What tools can you use to customize your Linux system?

Customizing a Linux system's desktop environment can be accomplished with various tools. GNOME, KDE, XFCE, and others offer their own settings managers for adjusting visual elements, themes, and desktop behavior. Additionally, third-party tools like "GNOME Tweaks" or "KDE System Settings" provide more advanced customization options. Terminal-based tools such as "dconf" for GNOME or "kwriteconfig" for KDE allow users to customize settings programmatically. Overall, Linux users have a plethora of tools at their disposal, both graphical and command-line-based, to tailor their desktop environments according to their preferences.

Shell Commands - The terminal allows you to execute commands for system configuration and customization. Text Editors - Use editors like Vim or Nano for modifying configuration files directly. Desktop Environments - KDE, GNOME, XFCE, and others provide graphical interfaces for customization. Package Managers - Tools like APT, Yum, or Zypper help in installing, updating, and removing software packages. Window Managers - Customize the window appearance and behavior with managers like i3, Openbox, or Awesome. Configuration Files - Many settings are stored in configuration files (e.g., /etc directory) that you can edit.

Uma forma muito bacana de personalizar os seus ambientes gráficos linux é fazendo o chamado "ricing", é quase como uma subcultura análoga a tunar um carro para que possa ficar mais bonito e mais funcional em aspectos que agradam o seu dono. Uma maneira de fazer essa customização é usar softwares como I3 que é um gerenciador de janelas junto com ferramentas como compton, que possibilita efeitos de sombra e transição e tudo isso junto de softwares como polybar para que tu faça a tua própria barra de tarefas.

In my experience, we can use various tools to modify the system using bash/zsh scripts and installing/upgrading/downgrading packages via Yum/ zypper/apt-get. Modifying environment files like /etc/profile, grub.cfg using vim/vi/nano editor. With sysctl we can modify kernel parameters.Tools like firewalld,iptables ,selinux to make the system more secure. To enhance UI experience we can change GTK/QT themes. We can add custom services using systemd and make it services run after every reboot. Utilities like rsyslog can be used for log management. There are also multiple configuration management tools like ansible,puppet,chef for automating these tasks over multiple servers.

DE are best way to customize your linux gui, i think your linux should also support changing the DE as well. For example, Arch linux supports many great DEs such as xfce, kde, gnome etc... btw arch uses pacman as package mnager. Desktop environments like kde may be resource hungry but if you want a light de, you can go with xfce, budgie etc...

Customizing the theme and icons on a Linux system can be achieved using several tools. "Gnome Tweaks" and "GNOME-Shell Extensions" are popular for GNOME desktops, providing easy access to theme settings and extensions. For KDE Plasma desktops, "System Settings" offers comprehensive options for theme customization. Users can also employ tools like "lxappearance" for LXQt or "xfce4-appearance-settings" for XFCE environments to modify themes and icons. Additionally, manual customization can be done by replacing or installing themes and icon packs directly in the system's theme directory. These tools collectively empower Linux users to personalize their system's visual elements with ease.

O GNU/Linux é um verdadeiro "camaleão" e leva o assunto personalização a outro nível. Particularmente, eu gosto muito da gerenciador de janelas KDE disponível, entre outras distribuições, no Opensuse LEAP. Mas personalizar a aparência dos sistemas operacionais GNU/Linux é divertido em todas as distribuições. Alguns pacotes de ícones e de área de trabalho fazem mudanças completas (capazes de, por exemplo, reproduzir a Interface de Usuário (I.U.) do seu antigo S.O.) No KDE, por exemplo, são várias as alternativas de temas de ícones que podem ser baixados e que permitem a um sistema operacional GNU/Linux ter a "cara" do Windows 7, 10, 11 ou do MAC OS Ventura, Sonoma, Monterey e Catalina.

