2. Personalize your system

2.1. Installations

apt dist-upgrade
apt install emacs
apt install -y emacs mutt mercurial mu4e
apt install -y emacs mutt mercurial mu4e g++ autotools-dev
apt install -y emacs mutt mercurial mu4e g++ autotools-dev python3 python3-matplotlib
apt install -y emacs mutt mercurial mu4e g++ autotools-dev python3 python3-matplotlib gnuplot ffmpeg texlive-latex-base texlive-latex-recommended python3-sphinx-rtd-theme texlive-latex-extra texlive-generic-extra texlive-fonts-recommended dot2tex biber latexmk librsvg2-bin plantuml python3-sphinxcontrib.plantuml python3-pip
apt install -y emacs mutt mercurial mu4e g++ autotools-dev python3 python3-matplotlib gnuplot ffmpeg texlive-latex-base texlive-latex-recommended python3-sphinx-rtd-theme texlive-latex-extra texlive-generic-extra texlive-fonts-recommended dot2tex biber latexmk librsvg2-bin plantuml python3-sphinxcontrib.plantuml python3-pip compizconfig-settings-manager
apt install bbdb
apt install bbdb clementine
apt install bbdb clementine fetchmail
apt install postfix
apt install dovecot-imapd dovecot-imapd dovecot-managesieved dovecot-sieve mutt w3m
apt install aptitude

geeqie finger autotools-dev autoconf automake libtool ubuntu-restricted-extras ## to play mp3s

2.2. Configurations

2.2.1. email

I run my own mail server, so when I install I need to adapt that. I get mail with fetchmail (my .fetchmailrc is long established and it’s in my home directory, so I don’t address it here).

But fetchmail needs to deliver the mail, so I install postfix (a “mail transfer agent” (MTA), one of the modern heirs to the classic sendmail program).

Postfix can deliver to the two different formats: mbox (one big file with lots of emails in it) and maildir (a directory with many single files with individual emails in them).

I use maildir format, so I use this command:

sudo postconf -e "home_mailbox = Maildir/"

where the slash at the end of Maildir/ means that it’s maildir format.

For dovecot, toward the top of /etc/dovecot/conf.d/10-mail.conf I look for the mail_location line and change it to:

mail_location = maildir:~/Maildir

2.3. Desktop environment tweaks

Here are a few things I do in the desktop environment when I get a new machine going. I sometimes use straight debian, sometimes mint, sometimes ubuntu.

If I use the mate desktop on linux mint, together with compiz, then I need to recover the Super_L key, since compiz uses it for the scale plugin and in other places.

But mint by default uses the Super_L key for their top level menu.

To find and eliminate it I did:

settings list-recursively | grep -i 'Super_L'
# this shows that com.linuxmint.mintmenu is what's causing
# the trouble with
gsettings set com.linuxmint.mintmenu hot-key ''