I want to customize the Ubuntu desktop so that when a new user logs in, everything is set and customized how I want it to be (not how it comes by default). Such as Wallpaper, placement of icons, gnome applets, etc.

Is there a way to do this?

I know if I take my customized Home folder and place it into another profile's Home folder, I get all the settings. So where does Ubuntu pull the initial user profile settings from? Maybe I can edit them and achieve my goal.

Well if anyone has any insight, please let me know. Thanks.

Settings for various Linux applications that are specific for a certain user are stored in hidden files and directories in the home folder. Hidden files are nothing more than filenames that begin with a period. The main one that you're looking for is ".gnome2". To copy it, open a terminal window, and type the following:
This should list all the files (including hidden ones) in your home directory. Now, copy .gnome2, replacing 'otherUser' with the username that you want to copy it to:
Enter your password, and it should copy. Repeat this for any other users, and any other configuration files/folders that you need (refer back to the output of ls if you're unsure).

If you just copy the files without changing the owner, then the other user will have problems.

One way around this is to copy the files as the other user. Use the command:

su otherUser

to login as the other user. Then use the command:

cp -vr .gnome2 /home/otherUser/

The "v" option gives you verbose feedback. The "r" option copies recursively. If you want to know what other options you have, use the command:

man cp

Thanks.

I wanted to do it automatically when a new user logs into the system for the first time. So where would the original .gnome2 file be located at where it pulls the default settings from that all users get? I think that's the one I want to edit if at all possible.

I think everyone is missing your real Q: Look in /etc/skel/, I believe that contains the defaults you want to alter. Make a back-up first.


If that fails, run: to find all directories named ".gnome2".

Thanks. I looked in /etc/skel and their doesn't seem to be anything there pertaining to gnome settings. I tried the "locate /.gnome2/ | less -S" command and it only turned up .gnome2 files located in Home directories. I also did a search of "/" that didn't turn up anything.

Any other ideas? It has to be getting these settings from somewhere.

I read to add the files to /etc/profile.d and anything there would be copied to a users profile when it was created. It doesn't seem to work though.

Ok, it seems if I copy the files to /etc/skel then the new profile gets the settings. The .gnome2 file doesn't seem to do much. Not sure what exact files I need to place in there.

Sorry I use KDE, which most certainly has a .kde/ in /etc/skel/, so I can't be much more help. Maybe widening the search w/:
would help. Either that or doing a locate on one of config files in a ~/.gnome2/.

Do a
in your home directory and you'll see all the "hidden" directories - or use ctrl+h on Nautilus. There are a lot of them, but if you start going trough them there probably aren't many that are gnome-related; see them trough, or simply try one-by-one how they work (copy them one by one to the skeleton directory and make a fresh login with new user -- if it doesn't work, "clear" the settings and re-try with another directory).

It's not a wonder if you need several directories, because typically (I think) one app stores it's own settings to one directory, so even under Gnome it could be there are more than one directory that you want to get all the settings.

Maybe even quicker way would be, now that I think about it, to create a fresh new user with a home directory that is completely empty; then log in as that user, modify the desktop, log out and then see what files were created into the dot-directories under home. And copy them -- all or part of them -- to the skeleton directory.

I was going to do some trial and error, but that sounds way better.

If anyone is interested, these are the files I copied to /etc/skel so new users loggin in for the first time can get a customized desktop.

.gconfd
.gconf
.nautilus
.gnome2
.config/menus
.config/autostart
.mozilla (for Firefox customization)

Still some mysteries to solve though.

Where does Ubuntu get the Documents, Music, Pictures, Public, and Videos folders when a new user logs in? And where does it pull the System Menu in gnome from. I found I could customize the Applications Menu by copying .config/menus but this doesn't seem to have an effect on the System menu. And why do Admins have more things in the System menu than regular users.... well I know WHY they have more things, but technically why do they.

By the way, Thanks for everyones help... its been much appreciated!