I remember installing Zorin 15 in my parents PC and they didn't even notice they were not using Windows. At some point my dad even referred it as 'Windows Zorin' 😂It's THE BEST distro for beginners
But pretty easy to spot what kind of os. Just try to use 5 minutes. Yesterday i installed 17, 2 minutes after i have to use terminal. In 2024. Because gui sucks af.
@@AvWijk85 I wanted to customize everything and use tiling WM. And I choose Arch because it is minimal from the start. Thinking about switching to NixOS soon.
I have zorin 17.3 pro as a main distro on my laptop. Everything works without any problems. I'm not a beginner, I use linux since 1998. And I find Zorin a very cosy and comfortable distribution. I was a bit tired to compile everything on Gentoo and try to fix config problems. Zorin like Zohan just makes people and distro silky-smooth!
@@pranav8198 Yes, it can -- I do recommend that you install Microsoft fonts for maximum compatibility with MS Office documents; with that done, yes, LibreOffice is fully compatible.
Zorin is the first distro with which all my peripherals worked out of the box. Even Mint couldn't do this! I'm a fan. Dualbooting at the moment but finishing with Win 10 at expiration as I like to keep older hardware running. I swapped LibreOffice for OpenOffice, which is a closer fit (e,g, fonts) to my Word docs but delighted with everything else. Plus it's from Ireland so proud to use it!
@@Insane430 Zorin has an awesome preset system for the different desktop configs but Mint Cinnamon has better customization options with css IMO. I do like Zorin a lot though.
Although I don't point this out with _any_ intention of discouraging Zorin users to go Pro, I do want to point out that the other 'desktop layouts' are, in fact, GNOME Extensions. The maOS-like layout, for instance, is the 'Dash To Dock' extension. With that said, I do still encourage Zorin users who enjoy the distro and appreciate the work the developers have put into it to definitely support them by going for the Pro edition. They've done a lot of really good curation with that, on top of excellent work with the distro itself.
What makes Zorin great is it works on old slow hardware just fine. Also, they don't jump on the underlying Ubuntu version upgrades immediately as an early adopter. They keep security updates up to date on the older Ubuntu version, but they don't jump to the next bleeding edge experience version. I like that, because Zorin JUST WORKS. You don't have all those stupid, annoying little glitches you get when migrating to another distro. And as for the guy who says there isn't an easy upgrade path without clean install, Zorin has fixed that. They have an upgrader app just like Kubuntu and Ubuntu. Since I like more system tools, I install some extras like the OS profiler. They have a decent Software store that makes finding software easy. I used the previous version of Zorin 16.3 LITE on a 2011 laptop with a SINGLE CORE Centrino processor and 4 GB RAM, migrated from Windows 7, and it is totally functional. (If you look up the minimum requirements for Zorin 17 they recommend at least a 2 core processor, but they say LITE is being phased out, since the regular version does fine on older HW.)
How old are we talking about here? Because my 16 yo laptop (3 GB RAM) strongly disagrees with your statement 🤣 I went with Devuan + Window Maker to get the most out of that hardware
I fell in love with this distro even as an old linux user. It is imo perfect combo of old meets newish. It doesn’t update to new and Flashy stuff that often and it is the main reason I like it.
I've always like Zorin OS, when I was distrohopping on VMs it was the most stable and bug free distro I found, that was several versions ago. Since then I've tried a few other distros on bare metal (like Fedora, Pop_OS) and even still they don't feel as smooth and snappy as when I was using Zorin (13.0IIRC). Looks like they've added some functionality to the zorin appearance app which I am happy to see. Only reason I didn't stick with zorin is when I wanted to go to version 14 there was no easy upgrade path without doing a fresh install so I took the opportunity to hop to a different distro but perhaps this will be the next one I use for my main OS - I really like the appearance options right out of the box.
I've got a soft spot for Zorin OS as it's what got me interested in Linux again. It was one of the distros I could see how far Linux had come because everything just worked on it (not having to carefully grab a window to resize it, peripherals worked, NAS connections worked). It ended up being a bit limiting (because of the gnome base), but I'm forever thankful there's good beginner distros like this out there.
Zorin was the only distro where Graphics acceleration worked out of the box in my VMware player VM. Even Ubuntu did not really work. I applaude the Zorin guys for their great work and still have this VM running.
@@PureAwareness76Yes,I am using zorin and It is the most bug-free distro I have used.I am using the latest 560 nvidia drivers and 6.8 linux kernal.And playing batman arkham,the finals and blackmyth right now.But as a Ubuntu-based distro like mint,pop-os,It is outdated compare to other distros.But you can just ask chatgpt to how to install the latest nvidia drivers and kernals.The system apps are outdated and you have to use other packages formats like flatpak for up-to-date applications.
