Ask HN: What are the first things you do with a new laptop? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: What are the first things you do with a new laptop?

12 pointsniclo22 comments

As title, I recently got a new laptop I'd like to keep exclusively for studying and personal stuff, while anything job-related is on a different machine.

What are some must-have applications you install immediately ?

Have you got some settings you absolutely need ?

Do you set it up to match your workflow or do you experiment something new given the chance to start from scratch ?

I'm on Linux, precisely Pop Os, if it matters.

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Google "how to uninstall crapware for <manufacturer". You could figure it out on your own, of course, but you might miss something. I'll also mess with settings to tone down unnecessary aesthetic stuff, e.g. Windows Aero animations.

I also like to install a temperature monitor (I've used Core Temp and Speedfan, both are fine) then run benchmarking software. Besides reassuring me that I've actually gotten what was advertised, this shows me the maximum heat the laptop is likely to reach and, with some guesswork, whether anything needs to be repasted.

Upgrade RAM to 32GB+

Upgrade storage too, if necessary

Wipe storage, install Arch Linux

If this is my insecure laptop, turn off all mitigations (spectre / meltdown, etc).

Custom compile Linux Kernel with my selected patches and build parameters (like LTO), mostly taken from other projects like Xanmod.

Install particular proprietary drivers (nvidia-dkms, etc)

Setup X11

Install all my required 'base' packages, like fonts, tools, and Fish shell

Clone all my dotfiles

Clone my customized window manager, terminal, and menu (dwm, st, dmenu). Build them and install

Install Firefox with custom configuration to increase privacy and remove Mozilla crap. Install my plugins. Install my greasemonkey scripts.

Install my custom written DNS over TLS proxy, remove the system DNS software (systemd-resolved). Why? Mine is better for my purposes.

Pretty much done, I then use a script to install all my misc software for development.

Just curious, what do you do with 32GB+ of Ram?

Have Chrome open with many tabs.

I work on a lot of bigger data-oriented projects so having more RAM is essential.

I either wipe Windows completely or, more often, will reduce the Windows partition(s) down to about 50 gig.

The rest of the 5 terabytes is allocated to Linux Mint.

I then remove all extraneous crap (Microsoft 'starters', various garbage apps, 'news' apps, etc) from the Windows system, leaving just Windows itself and the laptop manufacturer's system utilities on there. I only use Windows when absolutely necessary, mainly for things like HP scanning software for my MFP, or a dash-cam app; so probably about 10 hours a year.

Update hosts file with https://someonewhocares.org/hosts/

Extract windows product key just in case. Install Kubuntu. Pull dotfiles from GitHub, and run installenv.sh . Done, I'm home.

Before, my first step would be installing Fedora, but now I'm quite happy with WSL.

Now I:

* Install/configure FF, including 1Password and uBlock Origin extensions

* Install VS Code

* GitHub SSH configuration

* Set up a "dev" folder for all coding projects

* Set up "writing" dir for all writing projects

* Install writing tools like Scrivenet and Plottr

* Install misc productivity related apps, like ManicTime and Workflowy

On macOS:

- install Homebrew, load my Brewfile

- clone my dotfiles

- login to my Firefox account so that it automatically installs uBlock origin, Bitwarden and SponsorBlock.

Good to go.

Wipe the storage drive from scratch (using the ATA Secure Erase command) and then installing my OS(es?) of choice.

i replace the harddrive by default and begin installing linux from there

On a Mac, factory reset it unless I got it direct from Apple (ideally picked up by hand from an Apple Store). On any other laptop, full erase and install Linux or Windows from scratch.

If the package was sealed, why factory reset?

Because anyone can buy a plastic sealer.

They could have put a brick in the box, then put the box through the sealer, and who would be the wiser?

In no particular order, Docker, Visual Studio Code, Git, Gimp, Chrome, Build Essentials, Go, R all come to mind immediately. Most dev work I do now though is container based thanks to vsc.

Clonezilla backup before i even bootup the laptop. This way if I need to return the laptop or i screw something up later i have a 100% factory copy of the HDD.

Laptop:

- Uninstall software that I don't want (i.e. McAfee)

- Install software (e.g. antivirus and anti-malware programs)

Browser:

- Install extensions (uBlock Origin is usually first)

- Run an internet speed test

delete Windows, short and sweet first step.

Wipe windows, install OpenBSD (with full disk encryption, mandatory for laptops) and pull down my dotfiles.

Redshift-like application and switch caps lock to ctrl

get an ssh-key setup and connected to GitHub or GitLab and d/l my dotfiles. (.zshrc ...) sudo apt-get install aptitude

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