Pop!_OS Overview

Pop!_OS is a user-friendly Linux distribution developed by System76, based on Ubuntu. It is designed to provide a smooth out-of-the-box experience, particularly for developers, engineers, and users working with graphics-intensive applications. Pop!_OS includes built-in support for NVIDIA GPUs, a customized GNOME-based desktop (COSMIC), and a curated set of tools aimed at productivity and system stability.

The strength of Pop!_OS lies in its balance between usability and performance. It offers a polished desktop environment, reliable package management through APT, and strong hardware compatibility, making it an excellent choice for both beginners and experienced users. On the downside, it provides less low-level customization compared to Arch Linux, and its release cycle does not deliver updates as rapidly as rolling-release distributions.

Pre-Installation

Before beginning the installation, download the Pop!_OS ISO image and create a bootable USB drive.

Download the ISO Image

Navigate to the Pop!_OS download page.

Available options include:

• Intel/AMD (Standard) — for most systems

• NVIDIA — for systems with NVIDIA GPUs

• Raspberry Pi — for ARM-based devices

Select the appropriate version and download the ISO file.

Flash the ISO to a USB Drive

Use a tool such as USB Imager to create a bootable USB.

Steps:

1. Select the downloaded .iso file

2. Select the USB drive

3. Enable Verify

4. Click Write

Warning

All data on the USB drive will be erased.

Installation

Booting the Installer

Insert the USB drive and power on the system. Enter the boot menu (commonly accessed via F2, F10, F12, or DEL).

Select the USB device.

Expected option:

Pop!_OS install medium (x86_64, UEFI)

Select and press Enter.

Installer Workflow

The Pop!_OS graphical installer will guide you through:

• Language and keyboard selection

• Network configuration

• Disk selection

• Installation type

Disk Encryption (Recommended)

Enable full disk encryption unless you have a specific reason not to.

Expected behavior:

• System prompts for encryption password at boot

• Disk is automatically configured with encryption

Complete Installation

Follow the remaining prompts to:

• Create a user account

• Set a password

• Complete installation

Once complete:

1. Remove the USB drive

2. Reboot

Expected result:

• System boots into the Pop!_OS desktop

• Login screen appears

Post Installation

This section describes how to install core packages for a development environment on Pop!_OS. Configuration of these tools is handled in System.

Update System

Update package lists and upgrade installed packages:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

Install Core Packages

Install commonly used utilities:

sudo apt install \
    git gh \
    fzf bat tree htop btop \
    zsh tmux rsync \
    xclip fail2ban \
    libreoffice neofetch

Verify installation:

git --version
gh --version
zsh --version

GitHub Setup

Authenticate GitHub CLI:

gh auth login

Follow the prompts to authenticate.

Update Terminal

Pop!_OS includes a capable terminal by default through the COSMIC desktop environment. However, this guide uses ghostty as the preferred terminal.

Install ghostty with the following command:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mkasberg/ghostty-ubuntu/HEAD/install.sh)"

Development Directory Structure

Create development directories:

mkdir -p ~/Code_Dev/{Python,C,C++,OS}

Install Google Chrome

Download the Debian package from:

Google Chrome

Install:

cd ~/Downloads
sudo apt install ./google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb

Install Fonts

Create fonts directory:

mkdir -p ~/.fonts

Download fonts from:

Nerd Fonts

Install fonts:

unzip <font>.zip -d ~/.fonts
fc-cache -fc

Install Neovim

Install Neovim from the official release:

mkdir -p ~/.local/bin
cd ~/.local/bin
curl -LO https://github.com/neovim/neovim/releases/latest/download/nvim-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
tar xzf nvim-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
ln -sf ~/.local/bin/nvim-linux-x86_64/bin/nvim ~/.local/bin/nvim

Note

Ensure ~/.local/bin is in your PATH:

export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"

Install Node.js and Tree-sitter

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_lts.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install nodejs
npm install -g tree-sitter-cli

Install tmux

sudo apt install tmux

Install LaTeX

sudo apt install texlive-latex-base texlive-fonts-recommended texlive-fonts-extra

System Utilities

Install additional tools:

sudo apt install snapd