Yes Gnome tweaks was a very helpful tool to customize gnome based distros. It was little hard to customize the Ubuntu system as it comes with light and dark themes. Kde aldready had a handful of options to customize using themes. it has a built-in theme manager as well. sites like gnome look and kde look had many good themes. ml

Choosing themes and icons on a Linux desktop is like picking the look and feel of your computer. GTK and QT themes let you change how programs appear, with options like Adwaita or Arc. Icon themes, such as Papirus, give you cool icons for a consistent style. This customization power lets you create a desktop that matches your taste, making your Linux experience uniquely yours and showing off the creative spirit of the Linux community.

We are free to use gnome tweaks a tool that change the look and feel of your desktop, along with "gnome-look" a site where you can find tons of themes for your system.

I always start with zsh whenever I’m setting up a new Linux system, and it’s incomplete without oh-my-zsh. A powerful and popular framework for managing Zsh configurations, comes with tons of plugins, themes, etc to improve the terminal experience. Tmux is another thing that I use extensively, it allows users to create and manage multiple terminal sessions within a single window. Tmux enables splitting the terminal into panes, customizable key bindings, and session management for efficient multitasking.

I always use zsh and tmux to enhanced control in multi-task in the terminal and also use some zsh them to control things like git

Customize your Linux terminal with tools like **Oh My Zsh** for zsh configuration, **Terminator** for multi-pane flexibility, and **Powerline/Powerlevel10k** for stylish prompts. For a sleek drop-down terminal, consider **Guake**. Tweak your **bashrc** or **zshrc** for a hands-on approach to customization. Linux's flexibility lets you find the perfect combo for your workflow.

Customizing your terminal emulator is a great way to personalize your command line experience. Whether you use GNOME Terminal, Konsole, XTerm, UXTerm, or Terminator, there's a variety of options to tweak. Adjusting the font, color scheme, background, transparency, and configuring tabs and profiles are common customization options. If you're into command line aesthetics, tools like Bash Prompt Generator, PS1 Generator, or ZSH Prompt Generator help create a unique prompt for your shell. With these adjustments, you can tailor your terminal to match your preferences and make your command line interactions more efficient and visually appealing.

I personally like the default terminal in ubuntu & Xterminal Terminal emulator should be supporting all customising option even if it looks like a old school black box, Font customisation should be possible

From security perspective I absolutely love tools like "SELinux" (Security-Enhanced Linux), a Linux kernel security module. SELinux provides a flexible mandatory access control system, enabling fine-grained control over processes and system resources.

Linux system monitors involves tools that provide insights into system performance and resource utilization.Conky is a widely used and highly configurable system monitor that can display various information on the desktop. "GKrellM" is another versatile option, offering a customizable interface with plugins for monitoring different aspects of the system. Users can also utilize desktop environments like GNOME or KDE, which come with built-in system monitoring tools and widgets. Additionally, "htop" and "glances" are terminal-based tools that provide real-time monitoring and can be customized to display specific information. These tools collectively enable users to tailor their system monitoring experience on Linux based on their preferences.

There are several tools you can use to customize your Linux system. One popular option is GNOME Tweaks, which allows you to adjust various settings related to your desktop environment. KDE Plasma System Settings is another tool that offers extensive customization options for the KDE desktop environment. Additionally, command-line tools like gsettings for GNOME or directly editing configuration files can also help personalize your Linux system according to your preferences.

System monitors are a bare necessity for any operating system that helps us to look at system usage and running processes. My setup for system monitors are as follows: (1) System Monitor Gnome Extension by 0ryon (2) Gnome System Monitor (3) Tuxedo Control Center (4) htop (5) bpytop (6) mission center ( it is an flatpak app that closely resembles windows task manager ) (7) Stacer : the most go to system monitor tool .

Linux is one of the operating systems that offers a best firewall for system security, UFW a command-line firewall utility for your linux system if you are a newbie use GUFW a graphical alternative for UFW.

To customize your Linux system for firewall and security, consider tools like UFW, Gufw, Firewalld, Iptables, ClamAV, and Rkhunter. These tools manage network traffic, detect, and remove threats. Customize settings like policies, profiles, ports, services, and logs. Strengthen security further with tools like Fail2ban, SSHGuard, or Snort to enhance protection against unauthorized access and malicious attacks.

Customizing the firewall and security settings on a Linux system involves using specific tools tailored for access control and system protection. "UFW" and "Firewalld" are user-friendly command-line tools suitable for managing iptables rules, while security-focused distributions like "AppArmor" and "SELinux" offer granular control over application behavior. Additionally, tools such as "Fail2Ban" can enhance security by monitoring logs and banning malicious IP addresses. These tools collectively enable users to fortify their Linux systems with customizable firewall configurations and robust access controls.

Though an Linux system is already pretty secure but having an extra measure of security is not a bad thing . I usually stay on my home network and rarely connect networks outside . Still to have a shield I use following firewall tools . - ufw - gufw - safing partmaster Also to scan and look at my network activity I use . - network tools - NsLooker

To customize Linux firewall and security settings, use tools like `ufw` (Uncomplicated Firewall) or `iptables` for firewall management. Configure rules to allow or deny specific traffic based on your security requirements. Additionally, implement intrusion detection and prevention tools like `fail2ban` to protect against unauthorized access. Regularly update and patch your system using package managers like `apt` or `yum` to address security vulnerabilities. Utilize security-focused distributions, such as SELinux or AppArmor, to enhance system security. Stay informed about security best practices and consider tools like `ClamAV` for antivirus scanning.

The package manager might be the first thing you'd introduce to someone; it being the gateway to some curiosity and exploration. Confidence in package manager use allows for comfort in customization and experimentation.

Package manager in linux provides apps & programs that are ready to download. In Debian based systems there is a well known package manager called the Synaptic Package manger or apt as short. for example the command to install a package called clang, we can use sudo apt get install clang In arch based systems there is pacman package manager eg: sudo pacman -S clang :) stay away from errors, bye

APT: Simple, more packages and most stable. sudo apt install <package> DNF: Simple, maybe slow, and semi rolling release. sudo dnf install <package> PACMAN / AUR: confusing for new users, fast and more packages also u will get latest packages, rolling release. sudo pacman -Syu <package> Other universal package management options are there like flatpak or snap is there. And I never tried but I think the package manager in nix os is crazy awesome.

Cuidado com os gerenciadores de pacotes principalmente se seu software depende de softwares e bibliotecas de terceiros. Ao ocorrer uma atualização, e você instalar as suas dependências sem indicar a versão, você pode estar pegando uma versão onde compatibilidade foi quebrada por uma simples mudança de sintaxe.

Siempre que se pueda utilizo el gestor de paquetes de la distribucion, sea de la rama de debian o redhat. Actualmente utilizo Arch y su manejador de paquetes pacman y AUR son muy buenos tambien. Trato de mantener la distribucion lo mas "limpia" posible para poder hacer actualizaciones sin problemas. Hoy en dia con la aparicion de contenedores de distintas tecnologias es mas sencillo mantener un sistema operativo mas limpio y un set de aplicaciones mas actualizados independientes del SO.

The first things I do is typically switch to zsh/oh-my-zsh, Powerline fonts and a suitable theme. Next up git, jq, yq, curl, wget and http.ie. And in the spirit of don’t repeat yourself: I’m moving this approach to a packer template, so I can apply at will in any new environment regardless of Linux flavour.

One thing that I learned only when I started to use Linux is the "Multi boot" feature. This enables you to install multiple operational systems on your computer and, when you turn on your PC, choose which system to boot. This way you can use Linux without totally removing Windows from your machine.

Siempre tomar nota de lo que se instale, en un paso posterior generar scripts de instalacion o como minimo comandos prearmados para poder recuperar todo. Siempre tomar backup del ~/.config y otros directorios de configuracion. En la medida de lo posible tenerlos versionados en github o gitlab o algun otro sistema.

Linux provides a wide range of command line tools that allow you to perform various tasks, such as managing files, installing software packages, configuring system settings, and more. These tools can be accessed through the terminal and offer a high level of customization.