Ubuntu 26.04 Setup

Install Vim and Configure Package Mirrors

sudo apt update && sudo apt install vim -y # Install Vim

Change the apt mirror to the Tsinghua University Mirror for faster downloads.

Update the system

sudo apt update
sudo apt full-upgrade

Chinese Input Method

sudo apt update
sudo apt install im-config fcitx5 fcitx5-chinese-addons fcitx5-config-qt fcitx5-frontend-all
im-config -n fcitx5

Logout/login.

Then:

fcitx5-configtool

Add:

Pinyin

Go to Settings → Apps, and select fcitx5 and you should see an autostart toggle. Enable it.

Or you can try to add the entry into ~/.config/autostart manually as well.

NVIDIA Driver

If you encounter any issues during Ubuntu setup or configuration, please refer to the related articles in the Ubuntu category for detailed solutions and troubleshooting notes.

Troubleshooting NVIDIA Driver on Ubuntu 26.04

Install the clipboard utilities needed for nvim

Neovim actually doesn't have its own built-in mechanism for talking to the system clipboard. Instead, it acts like a manager and outsources the job to external clipboard utilities installed on your OS.

You just need to install the dedicated clipboard utility for Wayland. It bridges the gap between terminal applications and the Wayland compositor.

sudo apt install wl-clipboard

VPN Software

The best VPN/proxy client for Ubuntu in 2026 is Clash Verge Rev, which provides an Ubuntu/Debian .deb package.

Clash Verge Rev's Github Page

Install Nerd Fonts

Download fonts from the Nerd Fonts Official Website. (Recommendation: JetBrains Mono NF)

Method 1: Install fonts for the current user only

Create the user font directory (if it doesn't exist):
```
mkdir -p ~/.local/share/fonts
```
Move all font files (e.g., .ttf, .otf) into this folder:
```
mv *.ttf *.otf ~/.local/share/fonts
```
Update the font cache:
```
fc-cache -fv
```

Method 2: Install fonts system-wide (for all users)

Create a system font directory:
```
sudo mkdir -p /usr/share/fonts/custom
```

Copy font files into the directory:

sudo cp *.ttf *.otf /usr/share/fonts/custom/

Update the system font cache: ```bash sudo fc-cache -fv

Install Zsh & Oh My Zsh

Follow this guide to install zsh and Oh My Zsh.

Install Starship Prompt (Optional!!)

Install the starship prompt by downloading the script and modifying your shell's configuration file (e.g., ~/.zshrc). Please refer to the Starship Official Guide for detailed instructions.

Install Neovim

Download the latest pre-built release of neovim and follow the steps on the official website.

NOTE: We download the pre-built release from the official website instead of installing via apt. The version available in Ubuntu's default repository is often outdated and lacks newer features or fixes.

Setting up C/C++/Haskell Development Toolchain

Because the process of setting up the environment warrants another standalone blog. Please click this link to see another note dedicated to LazyVim setup for C, C++, and Haskell.

Setting Up a Shared NTFS Partition Between Ubuntu 26.04 and Windows 11

The recommended approach is to mount the NTFS partition automatically in Ubuntu using /etc/fstab, instead of manually mounting it with sudo mount every time.

1. Disable Windows Fast Startup

Before accessing an NTFS partition from Linux, disable Windows Fast Startup.

Fast Startup uses a partial hibernation mechanism. If Windows is not completely shut down, Linux may detect the NTFS partition as "unclean" and mount it read-only or refuse to mount it.

Option 1: Disable hibernation completely

Open Windows Terminal / Command Prompt as Administrator:

powercfg /hibernate off

This disables Windows hibernation and Fast Startup. Then perform one normal Windows shutdown afterward.

Option 2: Disable only Fast Startup

Go to:

Control Panel
→ Hardware and Sound
→ Power Options
→ Choose what the power buttons do
→ Change settings that are currently unavailable
→ Disable "Turn on fast startup"

2. Identify the NTFS Partition

Boot into Ubuntu and list storage devices:

lsblk -f

Example:

NAME        FSTYPE LABEL   UUID
nvme0n1p4   ntfs   Shared  1234ABCD5678EFGH

Record:

UUID
Partition label (optional)

Use the UUID rather than /dev/nvme0n1p4, because device names may change.