This was the Distro that introduced me into Linux. I quite love its look and feel, its resemblance to Windows 7 by default (I actually mostly stuck with the default GNOME layout) and how easy it is to get settled into Linux. Nowadays I prefer distros that upgrade very quickly to new stuff like Fedora or Arch, which is why I no longer use Zorin. But for what it wants to be - a beautiful distro for beginners - it seems to still be something you can safely recommend new to Linux users.
I am writing this comment under 17.2. Being a die-hard Ubuntu user from its first versions, I switched to Zorin a couple of years ago and it was like moving to a new apartment, where the renovation and all the systems were finally thoroughly finished and adjusted to each other. I believe that today it is one (if not the only) distribution that will suit both a beginner and an advanced user.
After many years I came back to Zorin because I just wanted something that works but that is easily customizable, and it doesn’t get easier than Zorin layouts and honestly I’m very happy in Zorin because I can focus on work and gaming without having to fix random issues every now and then
I am an old school Linux user, literally heard about Linux from the BBS back when it all started. I say that because of the stereotype of some Linux users, who think that a distro like this is only for newer users. While it is not my main works system, as I use Fedora for that, I have an XPS 15 with Zorin on it for use around the house for me and my family. It's a beautiful distro and user-friendly for those that are not as used to Linux, while maintaining the power of Linux underneath. Zorin doesn't get the recognition that Mint does, but many of the people I have helped move to Linux have found it better for them.
Is so interesting about people's preferences. The reason I don't use Apple products is because the buttons for minimize and close are on the left. Since I'm a righty and most people are righties I have to go across the screen to shut things down I find that annoying where you find it more normal to your workflow. It is literally one of my pet peeves on Apple desktop
I have this potato laptop, right? ZorinOS was the only distribution that allowed me to watch UA-cam videos with acceptable fps. Plus its interface is very clean and the rest of my family doesn't find it difficult to use. I wasn't expecting much from it, but slowly ZorinOS is captivating me.
I always been telling people about Zorin since Version 4 ... I've been a Zorin Fan since 2010 or 2011... I've used a LOT of diffrent Distro's, Zorin is my Favorite... Zorin or Mint. They work Very Well, Super Fast, you can Install it to a Thumb Drive or a SDcard and it just boots ... so I can take my OS with me anywhere and just Boot it up. It's Good
i am a windows user since 1.0 so trying my best to switch to Zorin - for me ( 63 years old ) it's a big leap into the unknown and my memory isn't good so trying to remember all the commands is a little tricky
I have been using ZorinOS for 5 years now. Its the finest distro i have ever used. You can also install other desktop enviroments or window managers on it if Gnome is too "resource hungry" for your computer
I love your vids bro. I'm thinking about learning how to use MX Linux as I'm a windows user. BTW gnome is pronounced with a silent g! Keep up the great work mate!😉🤘
I put zorin on my mums laptop many years ago, it could barely run windows, she didn't know a thing about operating systems, all she did was online food shopping and facebook, and she could use it just fine. I don't think she ever realised it wasn't windows, or even what windows was lol
I'm a Mint user and had a hard drive failure. I decided that it was a good idea to try out a couple of different distributions out since I'm reinstalling anyhow. Zorin was on the list and the was of the best ones that I tested. I'm actually writing this on Zorin. I like this, but I'm probably going to go back to Mint. I don't think that my desire to go back to Mint is because Zorin as a whole. It seems well-put together, well-maintained and solid, but rather, I don't like the desktop environment. I just like Cinnamon more than plain Gnome. I know that Gnome is customisable, but sometimes boring and uneventful is good. One thing that is frustrating about reviews is that we all have different hardware, different needs and different preferences, so what works for one person doesn't work for another. The value is knowing the fundamentals: easy to install, easy to maintain, hardware compatibility, software availability, basic specs and where it's best suited. Choice is what makes Linux great. Zorin ticks all the boxes for my current needs and I might have liked it more if I used it before Mint. I'm not new to Linux. I've been using Linux since 1999 with Slackware 4. I'd still use Slackware if I had a need to run servers. I switched to Debian and Debian-esque phase after I returned to using PCs after a brief 6 year period of using Macs. My needs have changed over time, but I've seen distros come and go and others be destroyed by maintainers and it's good to have an option if my current choice go pear-shaped.
