New Ubuntu Desktop--what would you install?
silentbicycle: dmenu - launcherdzen2 - simple (but very configurable) statusbarscreen and surfraww3m - excellent text-based web-browsermpd and ncmpc - for musicmutt - for email (if you don't use emacs)bitlbee - an irc proxy that handles most other instant messaging protocolsirssi - irc (or e.g. rcirc in emacs)cowsay and figlet :)xwrits - typing timerrsync - for backups (set it up with cron)git or mercurial (whatever, pick one)good windowmanagers: xmonad, dwm, wmii, blackboxCommon theme: non-flashy, shell/keyboard-oriented stuff. If you like several of those, you will probably like most the rest.