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My Linux Ubuntu Setup for Software Development
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- Published on Mar 15, 2026
- After NixOS beat me up, I switched my software engineering setup to Ubuntu with Omakub. This video is a look into my dev setup and tools I use for my development work.
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I use Ubuntu too. No fancy setup as such, I use as it is, with some minor changes. Its been amazing experience.
Same. The default setup just works so good.
I've been primarily using Ubuntu/Debian forever. Whenever I tried venturing outside of that system, I regretted it. Ubuntu has some annoyances, but they are minor compared to the conveniences.
Is it the better choice or is fedora better? I have windows 11 and i want to change
@luisjara4398 Fedora is a little less stable and you have to install the nvidia drivers manually. On ubuntu you have to install flatpak support manually, but overall it's basically the same thing. I like ubuntu for the stability.
@luisjara4398 both are great, i would prefer fedora but ubuntu is as great as fedora so try both & see what works for you.
I hit like as soon as you uncover the window
Is the rain on the window part of the theme package? 😂
I recently switched from Windows 10 to Linux for development. I use Ubuntu 25.04 Plucky Puffin version. I rised it nicelly to be just convenient enough for my needs and different experience from my Windows setup, and so far, im happy with this OS. Been trying stuff like Neovim editor, still quite new to these vim motions thing, but i am slowly adapting. I really like these small terminal apps like tmux, and built in plugins like telescope, its very convenient to quickly access my previous work sessions or locate a file with just a few keystrokes, and it feels good. Rofi is also a great app for switching to my opened windows fast without leaving keyboard. I also made some custon sctipts with fzf for note taking and quick note finding, and terminal is great for quick install of any app i need. Very customizable system. As i said, my Linux experience, so far so good.
I’ve been running Ubuntu, VSCode, Docker, and some keyboard shortcuts my entire career. It’s simple and I’ve developed a workflow/muscle memory for it.
vimmmmmmmmm
Get neovim and never look back
@TragicGFuelimagine using vs code and ubuntu bruh
@ClutchKing-t8k what's wrong with that? It's their computer
@ClutchKing-t8kvs code is perfect for industry because it has those features such as agentic workflow and other stuff
Dude I love the ambiance of the curtain down! You should leave it like that for all your vids. Rain or not!
As a dev on Linux you honestly is relatable asf rn, sometimes the side quests are the most fun, but we must focus Mister ForretKnight haha
The Omakub project is truly fascinating! I'm an Arch user to the bone 😅, but I genuinely appreciate projects like this that make it easier for more developers to transition to Linux without the hassle of heavy manual setup. It’s refreshing and inspiring to see initiatives that help create a smoother, more welcoming environment for newcomers. Tools like Omakub can really boost productivity and make the Linux world more accessible and that’s something I absolutely love to see. 😊
There’s an arch script now Omarchy
Oh ! 😯 @VastCNC
Yes - must have finished like a few days ago…
bash2342 Well… I’ve never really used Ubuntu 😅. I’ve mostly dabbled with Fedora-mainly Nobara-and played around with Debian in a VM. I’ve also spent some time exploring Kali, Parrot, and even NixOS. But for my daily workflow, it’s always been good old Arch, paired with DWM, Emacs, Neovim, tmux, and the usual “casual” tools 🤭. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with Avanté.nvim and Zellij. Hyprland was a fantastic experience, though I guess I’m a bit old-fashioned when it comes to certain things. But it does bring a fantastic look and flow
DHH just released Omarchy last week!
Learning Linux at the moment. Thanks for the video.
i love fedora my first distro and i like it
I think you are before the day when NeoVim comes into your life and scrabs all out that mouse editors for good.
I use whatever linux. No fancy setup as such, I use as it is, with some major changes. Its been amazing experience.
Oh I can see a video about Omarchy coming soon
I would love to have that struggle that you are going through
This is literally a very beaultiful view! :)
Nice thinking about checking out the arch version myself!
Such a cool setup!
Sounds like you are having a lot of fun with your setup. I use Debian Testing with Plasma which has multiple work spaces as well.Arch Linux is great as well. Great videos !
nice vid man, keep it up ;)
If you have multiple computer side by side, you can use the same keyboard and mouse for all using Barrier.
I use vanilla os running gnome on intel , I love it , so productive and fast
Can I have the PC that is sitting in your mud room ? Thanks
Nice call. You beat me to it
I am your big fan, I like the way you explain tech stuff. I am from a vernacular language system and it's hard understanding those tech jargons but yeah, you explain it very easily. Thank You!
its great sir always love this type of video❤
Zed actually has support for snippets! They even added a category for them in the extensions search!
Pretty sure you can control if the theme for your Vscode changes on Omakub theme change. DHH showed the config file in the demo video for it.
