Araz Gholami

Ubuntu 24.10 has arrived! After spending four years with KDE, I decided to give GNOME another try. In this article, I’ll share some important tips and challenges I faced during installation, along with solutions that may help others experiencing similar issues.

1. Check Out the New Features

For a comprehensive list of new features and changes in Ubuntu 24.10, visit OMG Ubuntu.

2. Installing Alongside Windows 11: An Important Bug

If you want to install Ubuntu alongside Windows 11, you may encounter a problem during installation. If the Fast Startup setting is enabled in Windows (which it often is by default), some hardware—such as Wi-Fi—may be blocked. To avoid this issue, disable Fast Startup in Windows 11 before starting the installation. Here’s how:

• Go to Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do > Change settings that are currently unavailable > Uncheck Turn on fast startup.

3. Update Repositories and Applications

Before doing anything else, it’s important to update your system. Open your terminal and run the following command:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

To update applications, check out the new App Center. In the Manage tab, update everything listed.

4. Customize Your Settings

Feel free to customize any settings you want, especially changing the default orange color to something more to your liking.

5. Explore Fingerprint Login Options

If your device supports it, check the Users settings for a fingerprint login option. If recognized, this feature will allow you to log in without entering your password each time (I wasn’t so lucky with my device).

6. Language Switching Bug

Customizing keyboard shortcuts for layout switching may not work properly. To fix this issue, install the gnome-tweaks app, which allows for better modification of these settings.

7. Use APT Apps Instead of Snap Apps

Some Snap applications have frustrating bugs related to accessing system files. For example, VLC may struggle to open media from external drives. To resolve this issue, opt for APT applications instead of Snap applications.

8. Google Chrome’s Blurry UI Bug

Ubuntu 24.10 uses Wayland by default, and if you have fractional scaling enabled, you might experience a blurry UI in Google Chrome. To resolve this, go to chrome://flags/ and set the Preferred Ozone Platform to Wayland.

9. Try Warp Terminal

If you’re looking for a great alternative to the default terminal or prefer a drop-down terminal like Guake, give Warp Terminal a try. It’s fantastic! However, be aware that the blurry UI issue can occur here as well. To fix it, modify the desktop shortcut as follows:

1. Go to /usr/share/applications.
2. Edit dev.warp.Warp.desktop.
3. Replace Exec=warp-terminal %U with Exec=env WARP_ENABLE_WAYLAND=1 warp-terminal %U.

Alternative Solution for Blurry UI

You can completely resolve this issue by disabling Wayland. To do this, edit the GDM configuration file by running the following command:

sudo nano /etc/gdm3/custom.conf

Then, set WaylandEnable to false.

10. Bluetooth Disconnection Bug After Suspend and Wakeup

If you’re using a Bluetooth device such as a mouse, speaker, or headphones, you may notice that it disconnects after suspending and waking up your system. To fix this issue, follow these steps:

• Identify Your Device: Open the command line interface (CLI) and run the command usbreset to find the exact name of your device.
• Create a Systemd Sleep Script: Use the following command to create a new file:

sudo nano /lib/systemd/system-sleep/bt-mouse

• Add the Following Script: In the newly created file, add the following lines:

#!/bin/sh
sudo usbreset "A4tech 2.4G Wireless Device"

(Make sure to replace the device name inside the quotations with the exact name of your device.)

• Make the Script Executable: Finally, run the following command to make the script executable:

sudo chmod +x /lib/systemd/system-sleep/bt-mouse

That’s it! By following these steps, you’ll have a smoother experience with Ubuntu 24.10. Enjoy exploring your new system!

Update:
After using it for almost a month, I still feel like GNOME is messed up. Switch to Kubuntu and thank me later.