Switched to Zorin as an attempt at a DD because MS is on their BS again and I wanted to learn before I was forced to and already quite annoyed by the MS BS. So far it's been surprisingly painless, if buggy in dumb ways at times. I find myself having to hard restart it often enough due to software hangs and failures to start, but I restart and get back to what I was doing. Nothing's broken, dead, or in need of repair afaik. Updates are regular and usually fix a good % of my issues. As I get more comfortable with it I expand and explore a bit more (it isn't worth doing before that) and find and install new cool stuff (Stacer, Safing, PikaBackup + Timeshift [a full local backup solution], firewall enabled, VMware personal use for any software holes, etc). So far I daily drove Zorin for about two weeks with the only interruptions being porting random data over and making sure Backblaze got my files stored. 1-3 years ago I bet it wouldn't have been this nice, so I'm excited to see the state of Desktop Linux doing so well. No it isn't perfect but it's a lot closer!
@@penguin2137 they did make zorin lite xfce look somewhat like gnome but i noticed window resizing, moving, tiling etc. bugs. that was in the live boot mode. never tried it in its installed state. ive used the gnome version for the most of it.
Know what totally rocks? Installing WINDOWS software into Zorin & having it work! THAT is the Windows killer! You should have showcased that in this video!
Agree it's nife indeed. I just installed zorin 17.2 to my 4gb cpu.. I played old need for speed underground 2 and able to recorded it smoothly.. It's in my channel 😅😂❤.
I bought the pro version when first trying Linux. Unfortunately my audio was glitched due to pulseaudio. Nice that they're using pipewire now but I've switched to Fedora.
I really like your channel. I've been a follower for a few years. You put out serious, informative content. But I have a request: please lose the "wacky face" thumbnails.
The thing that bugs me about Zorin OS is that it's still running Gnome 43.9. Really? Y'all couldn't update it to even Gnome 44 or 45? Seems strange to me.
I cannot wait for ZorinOS to get a new release with a more modern gnome version, because many things about gnome 42 which is on ZorinOS currently just suck
The real question here is how addicted to coffee is Derek? This guy is constantly installing new distros, and constantly "stepping away for a cup of coffee." At this point, it's almost a catchphrase.
My poor old Acer laptop has had several Linux distros over and over but Zorin and a few others haven’t been run on it…yet lol ..the original hard drive would beat me up if it could
I've been been experience slight graphical glitches on Linux. It's not something that's interrupting my work or anything but it is a bit concerning. For example, when I am watching a video, the lower half of the screen starts glitch a bit and then stop once I minimize the window or do something to change the display on the screen. It's not just with ZorinOS, I've had the experience with Mint ever since I got the 6.8 kernel version. I'm using an ASUS TUF F15 laptop. I used to be on Mint 21.3 with kernel version 5.15 with Nvidia Graphics driver 535, I didn't have any glitches on my screen during this time. Can anyone recommend me things to try out so I could fix it? Is this screen glitching a cause for concern (should I be worried about it if it's doing something bad to my laptop)?
I liked Zorin but every time I used it I had issues and would end up moving on. Most of them were specific to my setup for sim racing. In general I have gone away from any Debian distro for my gaming PC.
I'm running Zorin OS 17.2 on my older Dell laptops and on my Gateway all-in-one ZX6971. I could run Windows 10, but I'd rather have the better performance I get with Linux.
I've always wondered why people want a desktop if they're not gonna put any icons on it. Wouldn't it be more efficient to fill the whole screen with one big panel if you're not using all that space for anything?
well... two days ago I updated(no major updates) my pop os which is LTS and guess what ? No wifi for me either. It doesn't matter what "flavor" of linux you choose. And the worst part - there is no recall back unless you planned for it. Want to go back to previous kernel ? Well you can't since it requires this and that and you can't have it now. I do like learning new things, but I don't like solving a meriad of problems thown at me when I got other stuff to do....
@@drakemallard6100 that is super interesting I could not find this documented anywhere on their website or forums. I think it’s worthwhile to make known. I only ever try a distro if I can easily choose btrfs (I’m too dumb to use a manual scheme and assign volumes or whatever)
Man . . . where are your explorations into hyprland? i don't get it . . . you are the go to linux guy . . . you demand the respect of thens of thousands of followers . . . and hyprland is so fun and easy to work with . . . and the documentation is literally SECOND TO NONE . .. why haven't you ventured it on video yet? It is userful, stable, modern . . . and . . . again, that documentation is BEAUTIFUL. Where'd you go on this one man? It is b-e-a-utilful.
