Getting Started · #4 of 19

First Boot

Desktop Tour

Welcome to Ubuntu

When Ubuntu boots, you’ll see the GNOME desktop environment. It’s clean, modern, and designed for productivity.

The Desktop Layout

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Activities    [Clock/Date]    [System Tray] ▼  │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                 │
│                                                 │
│              Desktop Area                       │
│                                                 │
│                                                 │
│ ┌───┐                                          │
│ │ 📁 │ Files                                   │
│ ├───┤                                          │
│ │ 🦊 │ Firefox                                 │
│ ├───┤                                          │
│ │ ⚙️ │ Settings                                │
│ ├───┤                                          │
│ │ 🛒 │ Software                                │
│ └───┘                                          │
│        [Dock/Favorites Bar]                    │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Key Areas

1. Activities (Top Left)

Click “Activities” or press the Super key (Windows key) to:

See all open windows
Search for applications
Switch between workspaces

2. System Tray (Top Right)

Network: WiFi and wired connections
Sound: Volume control
Power: Shutdown, restart, suspend
Settings: Quick access to system settings

3. Dock (Left Side)

Your favorite applications. Right-click any app icon to add it here.

4. File Manager (Nautilus)

Click the Files icon. This is your graphical file browser.

Opening the Terminal

The terminal is your most powerful tool. Three ways to open it:

Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + Alt + T
Activities search: Press Super, type “Terminal”
Right-click desktop: “Open in Terminal” (in some setups)

Your First Commands

Try these in the terminal:

# Who am I?
whoami

# Where am I?
pwd

# What's here?
ls

# What's the date?
date

# System information
uname -a

Essential Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
`Super`	Open Activities / Search
`Ctrl + Alt + T`	Open Terminal
`Super + L`	Lock screen
`Super + D`	Show desktop
`Alt + Tab`	Switch windows
`Super + Arrow`	Snap window to side
`Ctrl + Q`	Close application
`Ctrl + Alt + Delete`	Log out menu

Customization Basics

Change Wallpaper

Right-click desktop → “Change Background”

Appearance Settings

Settings → Appearance

Light/Dark mode
Accent colors
Dock position and size

Install GNOME Tweaks (for more options)

sudo apt install gnome-tweaks

Your First Update

Keep your system secure and up-to-date:

# Update package lists
sudo apt update

# Upgrade installed packages
sudo apt upgrade

# Or do both in one line
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

You’ll be asked for your password. Type it (nothing will appear — this is normal) and press Enter.

What’s Next?

You’ve booted Ubuntu, explored the desktop, and opened a terminal. In the next lesson, we’ll dive deep into the terminal — your window into the true power of Linux.

🖥️ First Boot