and Extensions

Do you feel you want even more control? Then it is time to install two powerful tools from the Ubuntu Software store.

1. The "Tweaks" Tool (GNOME Tweaks)

"Tweaks" is a program that unlocks a bunch of extra settings that are not in the regular settings panel.

• Installation: Open Ubuntu Software, search for GNOME Tweaks (or just "Tweaks") and install it.
• Examples of what you can do:
  • Fonts: Change typeface and size for the entire system.
  • Window title bars: Add maximize and minimize buttons on all windows, just like in Windows.
  • Startup programs: Choose which programs should start automatically when you log in.

2. Superpowers with "Extensions" (GNOME Extensions)

Extensions are small "mini-programs" you can install to add completely new functionality to your desktop. It can be anything from showing the weather in the top bar to completely changing how your windows work.

The easiest and safest method is to install an app that manages this for you.

• Installation: Open Ubuntu Software and search for Extension Manager. Install it.
• Usage:
  • Open Extension Manager.
  • Go to the Browse tab.
  • Search for extensions, read their description, and click "Install."
  • On the Installed tab you can then enable, disable, and configure your extensions.

Popular extensions to test:

• Dash to Panel: Merges the top bar and dock into a single, unified taskbar like the one in Windows. Very popular among new users.
• Espresso: Gives you an icon to temporarily prevent the screen from locking or turning off, perfect during presentations.
• Weather (OpenWeatherMap): Shows a weather forecast directly in your top bar.

Exercise: Build Your Dream Desktop

Time to be creative!

1. Change wallpaper and choose a matching accent color under Settings.
2. Try moving the Dock from the left edge to the bottom of the screen.
3. Bonus: Install Extension Manager from Ubuntu Software.
4. Bonus: Use Extension Manager to find and install the extension Dash to Panel. Enable it and see how your entire desktop changes! (You can easily disable it again if you do not like it).

Next Steps

Nice! Your Ubuntu desktop is now not only functional, but also reflects your personal style. You have now completed all the basic parts of the course and are a competent Ubuntu user.

For those who are ready for the last, most advanced stage, an in-depth track awaits. In the final lesson, In-Depth: AI, Development, and Graphics, we gather the more technical topics for teachers in programming, technology, or for those who want to use their computer for heavy computations.