Yeah but it still takes a long time to boot. and if you use magic lamp and window effect it takes lot of smoothness. Zorin 15 was the best for one me. After that it just went downward. If you like gimic, its perfect but if you want speed and get work done find something else.
i have been a linux user for >20 yrs- but i have never once found a GNOME implementation i liked imo it just looks bad. like the whole thing was written w tkinter or something
Maybe someone knows, but what Linux distro is indestructible today (in terms of file system)? I have several cheap chinese SSDs which degrading just by storage (incredible garbage) and btrfs Ubuntu-type Pika Linux there failed miserably, it's died by corrupted certain symbols in the parts of code. This file system cannot restore itself or repair the code. Maybe someone made distro of self-repairable file system, i want to test that.
Zorin is a great Bridge OS for those migrating from Windows, by its appearance and suite of apps, But it is in the heavier side of OSystems, with more resources usage! Appreciate your first look at this version 🙌
Not bad, looks very welcoming to Win users. Interestingly, they ship the latest Firefox, not an ESR ver. Also, their LibreOffice is the latest I think too. Another thing I've noticed on the installation screens is - it looks Zorin supports joining an Active Directory, if I'm not mistaken, which is what some people need, esp for work. No idea how well and how deep is it integrated, since I've never used Zorin.
@@penguin2137 yes, just checked the manifesto. It looks they ship snaps now, which allows them to ship newest version. I use Ubuntu on servers with no GUI, so didn't realize this change. Last time I've used Ubuntu for Desktop was at least 7-8 years ago, if not more.
I do not support someone making $ off someone else's work . Some of these extra features can be installed for free because that's how the creator wanted it but distros like this will charge you😒
You don't know their financial arrangements. Zorin OS could send money to devs whose features get included in Zorin. Then again, maybe Zorin don't do this... I have no idea of Zorin's financial arrangements either.
Yeah tell that to Redhat, Suse, Canonical, Google, Facebook, ect…. You’re not really paying for extras. Your paying for their time and the work they put into the distro. People coming from Windows or Apple you paid all them years for that but you won’t chip in a few bucks to help out the many devs that have made Linux what it is today and continue to do so. Scumbags!!!!!
The only thing I don’t agree with is the extra software, since not only all the software is in the store but also you cannot choose what you need, it just installs a bunch of random software. But other than that, the other features are Layouts: They are charging for the one click feature, but you can achieve the same result with the installed extensions, which by the way some where developed by Zorin and then forked into other extensions (dash 2 panel and Arc menu). Extra artwork: I don’t see a problem of including these in the pro version. Installation support: If you have any problems during the installation you can contact direct support, I think this is fine although I wish they could give support for the distro as well but I imagine that would be a lot more difficult. Support Zorin development: At the end of the day this is the most relevant point, if you like the distro then you can support it.
They charge you to do it because the people they're targeting AREN'T going to do it...again, not everyone wants to learn 10 commands to install a damn program.
You know. I considered switching Zorin to my mom's laptop when started watching this, but then saw the premium part. Man no. No no no. (she's on Arch BY THE WAY 🙂↕️)
You can ignore the pro version.The free version literally has all function.The pro version is only for supporting developments and additional desktop layouts.
The premium option is actually one of the things that veered me away from installing it. Having a paid option sorta goes against the Linux mentality. Most software that's free with a paid option, means they're holding back something I could really use or want. That's the Windows world, and I don't live there anymore.
@@joelyoungcbi same xx I have 0 trust for such devs. Either make it cost money, take donations or make it foss. Ain't no other way in my eyes. Don't paywall features. Especially on Linux. Paying for a theme is so r* anyways in my eyes. Sorry. Didn't mean to come off this angry? Just the way I talk. Ended up keeping her on Arch for the time being. Might move her to Debian
GNOME stands for "GNU Network Object Model Environment". GNU stands for "GNU's Not Unix", and has always been officially pronounced "guh-NEW" to minimize confusion. Since GNU is GNOME's first name, GNOME is officially pronounced "guh-NOME".
So no "Thanks, DT, for spending more time and effort to make a new video" from you then? All you can do is pick him up on what you consider to be a minor pronunciation issue? How do you think that looks over all?
I have to use windows due to I run Trimble Business Center to build models for Civil construction. I just got tied of Windows all together and switched to Zorin Os Pro. I was able to use there GNOME virtual Boxes and run TBC in it with only one issue so far. I need to figure out how to get my video card to work in the virtual machine. TBC requires a graphics card to handle the point cloud data. Other then that I have been running full time Zorion OS going on two months now. If I need to deal with point cloud data I just use my company laptop. Works GREAT!
