$ lsb_release -d → Ubuntu Linux

Ubuntu Linux: Screenshots, FAQ and Tips

Since 2008 we've been collecting screenshots, documenting known issues and answering the questions that aren't in any manual. For people who actually use Ubuntu.

🔍 Go to FAQ 🖼 Screenshots

What to expect here

No marketing fluff, no filler content. Just the stuff we actually needed ourselves.

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FAQ

The most common Ubuntu questions – installation, desktop, terminal, drivers, networking. Direct answers without detours.

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Screenshots

Ubuntu desktops, error messages, configuration dialogs – visually documented so you know where to click.

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Quick start

The three commands every Ubuntu user should know by heart.

ubuntu-pics@terminal: ~

oliver@ubuntu:~$ sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

# Keep the system up to date

oliver@ubuntu:~$ lsb_release -a

# Which Ubuntu version is actually running?

oliver@ubuntu:~$ journalctl -xe | tail -50

# When something breaks: check here first

🟠 Plain English – what do these commands do?

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade – fetches the current package list and installs all available updates. Run this regularly, ideally weekly.

lsb_release -a – shows which Ubuntu version is running on your machine, including codename (e.g. "Noble Numbat" for 24.04).

journalctl -xe – shows system logs. When something crashes or won't start, the reason is usually in here.

Known Issues

Straight from the community – problems that keep coming up.

Ubuntu won't boot after a kernel update

Happens more often than you'd think. At the GRUB menu (hold Shift at boot) select "Advanced options for Ubuntu" and pick an older kernel. Once booted, run sudo apt install --fix-broken to check for broken packages. More in the full FAQ.

Wi-Fi adapter not detected

Usually a driver issue. Run lspci | grep -i network to identify the adapter. Then check "Additional Drivers" in Settings → Software & Updates. Broadcom chips often need the proprietary driver.

No sound after installation

pulseaudio --kill && pulseaudio --start fixes this in many cases. If not: open alsamixer in terminal and check if channels are muted (M = muted, Spacebar to toggle).

View all FAQ entries →

What is ubuntu-pics.de?

This site has been around since 2008. Started as a simple image host for Ubuntu screenshots in German and international Linux forums, it's grown into a small archive documenting how Ubuntu has developed over the years.

The domain has deep roots in the Linux community – linked from ubuntuusers.de, ubuntu-fr.org, the Shutter project, Stack Exchange and many other communities that use Ubuntu daily.

Today the site serves as an info portal: FAQ on common problems, configuration documentation, and a growing collection of screenshots showing what Ubuntu looks and feels like in practice.

ubuntu-pics.de is run by Dennis Hirschfeld from Berlin – as a private fan project with no commercial intent. Looking for professional web development? Check out Programmierung in Bonn.