Ubuntu Developer Setup

A comprehensive, automated setup script for configuring a fresh Ubuntu installation with all the essential development tools, applications, and configurations needed for a productive development environment.

📑 Table of Contents

• Overview
• Key Features
• Prerequisites
• Quick Start
• Structure
• Detailed Setup Steps
  • Section A: Core System Setup
  • Section B: Development Tools
  • Section C: Productivity Tools
  • Section D: System Configuration
  • Section E: BBB Job Setup (Optional)
• Configuration Options
  • User Information
  • Installation Toggles
  • GNOME Settings
• Customization
  • Adding Your Own Aliases
  • Modifying GNOME Settings
  • Adding New Software
• Logging
• Troubleshooting
  • Script fails with permission error
  • Package installation fails
  • Docker group not working
  • NVM command not found
  • Re-running the script
• Contributing
• License
• Author
• Acknowledgments

🎯 Overview

This setup system automates the installation and configuration of:

• Core Development Tools: Git, GitHub CLI, NVM/Node.js, Docker, VSCode
• Web Browsers: Google Chrome
• Communication: Slack, Discord
• Productivity: Obsidian, Peek, VLC, Flameshot
• Terminal: ZSH with Oh My Zsh, Terminator, and custom aliases
• System Configuration: GNOME settings, firewall, Bluetooth fixes, locale settings
• Optional BBB Setup: BigBlueButton development environment configuration

✨ Key Features

• ✅ Idempotent: Safe to run multiple times - won't break existing installations
• 📝 Comprehensive Logging: All operations logged to ~/ubuntu-setup.log
• ⚙️ Configurable: YAML-based configuration file for easy customization
• 🔍 Smart Installation: Checks if packages are already installed before proceeding
• 🔐 Safe Backups: Automatically backs up existing configuration files
• 📊 Interactive: Asks for confirmation before overwriting configs
• 🎨 Modular: Organized into separate scripts by functionality
• 📦 LTS Versions: Always installs Long Term Support versions where applicable

📋 Prerequisites

• Fresh Ubuntu installation (tested on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and 24.04 LTS)
• User account with sudo privileges
• Internet connection
• At least 10GB of free disk space
• Git installed (required if cloning the repository)

🚀 Quick Start

1. Clone or Download This Repository

cd ~
git clone https://github.com/antonbsa/ubuntu-setup.git
cd ubuntu-setup

2. Configure Your Setup

Copy the template configuration file and customize it:

cp config.template.yaml config.yaml
nano config.yaml  # or use your preferred editor

Edit config.yaml to specify:

• Your name and GitHub email
• Which tools to install
• Your preferred settings

3. Make the Script Executable

chmod +x main.sh

4. Run the Setup

./main.sh

Preview the setup without making changes:

./main.sh --dry-run

The script will:

1. Perform pre-flight checks
2. Display a configuration summary
3. Ask for confirmation
4. Install and configure everything
5. Display a summary of apps requiring manual login

5. Post-Installation

After the script completes:

1. Log out and log back in (required for Docker group and ZSH shell changes)
2. Sign in to applications that require authentication:
   • GitHub CLI: gh auth login
   • Visual Studio Code (sync settings)
   • Google Chrome (sync bookmarks)
   • Slack
   • Discord
3. Bluetooth headphones will automatically use A2DP (high-quality) profile if setup was confirmed during installation

🔧 Customization

Adding Your Own Aliases

Edit config/zsh_aliases.sh to add your custom shell aliases and functions.

Modifying GNOME Settings

Edit scripts/04-system-config.sh in the configure_gnome() function.

Adding New Software

1. Add installation function to appropriate script in scripts/
2. Add configuration option to config.template.yaml
3. Call the function from the script's main function

✅ Validation

Run the built-in validation suite:

npm test

Or preview the setup without applying changes:

npm run dry-run

📝 Logging

All operations are logged to ~/ubuntu-setup.log with timestamps:

# View the log
cat ~/ubuntu-setup.log

# Follow the log in real-time
tail -f ~/ubuntu-setup.log

Log levels:

• [INFO] - General information
• [SUCCESS] - Successful operation
• [WARNING] - Non-critical issues
• [ERROR] - Errors that occurred

🐛 Troubleshooting

Script fails with permission error

Make sure you have sudo privileges and the script is executable:

chmod +x main.sh

Package installation fails

Check your internet connection and try running:

sudo apt update

Docker group not working

Log out and log back in for group changes to take effect.

NVM command not found

NVM is loaded in new shell sessions. Either:

• Start a new terminal session, or
• Run: source ~/.nvm/nvm.sh

Re-running the script

The script is idempotent and safe to run multiple times. It will:

• Skip already installed packages
• Ask before overwriting configs
• Continue from where it left off if interrupted

📄 License

This project is open source and available under the MIT License.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Built for Ubuntu-based systems
• Inspired by the need for reproducible development environments
• Designed for BigBlueButton development workflows

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Note: This setup is opinionated and based on personal preferences. Review and customize the configuration file before running to match your specific needs.