Why did the idiots at zorin put a root password on a live environment? Oh well, they didn't put one on the user account, and the user account can run any sudo command w/o password. At least I can set my own password, with an annoying workaround, why not just leave the root password blank? It's a live environment, what are people gonna do, especially since the user can boot the environment, open terminal and type 'sudo passwd' and change the user/root password with no security what's so ever.
Really never got mentioned that there is free AND a paid version of Zorin? When there is a paid version of anything, then the big question is: how much crippled is the free version compared with the full-fledged paid one?
I bought the pro version. It just has extra themes and the option to have various programs installed for you. It's more of a donate to its development version IMO. You don't lose any functionality.
Why use Zorin vs say Mint for example? I would think as nice as it looks, having a bright background sort of negates the purpose of dark themes. I use dark because I don't like blaring brightness in my eyes, otherwise I would be perfectly fine with a lighter theme.
I remember installing Zorin 15 in my parents PC and they didn't even notice they were not using Windows. At some point my dad even referred it as 'Windows Zorin' 😂It's THE BEST distro for beginners
nicely played trick 😅
😂😂😂😂😂
i member zorin 7.. :)
But pretty easy to spot what kind of os. Just try to use 5 minutes. Yesterday i installed 17, 2 minutes after i have to use terminal. In 2024. Because gui sucks af.
I really like the DT eye contact we can even see Aliens through, IR1916 R5
I ditched windows in April 2024 for Zorin 17.x Core for both my daily driver and also my media center. I love it!
Zorin OS was the distro that got me to Linux. Now I'm full-time Arch user. Zorin was a awesome beginner friendly Linux distro.
Why the switch to Arch? I myself use nixOS, based on Arch (btw)
@@AvWijk85 I wanted to customize everything and use tiling WM. And I choose Arch because it is minimal from the start. Thinking about switching to NixOS soon.
I have zorin 17.3 pro as a main distro on my laptop. Everything works without any problems. I'm not a beginner, I use linux since 1998. And I find Zorin a very cosy and comfortable distribution. I was a bit tired to compile everything on Gentoo and try to fix config problems. Zorin like Zohan just makes people and distro silky-smooth!
I Sir want to know if I can use Liber Office instead of MS Office in it can it read MS office files ?
@@pranav8198 Yes, it can -- I do recommend that you install Microsoft fonts for maximum compatibility with MS Office documents; with that done, yes, LibreOffice is fully compatible.
@@pranav8198 Should be fine.
Zorin is the first distro with which all my peripherals worked out of the box. Even Mint couldn't do this! I'm a fan. Dualbooting at the moment but finishing with Win 10 at expiration as I like to keep older hardware running. I swapped LibreOffice for OpenOffice, which is a closer fit (e,g, fonts) to my Word docs but delighted with everything else. Plus it's from Ireland so proud to use it!
I think it's a solid competitor with Mint, MX, Pop!, etc.
I think zorin is the best distro for novices
@@Insane430 It was a hard choice for me but i went with Mint. I still want to try Zorin
@@Funkx2g I'm going Mint as well. Take care all.
@@rickh8380 Hell yeah. You're gonna love it !!
@@Insane430 Zorin has an awesome preset system for the different desktop configs but Mint Cinnamon has better customization options with css IMO. I do like Zorin a lot though.
Although I don't point this out with _any_ intention of discouraging Zorin users to go Pro, I do want to point out that the other 'desktop layouts' are, in fact, GNOME Extensions. The maOS-like layout, for instance, is the 'Dash To Dock' extension.
With that said, I do still encourage Zorin users who enjoy the distro and appreciate the work the developers have put into it to definitely support them by going for the Pro edition. They've done a lot of really good curation with that, on top of excellent work with the distro itself.
What makes Zorin great is it works on old slow hardware just fine.
Also, they don't jump on the underlying Ubuntu version upgrades immediately as an early adopter. They keep security updates up to date on the older Ubuntu version, but they don't jump to the next bleeding edge experience version. I like that, because Zorin JUST WORKS. You don't have all those stupid, annoying little glitches you get when migrating to another distro.
And as for the guy who says there isn't an easy upgrade path without clean install, Zorin has fixed that. They have an upgrader app just like Kubuntu and Ubuntu.
Since I like more system tools, I install some extras like the OS profiler.
They have a decent Software store that makes finding software easy.
I used the previous version of Zorin 16.3 LITE on a 2011 laptop with a SINGLE CORE Centrino processor and 4 GB RAM, migrated from Windows 7, and it is totally functional.
(If you look up the minimum requirements for Zorin 17 they recommend at least a 2 core processor, but they say LITE is being phased out, since the regular version does fine on older HW.)
