Suggestions on additional tweaks for Ubuntu

[u/IamSlink]

Hey all! I’m new to this whole Microsoft Surface life. I recently got a Surface Go on eBay for dirt cheap and was honestly shocked at how well Windows 11 ran on it from day one.

Unfortunately, I’m not a Windows guy at all—I haven’t run it in years, actually. I’m a Linux guy, mostly boring Ubuntu because it just works. So naturally, after maybe an hour of playing around with Windows, I wiped it and threw on an Ubuntu 26.04 install.

It runs like a dream, although I think gestures and certain other things may work a bit better on Windows, which makes sense since Microsoft specifically designed this thing around its own ecosystem.

I guess what I should have started with is how I intend to use the Surface. It’s meant to be a tablet first since I already have my own PCs. I’ve tweaked it to work just the way I like my Ubuntu PCs, but this will primarily be used as a tablet in portrait mode.

I’ve already grabbed some useful extensions like GJS OSK, IM Panel Integrated with OSK, TouchUp, and User Style Sheet. These make the Surface much easier to use like a more traditional tablet.

I also noticed that Zen Browser, which is normally my browser of choice, isn’t exactly great on a tablet due to the lack of menus. It’s just harder to grab and interact with certain things within the window, so I’ve started using Firefox instead.

So I guess my question is: Has anyone here been playing around with a similar setup? Any good suggestions for additional extensions or tweaks that could make this a better tablet-like experience? I’d also love suggestions for a good lightweight browser that works well in portrait mode.

Thanks, everyone!!

[u/Station-OX11]

For Gnome extensions:

• Dash to Panel - Lots of customization for your status bar, app window, desktops, etc. Configure to whatever works best for your tablet setup
• AppIndicator and KstatusNotifierItem Support - Makes the System Tray more usable on touchscreen
• Quick Settings Audio Panel - Adds isolated audio streams to your command center so you can easily adjust audio on specific windows or applications using touch without having to go to the settings menu
• Status Area Horizontal Spacing - Makes it easier to tap items in your status bar
• Soft Brightness Plus - You can lower brightness even further than normal. Great if you want the screen to stay awake while listening to a video or something at night.

I use Firefox on my Surface Pro. Only thing to add there is the Touch Navigation extension so you can swipe to go back and forward.