Configuring GNU/Linux does not end when the installation CD ejects, nor even after the post-install wizard runs. While installation leaves you with a basic system, it does not leave you with an optimized system in which all your preferences and requirements have been taken into account. Given an operating system's size and complexity, you should not expect it to -- and finishing the install program leaves you in much the same position on Windows as well.

If you know anything about GNU/Linux, you may know that you do not need a defragger or to worry much about anti-virus software. But what else do you need to do? On that question, most distributions are largely silent, although the number of people who have installed their own operating system is only a minority of computer users. Nowadays, you cannot even assume that all GNU/Linux users have done it.

To fill that gap, here are nine steps you should take after installing GNU/Linux. They are based on far too many late nights tweaking far too many desktop computers in my own home. Following them takes time, but, if you do, you can help ensure that your use of your new operating system is more trouble-free and less frustrating.

1) Updating your system

New versions of free software programs are continually being released. For this reasons, the chances are strong that the CD or DVD image from which you installed is already obsolete. For this reason, your first step after installation should be to upgrade your system. Apart from your natural wish to have the latest toys, you will also be getting the latest security fixes. You'll find an update icon in the notification tray on your desktop panel that should be largely self-explanatory.

2) Enabling security

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