How old are we talking about here? Because my 16 yo laptop (3 GB RAM) strongly disagrees with your statement 🤣
I went with Devuan + Window Maker to get the most out of that hardware
I fell in love with this distro even as an old linux user. It is imo perfect combo of old meets newish. It doesn’t update to new and Flashy stuff that often and it is the main reason I like it.
I've always like Zorin OS, when I was distrohopping on VMs it was the most stable and bug free distro I found, that was several versions ago. Since then I've tried a few other distros on bare metal (like Fedora, Pop_OS) and even still they don't feel as smooth and snappy as when I was using Zorin (13.0IIRC). Looks like they've added some functionality to the zorin appearance app which I am happy to see. Only reason I didn't stick with zorin is when I wanted to go to version 14 there was no easy upgrade path without doing a fresh install so I took the opportunity to hop to a different distro but perhaps this will be the next one I use for my main OS - I really like the appearance options right out of the box.
They have now fixed that. Since about version 16.1 they now have an upgrader app.
I've got a soft spot for Zorin OS as it's what got me interested in Linux again. It was one of the distros I could see how far Linux had come because everything just worked on it (not having to carefully grab a window to resize it, peripherals worked, NAS connections worked). It ended up being a bit limiting (because of the gnome base), but I'm forever thankful there's good beginner distros like this out there.
Zorin was the only distro where Graphics acceleration worked out of the box in my VMware player VM. Even Ubuntu did not really work. I applaude the Zorin guys for their great work and still have this VM running.
Is gaming possible on Zorin?
@@PureAwareness76Yes,I am using zorin and It is the most bug-free distro I have used.I am using the latest 560 nvidia drivers and 6.8 linux kernal.And playing batman arkham,the finals and blackmyth right now.But as a Ubuntu-based distro like mint,pop-os,It is outdated compare to other distros.But you can just ask chatgpt to how to install the latest nvidia drivers and kernals.The system apps are outdated and you have to use other packages formats like flatpak for up-to-date applications.
@@PureAwareness76yes it’s possible
@@PureAwareness76shortly: no. in a long story: yea, but our options limited.
I'm running Zorin for over 2 years now. I even upgraded to the pro version. It just runs and does what it needs to do as a daily driver.
This was the Distro that introduced me into Linux. I quite love its look and feel, its resemblance to Windows 7 by default (I actually mostly stuck with the default GNOME layout) and how easy it is to get settled into Linux. Nowadays I prefer distros that upgrade very quickly to new stuff like Fedora or Arch, which is why I no longer use Zorin. But for what it wants to be - a beautiful distro for beginners - it seems to still be something you can safely recommend new to Linux users.
I intersting coincidence: ive been running Zorin for about a month noe. Finally found a keeper Linux Distro for me
Zorin OS ended my distro hopping a few years ago.
I am writing this comment under 17.2. Being a die-hard Ubuntu user from its first versions, I switched to Zorin a couple of years ago and it was like moving to a new apartment, where the renovation and all the systems were finally thoroughly finished and adjusted to each other. I believe that today it is one (if not the only) distribution that will suit both a beginner and an advanced user.
Us Mint users may disagree :)
But Zorin is a lovely OS. I bought V.16 for $30. Inflation, huh :(
@@kychemclass5850 why did you pay for that ? Mint is far away better lol
I love Zorin for business desktop use. It reminds me of the days of polished and boxed Mandrake Linux.
DT I'm gonna watch your videos anyway, you don't have to make faces in your thumbnail man haha. Anyways thanks for the review. Much appreciated.
Right, a well chosen ScreenShot should tell more.
Like @12:00
After many years I came back to Zorin because I just wanted something that works but that is easily customizable, and it doesn’t get easier than Zorin layouts and honestly I’m very happy in Zorin because I can focus on work and gaming without having to fix random issues every now and then
I am an old school Linux user, literally heard about Linux from the BBS back when it all started. I say that because of the stereotype of some Linux users, who think that a distro like this is only for newer users. While it is not my main works system, as I use Fedora for that, I have an XPS 15 with Zorin on it for use around the house for me and my family. It's a beautiful distro and user-friendly for those that are not as used to Linux, while maintaining the power of Linux underneath. Zorin doesn't get the recognition that Mint does, but many of the people I have helped move to Linux have found it better for them.
Is so interesting about people's preferences. The reason I don't use Apple products is because the buttons for minimize and close are on the left. Since I'm a righty and most people are righties I have to go across the screen to shut things down I find that annoying where you find it more normal to your workflow. It is literally one of my pet peeves on Apple desktop
you can change in settings
I have this potato laptop, right? ZorinOS was the only distribution that allowed me to watch UA-cam videos with acceptable fps. Plus its interface is very clean and the rest of my family doesn't find it difficult to use. I wasn't expecting much from it, but slowly ZorinOS is captivating me.