I use linux mint mate (on zfs) on both my home and work computer
Way better than your video from 6 years ago about this topic 👍🏿
I would like to have that fastfetch config
Yeah, been using Ubuntu myself for a year now and with minimal changes at that. Really easy to use, high performance (compared to Win 11 at least) and has helped me reach a higher productivity level overall. Love it. Oh BTW, if you're used to dual monitors, but looking into a single ultra-wide one, I'd suggest taking a look at dual-ultra-wide ones, I switched to a samsung neo g9 a couple years ago and really loving it. 2 screens in one really, without the bezel in between allows for a lot of different windows layout which is just marvelous in my opinion.
Hey bro, how did you add that network speed to the top right of you taskbar?
good luck!
thanks for the video and sharing your setup . similar experience where i ran Nixos for two years but just got sick of fighting after updates and i really wasn’t using the OS for any of its niche advantages, went to debian, but may try out ubuntu lts before i get too deep in to a new setup.
for zed, you can create your own snippet, it's ez i have more than one snippet for react. you can use the ai also to generate snippets.
Congratulations on the video! I just subscribed to your channel. I'm a developer and I work with business intelligence in Brazil.
Nice, I installed Omarchy in my laptop and I'm just in love.
YES!!!!! A real one!!! Welcome to a restart of life, it's a pleasure to meet you.
Крутое видео, спасибо. Я хочу примерно такое же WSL и Windows and second boot is Ubuntu omakub
can i use my VM to run ubuntu for SD
10:15 you should install Canary to complete the circle.
monitor e notebook da Sony ou Nokia com LinuxOs para um toque diferenciado hehe
Oh nice, I wanted to install omarchy which is the same philosophy as omakub.
When i started using Super + 1, 2, 3, 4 for workspaces in gnome i could not get back to anything else. Shortly after that change i ditched my second monitor and never looked back. Few rabitholes in now i'm on omarchy with vim binding in cursor. After a lot of battles i still cant get every functionality from neovim so i'm stuck with vscode distros configured (as much as possible) to act like lazyvim.
git diff|delta -s would make your git diff command show as side by side, need the delta cli installed
how meny experience linux programming
Now there is Omarchy Btw
I'm an arch user but will be using pop os for work. It's Ubuntu-based and is also preconfigured for a typical developer workflow (tiling, workspaces, keyboard navigations) just like omakub.
I like arch better though so I'll give this pop os a couple of weeks and see if it'll be better for dev work.
you can tiling with tmux
Check out Pop OS too the cosmic desktop might be right up your sleeve.
Cursor Editor? Im here to help you escape the Eco System Plantation. Psst...The round up is at mid-night sharp. The train leaves at 12:02am.
He just made a OS now, omarchy just saw
what is the app launcher 👀
If I understand well, some tweaks to Omakub and workspaces.
how do you do this and code rust on WSL lol
What about HIDPI for intellij?
I've thought about going ultrawide. I've gotten very used to my three 4k monitors, with my main screen in the center and the two to the left being mostly ancillary. I haven't been able to decide how I would arrange with an ultrawide. I don't think I'd go to just one monitor. It seems logical to have one ultrawide and one 16:9, but then I might as well just stay where I'm at and save the money.
IMO, Ubuntu is not easy to update like Arch.
Hey Forest, could you explain why you are not using apple for your software development?
You need to try Niri
What's the benefits of workspace? Genuinely asking. Why not just do alt tab in one workspace?
I've been thinking of dualbooting linux lately but I can't seem to figure which distro best fit my needs. I wanted to try out linux just so that I can run a window tiling manager and also to fully utilize my hardware for the tasks I want (instead of running windows bloatware in the bg). I was thinking of arch + hyprland, but I am not overly savvy over OS customizations. So is this setup ideal for my case?
I've seen quite a lot of these developer setup videos and they always overwhelm me lmao. I'm just gonna stay in my lane and keep using VS Cod. I don't really care for coding outside of work hours anyways
🎉
That 8700g stole the show.
I always cry when I see how beautiful micro centre is.
- sad aussie
I love Ubuntu
Can you guys develop asp. Net core in linux 🤔 I try to move to linux but in my work they use asp. Net core in backend 🤔
why does forrest shop at santa clara microcenter if he lives in virginia?
zen browser is nice. give it a shot
I have been using Ubuntu in my personal laptop for my freelancing projects, I usually use Intellij for Micro-services, Vs code for ReactJs Components, couple of docker instances base on the usage, Kafka , Databases based on the requirements and Firefox with 20 tabs opened simultaneously.
This is my all time load on my laptop as a Full Stack Senior Developer.
