Things to do after a fresh Ubuntu installation

Before doing anything, first update and upgrade ubuntu:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

Install a few apps:

Google Chrome browser / Chromium Browser

sudo apt install -y chromium-browser

Use wget to download the google chrome package

wget https://dl.google.com/linux/direct/google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb

Then install it:

sudo apt install ./google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb

Check networking configuration and install packages to enable functionality for access points / hotspots etc.

Check if wireless adapter can function as transmitter and receiver at the same time – ie, to function as WiFi client to connect to the Internet and at the same time serve as a wireless access point or hotspot and share that Internet connection with other client devices.

lsmod | grep ath

If the output is null or if the string cfg80211 is not in the output, then the wireless adapter cannot function both as transmitter and receiver at the same time.

Do the following to check details of the network hardware –

sudo lshw -class network

Check the wireless device details and configuration – look for if AP mode is supported, and channels<=1 –

iw list

install important ubuntu packages:

- bash
- dnsmasq
- git
- hostapd
- haveged
- iw 
- iptables 
- iproute2
- make
- macchanger
- net-tools
- procps 
- udhcpd
- udhcpc
- util-linux

sudo apt-get install git hostapd haveged dnsmasq net-tools make iw iptables udhcpd udhcpc macchanger

sudo apt install iproute2 procps bash util-linux

sudo apt install bash dnsmasq git hostapd haveged iw iptables iproute2 make macchanger net-tools procps udhcpd udhcpc util-linux

See if this works.

After having a good clean Ubuntu start, perhaps best to create a clone of the drive in order to be able to start afresh with the same starting point in case the subsequent work messes things up too much. Use dd command for this.

dd if=/dev/sdX of=/dev/sdY bs=64K conv=noerror,sync status=progress

• sdX is the source disk (this can also be a partition)
• sdY is the destination (as above, this can also be a partition)
• bs is the block size command
• 64K corresponds to bs
• status=progress is to show the cloning progress, because otherwise dd does not show anything

With regards to the 64K settings, the default value is 512 bytes, which is rather small. It’s best to include 64K or the larger 128K as a condition. However: while a larger block size makes transfer quicker, a smaller block size makes the transfer more reliable.