How to bootstrap a Linux development workstation

A fresh Linux workstation can have a working terminal and still fail the first repository task when compilers, Git identity, SSH access, editor defaults, or a project directory are missing. Bootstrapping those pieces before cloning or building code gives the local account a known starting point instead of discovering gaps during the first handoff.

The commands use APT on Ubuntu or Debian because package names and sudo behavior are predictable there. The same checklist can be adapted to other distributions by replacing the package installation step with the equivalent dnf, zypper, pacman, or vendor package workflow.

Run user-level Git and SSH commands as the account that will own the projects, not through sudo. Package installation needs administrative privileges, while identity, key, editor, and project-directory settings belong in the normal user's home directory.

1. Open a terminal as the local account that will own the development projects.

   Keep the same user account for the Git, SSH, and project-directory steps. Running those commands with sudo writes settings under root instead of the developer account.

2. Refresh the APT package index.

   $ sudo apt update

3. Install the baseline development packages.

   $ sudo apt install --assume-yes build-essential git curl ca-certificates openssh-client gnupg jq unzip zip python3 python3-venv python3-pip nano

   build-essential installs the default compiler and make tools. python3-venv lets the account create isolated Python environments without modifying system packages.

4. Confirm that APT installed the core package set.

   $ dpkg-query -W build-essential git openssh-client python3-venv
   build-essential	12.12ubuntu2
   git	1:2.53.0-1ubuntu1
   openssh-client	1:10.2p1-2ubuntu3.2
   python3-venv	3.14.3-0ubuntu2

   Exact versions depend on the distribution release and enabled update repositories. The package names should appear instead of a no packages found message.

5. Set the global Git author name for the current user.

   $ git config set --global user.name "Example User"

6. Set the global Git author email.

   $ git config set --global user.email "user@example.net"

   Use the email address that should appear in commits from this workstation.
   Related: Configure Git user name and email

7. Set the default initial branch for new repositories.

   $ git config set --global init.defaultBranch main

   Replace main with the branch name used by your projects when a different default is required.
   Related: Change the default branch for new Git repositories

8. Set nano as the default editor used by Git prompts.

   $ git config set --global core.editor nano

   Use a different installed editor when preferred. For editor settings used by non-Git tools, set $VISUAL and $EDITOR in the shell startup file.
   Related: How to change the default editor in Linux

9. Review the saved global Git defaults.

   $ git config list --global
   user.name=Example User
   user.email=user@example.net
   init.defaultbranch=main
   core.editor=nano

10. Create an Ed25519 SSH key pair if this account does not already have one.

    $ ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "user@workstation"
    Generating public/private ed25519 key pair.
    Enter file in which to save the key (/home/user/.ssh/id_ed25519):
    Enter passphrase (empty for no passphrase):
    Enter same passphrase again:
    Your identification has been saved in /home/user/.ssh/id_ed25519
    Your public key has been saved in /home/user/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub
    The key fingerprint is:
    SHA256:tXtH/VwGC1b/CcB0r8WKV05KG2Lv9QPjjFZBJcE9xvY user@workstation
    ##### snipped #####

    Do not overwrite an existing private key unless it is intentionally being replaced. Use a passphrase for an interactive user's private key, and copy only the .pub file to servers or Git hosting services.
    Related: Create an SSH key pair

11. Print the public key fingerprint for access records.

    $ ssh-keygen -lf ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub
    256 SHA256:tXtH/VwGC1b/CcB0r8WKV05KG2Lv9QPjjFZBJcE9xvY user@workstation (ED25519)

    Tool: Secure Shell (SSH) Key Fingerprint Checker

12. Display the public key line when a server or Git hosting account needs it.

    $ cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub
    ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIGU+H7TrzzwHtzv7fHyoptsyFjbULDrpf/DMMD7lyeSs user@workstation

    Never paste the private key from ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 into a ticket, chat, browser form, or server authorized_keys file.
    Related: Copy an SSH public key to a server

13. Create a parent directory for local source checkouts.

    $ mkdir -p ~/src

14. Create a disposable workstation check project.

    $ mkdir -p ~/src/workstation-check

15. Enter the disposable check project.

    $ cd ~/src/workstation-check

16. Initialize a local Git repository.

    $ git init --initial-branch=main
    Initialized empty Git repository in /home/user/src/workstation-check/.git/

    The explicit --initial-branch=main keeps this smoke test independent of any older default branch setting.

17. Create a Python virtual environment in the check project.

    $ python3 -m venv .venv

    No output indicates the virtual environment was created. If this fails, confirm python3-venv is installed for the active distribution release.

18. Create an empty verification commit.

    $ git commit --allow-empty -m "Check workstation"
    [main (root-commit) eeb558d] Check workstation

    This proves Git can write commits with the configured identity without adding sample project files.

19. Verify that the disposable repository is on the expected branch.

    $ git status --short --branch
    ## main

20. Remove the disposable check project after the smoke test passes.

    $ rm -rf ~/src/workstation-check

    Run this command only for the temporary check directory created above. Keep real project directories under ~/src.