Ever since I successfully installed Ubuntu on a laptop for the second time, I got a little more adventurous about customizing a few things in Ubuntu. I am quite impressed with what I did and I think they are essential to most Ubuntu users. My must-have list below is very basic.

Startup Manager

One cool thing about Ubuntu is you can customize the startup screens. I am sure it can be done in Windows and Mac OS but it is not as popular as Linux where there are websites like GNOME Art that keep a collection of user generated artwork such as wallpaper, login screens, icons, and window border. Before you go look for the Hilary Duff GDM Theme, you need some tools that would load the artwork. Login Window comes standard in the last few releases of Ubuntu and it lets you change the GDM Theme. In simpler terms, you get to pick the login screen where you enter your username and password plus many other little things. But what about the boot loader (GRUB) and bootup screen (Usplash) that show up before the login? This is where Startup Manager comes in. Once you have the right tool, go to GNOME-Look.org to look for some fun Usplash. My personal favorite is Fingerprint.

GNOME Splash Screen Manager

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