3. Find Your Ubuntu User and Group IDs

NTFS does not store Linux ownership information.

Find your user and group IDs:

id -u
id -g

Typical output:

1000
1000

These values will be used later.

4. Create the Mount Point

Create a permanent mount directory:

sudo mkdir -p /mnt/windowsshared

This directory is only the mount point. The actual files will appear here after mounting.

5. Configure Automatic Mounting with `/etc/fstab`

Backup the current configuration:

sudo cp /etc/fstab /etc/fstab.backup

Edit:

sudoedit /etc/fstab

Add:

UUID=YOUR_UUID /mnt/windowsshared ntfs3 uid=1000,gid=1000,fmask=0133,dmask=0022,windows_names,nofail,x-systemd.automount 0 0

Replace YOUR_UUID with the UUID obtained from lsblk -f.

Explanation of Mount Options

ntfs3: Uses the modern Linux kernel NTFS driver.
uid and gid:

e.g. uid=1000,gid=1000 Makes files appear owned by your Ubuntu user.
fmask: Controls permissions of files.

e.g. fmask=0133 results in -rw-r--r-- for normal files. This prevents all NTFS files from appearing executable.
dmask: Controls permissions of directories.

e.g. dmask=0022 results in drwxr-xr-x for directories.
windows_names:

Prevents Linux from creating filenames that Windows cannot handle.

e.g.
```
CON
AUX
file:name
```
nofail

Allows Ubuntu to boot even if the partition is unavailable.
x-systemd.automount

Mounts the partition automatically when it is accessed instead of blocking boot.

6. Test the Configuration

Reload systemd:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload

Mount everything from /etc/fstab:

sudo mount -a

Check the contents:

ls /mnt/windowsshared

Verify:

findmnt -T /mnt/windowsshared

7. Test Read and Write Access

Create a temporary file:

touch /mnt/windowsshared/.ubuntu-test

Remove it:

rm /mnt/windowsshared/.ubuntu-test

If both work, Ubuntu has read/write access.

8. Optional: Create a Shortcut

You may create a symbolic link in your home directory:

ln -s /mnt/windowsshared ~/Shared

Then:

cd ~/Shared

will access the shared partition.

To remove the symbolic link:

rm ~/Shared

This removes only the shortcut, not the data.

Check before deleting:

ls -l ~/Shared

Example:

Shared -> /mnt/windowsshared

9. Why Files Previously Appeared Green in `ls`

When the partition was mounted manually:

sudo mount /dev/nvme0n1p4 /mnt/windowsshared

files may have appeared green.

This was not because Linux could not understand the file type.

The reason was usually that NTFS files were presented with Linux executable permissions:

-rwxrwxrwx

Ubuntu's ls --color displays executable files in green.

The file contents did not change.

The mount options:

fmask=0133,dmask=0022

fix this by presenting:

-rw-r--r--

for ordinary files.

10. Troubleshooting

Partition mounts as read-only

The usual cause is that Windows was not fully shut down.

Boot Windows and run:

chkdsk D: /f

Replace D: with the actual Windows drive letter.

Then shut Windows down completely.

Do not force-mount damaged NTFS partitions

Avoid:

mount -o force

If NTFS is dirty, repair it from Windows instead.

Final Recommended Configuration

For a normal Ubuntu 26.04 + Windows 11 dual-boot system:

Windows:

Fast Startup: disabled

Ubuntu /etc/fstab:

UUID=<partition UUID> /mnt/windowsshared ntfs3 uid=1000,gid=1000,fmask=0133,dmask=0022,windows_names,nofail,x-systemd.automount 0 0

This provides:

Automatic mounting
Read/write access
Correct Linux permissions
Windows-compatible filenames
Safe dual-boot behavior