The First 8 Things to Do After Installing Linux in 2026

You've installed Linux. The desktop looks great. Then the questions start. Where do you get your apps? Will your games work? Why does that extra drive keep asking for a password? And how do you set up your mouse, headset, and RGB? Let's get your new Linux PC ready for everyday use, gaming, and all the little things that make it feel like your computer. First, check for system updates. It doesn't matter whether you installed Fedora, Ubuntu, Mint, or a gaming-focused distro like Bazite Open the update tool that came with your system. Install the available updates and restart if it asks you to. Some distributions also offer extra repositories or driver options during setup. If you use an NVIDIA graphics card, you may need a proprietary driver for the best experience. Follow your distribution's own instructions for that. Don't enable every third-party source you can find just because a tutorial says so. Get the basics working first. You can always tweak things after. Next, install the apps you actually use. For most people, that means a browser, an office suite, a messaging app, and maybe a password manager or a video editor. On Windows, you might be used to finding every app on a different website. Linux has that option too, but start with your distribution software center. It's usually the easiest way to find and update apps. You may also see apps offered as flat packs. Flatpak is a way to package apps so they can run across many different Linux distributions. Some systems already include Flathub, the main place people get Flatpak apps. On others, you may need to enable it. Follow the instructions for your distro rather than pasting commands from a random page. For Office work, LibreOffice is a common choice, and OnlyOffice is another option if you want to try a different approach to Microsoft Office files. Microsoft 365 on the web may work for your needs too, just test your important documents before you rely on any of these for work. Formatting and advanced features don't always match perfectly. And yes, Microsoft Edge is available for Linux, you can install it if you want. I'm not gonna judge you. Much. If your PC has more than one drive, open the file manager and check that you can see them. Some Linux desktops ask for your password before mounting another drive. If it's a drive you trust and use every day, you can look for an automatic mount option in your system's disk utility. The name and location vary by desktop. Be careful with system partitions and drives you share with Windows. Don't change mount settings unless you know which drive you're editing. If you dual boot, shut Windows down fully before using a shared NTFS drive. Windows Fast Startup can leave it in a state Linux may not be able to safely write to. While you're in the file manager, take a look at its settings. You might be able to change how folders and files are sorted, adjust search behavior, or control whether it loads thumbnails for network folders. That last one can be handy when you browse a NAS, but loading thumbnails across the network can also take time. Now for gaming, install Steam from your distro's software center or its recommended source. Some gaming-focused systems come with Steam already installed. Steam uses Proton, a compatibility tool that can run many Windows games on Linux. In Steam settings, look under compatibility to see what options are enabled on your system, then try a game you already own. A lot of games may work with little or no setup, some won't. Online games that rely on particular anti-cheat systems can be a problem, so check the status of the specific games you care about before planning a full switch. For games and launchers outside Steam, there are a few tools to look at. Lutris can help organize and run games from different sources. Heroic Games Launcher is popular for libraries from Epic Games, GOG, and Amazon Games. Bottles lets you create separate Windows-style environments for some apps and launchers. These tools can make setup easier, but they can't guarantee that every launcher or game will work. Compatibility changes over time, and some games need extra setup. Start with one game you care about, get that working, and then move on to the next. No need to install six launchers before you've played anything. Your mouse and keyboard should work for basic use, but extra features, like custom buttons, macros, or lighting, depend on the device. If your device's manufacturer only provides a Windows configuration app, some of its advanced features may not be available on Linux. You might be able to save a profile to the device's onboard memory using the manufacturer's software on another computer if your device supports that. For audio, first check the settings built into your desktop. If you want more control over equalizers or audio effects, EasyEffects may be useful on supported setups. Install it from a trusted source for your distribution, then test one effect at a time. It's easy to spend an hour tuning your microphone and end up sounding like you're broadcasting from inside a washing machine. Printers and Bluetooth devices are worth testing now before you need them in a hurry. Try adding your printer through your desktop's printer settings. Many common models work with little setup, but some need a manufacturer's driver or an extra package. Bluetooth headphones, keyboards, and controllers should also be paired through the regular Bluetooth settings. If something doesn't show up, check your distribution support page and the manufacturer's Linux support before installing a driver from an unfamiliar website. Finally, customize the desktop. You can leave it as it is, change the wallpaper and colors, adjust the panel, or explore extensions and widgets. KDE Plasma has lots of customization built into its settings. GNOME has extensions for adding or changing features. Take it one change at a time. If you install a pile of themes and extensions all at once and something breaks, You'll have no idea which one did it. Make your desktop look good, but make sure you can still find the app launcher. And that's a good first setup for a new Linux PC. Update the system, install your everyday apps, check your drives, test Steam and your other games, then set up your devices and personalize the desktop. A few things will vary depending on your distribution and hardware, so follow your distro's instructions whenever a setting looks different. And before making changes to partitions or shared drives, backup anything important What was the first thing you set up after installing Linux? Let me know in the comments. If you're planning a Linux setup video, subscribe for more practical PC guides.