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Terminal Craft Journal Author
Published: July 22, 2026
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To install Gnome Disks Utility on Ubuntu, you can follow these steps:

  1. Update package list: Run sudo apt update to ensure access to the latest package information from software repositories.
  2. Install GNOME Disks: Use sudo apt install gnome-disk-utility to install the utility, enabling disk management tasks on Ubuntu.

Optimize your Ubuntu system’s disk management with GNOME Disks configuration. Fine-tune storage, access SMART data, manage properties, benchmark disks, and enhance performance with TRIM. Troubleshoot common installation and usage errors to streamline your disk management experience on Ubuntu.

Read the guide below to learn the step-by-step method to install Gnome Disks utility on Ubuntu and how to configure it. Also, learn the common errors that can occur during the process and their troubleshooting tips.

GNOME Disks is a powerful utility that plays a crucial role in managing disk drives efficiently on Ubuntu systems. Whether you want to partition drives, create disk images, monitor disk health, or perform benchmark tests, GNOME Disks has got you covered. Say goodbye to cumbersome command-line tasks and embrace a visually intuitive interface that empowers you to manage your storage with ease. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through every aspect of installing, navigating, and utilizing the GNOME Disks utility to its fullest potential on your Ubuntu machine.

How to Install GNOME Disks Utility on Ubuntu

To install GNOME Disks Utility on Ubuntu, you only need a system running Ubuntu 16.04 or later with the GNOME desktop environment. Ensure you have adequate free disk space for installation and disk management tasks. To install GNOME Disks utility on Ubuntu, follow these simple steps:

  1. Press Ctrl + Alt + T to open a Terminal window on your Ubuntu system.
opening terminal 31
  1. Type the following command and hit Enter to update the package list:

<strong>sudo apt update</strong>
  1. This command updates the list of available packages from the software repositories, ensuring that you have access to the latest package information.
updating system package list 14
  1. Type the following command and hit Enter to install GNOME Disks:

<strong>sudo apt install gnome-disk-utility</strong>
  1. This command will install GNOME Disks Utility package, allowing you to access and use the utility for disk management tasks on your Ubuntu system.
installing gnome disk utility on ubuntu

How to Configure GNOME Disks Utility on Ubuntu

Configuring GNOME Disks utility on Ubuntu empowers users to harness the full potential of their disk management tasks with ease. By mastering the configuration options of GNOME Disks, you can fine-tune your Ubuntu system’s storage management to suit your specific needs and ensure optimal disk health and performance.

1. How to Identify Connected Drives and Partitions

To identify the drives and partitions connected to your system:

  1. Open the GNOME Disks application from the Applications menu.
launching disk utility
  1. In the Devices pane, all connected drives and their respective partitions will be listed.
viewing list of drives

2. Viewing Drive Details and SMART Data

GNOME Disks allows you to view detailed information about your drives and access SMART data for monitoring drive health:

  1. Click on the drive you want to examine in the Devices pane. The Volumes pane will display information about the selected drive, including model, capacity, and usage.
select a disk to view details

3. Managing Drive Properties and Settings

GNOME Disks enables you to manage drive properties and settings, such as changing the mount options, labels, and formatting partitions:

  1. Click on the partition you wish to manage in the Volumes pane.
choosing partition to manage its properties
  1. Use the gear icon to access options for formatting, editing mount options, and setting partition flags.
managing partitions

4. Conducting Disk Read/Write Benchmark Tests

To benchmark your disks with GNOME Disks:

  1. Launch GNOME Disks from the Applications menu. Choose the drive you want to benchmark. Click on the disk option icon, and then click on Benchmark Disk.
selecting disk to benchmark
  1. Click on the Start Benchmark button.
starting benchmark test
  1. Now set the values for the benchmark test as per your requirements.
setting values for benchmark testing
  1. Enter the password then click on the authenticate button to start the benchmarking process.
authenticating benchmark process
  1. The output will be:
analyze the results

5. Improving Disk Performance with TRIM and Other Techniques

For SSDs, enabling TRIM is essential to maintain optimal performance:

  1. TRIM should be automatically enabled for most modern Linux systems and SSDs. To verify, run the following command in the Terminal: