Skip to content

Ubuntu Workstations - Setup Guide

Ubuntu Desktop is the operating system of choice for all workstations. Ubuntu Desktop is a free and open-source operating system. It is based on the Debian Linux distribution.

All workstations heavily rely on Docker to provide virtually every development tool. By using Docker, we can easily install and manage various development tools without worrying about dependencies or compatibility issues. This allows us to work on multiple projects simultaneously, each with its own set of specific requirements, without having to worry about conflicts.

Workstation Description
caprica Primary workstation for development tasks and daily to-dos
kobol Secondary workstation (notebook) for development tasks and daily to-dos

Installation and Configuration

The installation steps are the same for all workstations.

Create bootable USB stick with Ubuntu

  • Download Ubuntu from the Ubuntu website.
  • Create a bootable USB stick from the downloaded iso image with a tool like Etcher or the Startup Disk Creator (shipped with Ubuntu).

Install machine from stick

The setup wizard takes care of the hostname, network settings, ssh, etc.

  • When prompted for a user and password, use the username sebastian and the default password.
  • Remember to install and activate the OpenSSH server when the wizard prompts for this!
  • Do not install any further software packages. Installations take place later when Ansible provisions the system.
  • Run basic setup tasks using curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sommerfeld-io/configs-homelab/main/bootstrap/basics.sh | bash -
  • Test connecting to my other Linux machines (with user "sebastian" being the user created while installing the OS).
    • caprica via ssh sebastian@caprica.fritz.box
    • kobol via ssh sebastian@kobol.fritz.box

Install SSH Server

  • Setup openssh-server using curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sommerfeld-io/configs-homelab/main/bootstrap/ssh-server.sh | bash - if needed

Configuration and package installation

  • Install machine using the Ansible configs from this repo using task

Manual Follow-Up Todos

  • Allow machine to work with GitHub. Use public key id_rsa.pub, NOT the private key!
  • Set dark mode, Dock config, etc.
  • Add ~/work, ~/tmp and ~/virtualmachines to favorites (in File Manager)
  • Update file associations in "Settings > Applications > Sublime Text"
  • Install GitHub CLI extensions: gh extension install seachicken/gh-poi
  • Use task to start Docker Compose services.`

Configure a keyboard shortcut to open a terminal in VSCode

For example, if you want to use Ctrl+Shift+T as the shortcut to open a new terminal, you would press those keys when editing the shortcut. Please note that the keys you choose for the shortcut should not conflict with existing shortcuts. If they do, you will need to change or disable the conflicting shortcuts.

  • Open the Keyboard Shortcuts editor by pressing Ctrl+K Ctrl+S or by navigating to File > Preferences > Keyboard Shortcuts.
  • In the search box, type "terminal" to filter the commands related to the terminal.
  • Look for the command workbench.action.terminal.new which is the command to open a new terminal.
  • Click on the pencil icon next to the command to edit the shortcut. Press the keys you want to use as the shortcut, then press Enter to save.