However I am also looking for Machine learning with AI for that I think my current laptop won't work because it requires powerful GPU for various data computations and algorithm but so far 32Gigs of Ram plus intel core ultra 9 processor with Ubuntu is more that sufficient for my load.
just switched to omarchy but I if I didnt, your setup would be my go to. also, your content is awesome and thanks for the teachings!
This is not his setup. This is "Omarchy's author" setup as well (Omakub).
does it run smoother. windows and chrome are eating my ram away.
08:30 how do I do it?
I have the same reason for using Ubuntu. I used Arch for a bit. It's nice what it can do with Hyprland, but I felt like I was working on the OS more than actually using it.
I do know very little about Linux yet, but for 6 months now I use Ubuntu in parallel w/ Win11(dual boot) and I have a feeling that very soon I'll say Adios Y Para Siempre to Windows 😁
What about now I think u would have left windows for forever 😊
man I really love your videos, they're calm straight to the point and it tells a real journey, but the problem might be there, not the journey, but everything else. I don't mean stop what you are doing or change everything, but add more personalty, rn I like you being honest to yourself it really shows how emotionally mature you are because believe me not a lot of people have that, but I want you to add MORE personalty. Because I feel your script is a bit TOO tailerd, improvise more, talk about personal stuff more, it's really cool to doc a journey, but what makes it better is to stay fully your self. I know that there is a side you keep to yourself and close friends, and you make this for general interactions. Maybe the personalty grew a bit into you and that's why we are getting more of you, but still we need more to remember. It's like a game if it's generic then we won't remember it much it just doesn't stick, but some games tend to stay deep, and with the way you present your content if you just add more emotion, tone, personalty then that makes the exp unique a d people start relating to you and THAT'S what makes you you
Ubuntu user also, not nerdy enough for some nerds, but I like to be productive. Development I do on Ubuntu. My servers are Debian or Ubuntu.
6:02 Hey mate you should try the large text option in accessibility settings it works better than scaling for me
Yes, got rid of screen tearing for me.
roger captain
I'm exploring Linux as a potential daily driver, and I have a question about multi-monitor window management. I currently use Windows 11 with a large setup-multiple monitors connected to my laptop-and it's frustrating to manually reposition all my windows every time I start working. Does Linux offer any solutions or tools that can automatically restore window positions across multiple monitors after reboot or reconnect? This feature is really important to me.
I ditched Ubuntu and went to Archcraft but will most likely bake my own Arch Linux setup next its the way forward for any developer imo and coupled with something like Warp Terminal makes working with the OS and configuring easy (you can bash script stuff to automate things and ask Warp to document it all while you're there).
Thanks. One 55 inch 4k tv for $300 is all you need. Never going back.
I respect the setup, but personally all this would be to much for me. I do however also use WSL to run ubuntu, I just have the cli tho. Good Video!
Which VS code theme??
I really wanna switch completly from W11 to Ubuntu, but working in a Microsoft Enviroment where all the necessary 3th party tools are not available outside Windows sucks. Maybe a W11 VM for these things work fine, but I'll need to test that first..
love you pookie
I would say get a L shaped desk put it in a corner somewhere. and then you can freely have a bunch of stuff going on like monitors. keyboards and it doesn't really bother you at all
cargo install git-delta
Then add the following to gitconfig
[delta]
navigate = true # n/N to jump between hunks
side-by-side = true # side-by-side diff
line-numbers = true # show line numbers
syntax-theme = 1337 # the theme you like
dark = true # use dark mode
For side by side view when seeing git diff in the terminal
I'm playing around with Zen and it looks cool. I use Chrome and I'm somewhere between "indifferent" and "don't like it" on it. But, geez, what a pain in the ass it is to change web browsers.
Yea. Never heard of WSL
Tbh now that I think about it you could have kept your Nixos setup and just put flatpaks on top of it for the problems you were having with it, would have saved you the headache of having to configure a new system again
You are going to want more than one monitor, I tried that and soon regretted it haha
Zen is great
yooo wassup
Ay, I prefer Fedora tooling to Ubuntu, but I've setup my home lab with Ubuntu Server instead because I forgot to update the previous installation for too long and then it required me to plugin a monitor to the server to debug what happened (ssh stopped working too)....
I experienced same stories with Arch or arch-based distros.
You should want something stable like rhel or centos or ubuntu / debian for a server that you don't update daily...
it's a different story when you have a team that maintains a platform (like SteamOS) or when you use it as a daily workspace where you have a screen plugged in anyway.
Ubuntu its a great distro, for people how dont want to loose their mind :D
Garuda sway is the best
wassup ubuntu gang
Ubuntu because it just works! Guess you're not daily driving Windows + WSL2 anymore as your main dev environment?
Omakub is now Omarchy right?
I recently switched back to arch with hyprland after running nixos with hyprland for about 8 months. I got sick of writing a nix module for every little tool.