Zorin works GREAT on older hardware.
Zorin is my go to. It has always been stable and just does a lot of things right.
I always been telling people about Zorin since Version 4 ... I've been a Zorin Fan since 2010 or 2011... I've used a LOT of diffrent Distro's, Zorin is my Favorite... Zorin or Mint. They work Very Well, Super Fast, you can Install it to a Thumb Drive or a SDcard and it just boots ... so I can take my OS with me anywhere and just Boot it up. It's Good
Zorin is a nice gateway to Linux. I would install this to my mom's computer. Just to make my job as the "IT guy" much easier.
Using GBU/Linux from 2019 and still using Zorin OS. I find it very "jack-of-all-trades" and I'm very satisfied with that.
Thanks for touring for us.
Works excellent on my 2011 iMac
excellent walkthrough, thanks
i am a windows user since 1.0 so trying my best to switch to Zorin - for me ( 63 years old ) it's a big leap into the unknown and my memory isn't good so trying to remember all the commands is a little tricky
I have been using ZorinOS for 5 years now. Its the finest distro i have ever used. You can also install other desktop enviroments or window managers on it if Gnome is too "resource hungry" for your computer
There is a lite version of zorin running XFCE DE
@@rameshnexus160 There is, though it will be discontinued once version 19 is released.
I love your vids bro. I'm thinking about learning how to use MX Linux as I'm a windows user. BTW gnome is pronounced with a silent g! Keep up the great work mate!😉🤘
I put zorin on my mums laptop many years ago, it could barely run windows, she didn't know a thing about operating systems, all she did was online food shopping and facebook, and she could use it just fine. I don't think she ever realised it wasn't windows, or even what windows was lol
I'm a Mint user and had a hard drive failure. I decided that it was a good idea to try out a couple of different distributions out since I'm reinstalling anyhow. Zorin was on the list and the was of the best ones that I tested. I'm actually writing this on Zorin. I like this, but I'm probably going to go back to Mint. I don't think that my desire to go back to Mint is because Zorin as a whole. It seems well-put together, well-maintained and solid, but rather, I don't like the desktop environment. I just like Cinnamon more than plain Gnome. I know that Gnome is customisable, but sometimes boring and uneventful is good.
One thing that is frustrating about reviews is that we all have different hardware, different needs and different preferences, so what works for one person doesn't work for another. The value is knowing the fundamentals: easy to install, easy to maintain, hardware compatibility, software availability, basic specs and where it's best suited. Choice is what makes Linux great. Zorin ticks all the boxes for my current needs and I might have liked it more if I used it before Mint. I'm not new to Linux. I've been using Linux since 1999 with Slackware 4. I'd still use Slackware if I had a need to run servers. I switched to Debian and Debian-esque phase after I returned to using PCs after a brief 6 year period of using Macs.
My needs have changed over time, but I've seen distros come and go and others be destroyed by maintainers and it's good to have an option if my current choice go pear-shaped.
Looks very nice Distro
Switched to Zorin as an attempt at a DD because MS is on their BS again and I wanted to learn before I was forced to and already quite annoyed by the MS BS. So far it's been surprisingly painless, if buggy in dumb ways at times. I find myself having to hard restart it often enough due to software hangs and failures to start, but I restart and get back to what I was doing. Nothing's broken, dead, or in need of repair afaik. Updates are regular and usually fix a good % of my issues. As I get more comfortable with it I expand and explore a bit more (it isn't worth doing before that) and find and install new cool stuff (Stacer, Safing, PikaBackup + Timeshift [a full local backup solution], firewall enabled, VMware personal use for any software holes, etc). So far I daily drove Zorin for about two weeks with the only interruptions being porting random data over and making sure Backblaze got my files stored. 1-3 years ago I bet it wouldn't have been this nice, so I'm excited to see the state of Desktop Linux doing so well. No it isn't perfect but it's a lot closer!
MS BS was one of the reasons I waved goodbye to them too.
Great distro! But I'm wondering, what version of GNOME does the 17.2 version ship?
My fully updated machine runs 43.9. Don't think it's getting up to 44 or higher anytime soon
@@bvd_vlvd Thanks for the replay, but I noticed the addition of the pill-looking quick settings, I believe those were introduced in GNOME 44
@@P1XEL07 nah those were introduced in GNOME 43.
@@champfrompostal All right, thanks for correcting me
Still no Gnome 47? Bummer
I'm always cracking up when it's time to set a strong and complicated password
It has the same awesome apps my old OS 2 2.1 came with. Nice .
Zorin is awesome. They had the xfce version too which was discontinued since they claim that they got gnome to work equally fast.
finally. i found Zorin Lite to be the most disappointing Xfce implementation of the ones i had my hands on
@@penguin2137 they did make zorin lite xfce look somewhat like gnome but i noticed window resizing, moving, tiling etc. bugs. that was in the live boot mode. never tried it in its installed state. ive used the gnome version for the most of it.
Know what totally rocks? Installing WINDOWS software into Zorin & having it work! THAT is the Windows killer! You should have showcased that in this video!
Agree it's nife indeed. I just installed zorin 17.2 to my 4gb cpu.. I played old need for speed underground 2 and able to recorded it smoothly.. It's in my channel 😅😂❤.
Windows 11 supports touch screen on my HP Dragonfly Pro laptop. Zorin 17.2 USB boot lacks it. Solution?
Are they allowed to charge money for an upgrade ?
🎉 Cool, thank you!
How about gaming on Zorin?
Pretty much same as everyone, most games run the same across the distros with minor differences. With some special exceptions per game per distro.
I bought the pro version when first trying Linux. Unfortunately my audio was glitched due to pulseaudio. Nice that they're using pipewire now but I've switched to Fedora.
Yep it's what I use and I'm admittingly shallow because I pick my distro based on appearance 🤩
I really like your channel. I've been a follower for a few years. You put out serious, informative content. But I have a request: please lose the "wacky face" thumbnails.
The thing that bugs me about Zorin OS is that it's still running Gnome 43.9. Really? Y'all couldn't update it to even Gnome 44 or 45? Seems strange to me.
Stability and familiarity over cutting edge tech. Nintendo has built their entire business on that design.
Yeah that's a complete bummer. I'd like to try Gnome 47 for a lot of new features included such as the improved remote desktop
Zorin looks nice, but i prefer the default gnome desktop (without extensions) and i use Arch (btw) ;-)
😂
Of course you are a arch BTW user who wouldn't have guessed 😂
Is Zorin following the Ubuntu HWE Kernel Stack now?
Looks nice and modern. Any suggestion why I should prefer this Zorin over LMDE, for example?
I think LMDE has older packages.
I cannot wait for ZorinOS to get a new release with a more modern gnome version, because many things about gnome 42 which is on ZorinOS currently just suck
Thanks Ireland!
Does it run hot? Linux mint always runs hot.
My laptop's Brightness control is not working.... please suggest
love to set it up like unity ,it just does it all. if its ubuntu based,how does it have less problems? running zorin pro
I would try it but I don't care for the Gnome desktop. If it could support KDE, I'd be in.
Gnome is currently more stable and reliable than KDE 6. KDE 5 is fine though.
@@matyasmarkkovacs8336 I'm on Kubuntu 24.04, which runs KDE 5, so I'm good for now.
The real question here is how addicted to coffee is Derek? This guy is constantly installing new distros, and constantly "stepping away for a cup of coffee." At this point, it's almost a catchphrase.
Ah man good timing on this video I was just looking at the site I'm about to flash it to my USB for a laptop install. 😮
Is there any software store which includes major software formats and doesn't crash after using 1 minute?
there is a software store supporting .debs, snaps and flatpaks, although can't say much about its stability
@@penguin2137 i found none
My poor old Acer laptop has had several Linux distros over and over but Zorin and a few others haven’t been run on it…yet lol ..the original hard drive would beat me up if it could
Zorin is my work os only. No need for win11.
I've been been experience slight graphical glitches on Linux. It's not something that's interrupting my work or anything but it is a bit concerning.
For example, when I am watching a video, the lower half of the screen starts glitch a bit and then stop once I minimize the window or do something to change the display on the screen.
It's not just with ZorinOS, I've had the experience with Mint ever since I got the 6.8 kernel version. I'm using an ASUS TUF F15 laptop. I used to be on Mint 21.3 with kernel version 5.15 with Nvidia Graphics driver 535, I didn't have any glitches on my screen during this time.
Can anyone recommend me things to try out so I could fix it? Is this screen glitching a cause for concern (should I be worried about it if it's doing something bad to my laptop)?
I liked Zorin but every time I used it I had issues and would end up moving on. Most of them were specific to my setup for sim racing. In general I have gone away from any Debian distro for my gaming PC.
You haven't done a PopOS review in long time, Can we expect a look through soon?
Stable / Alpha version
I think it would be better to wait for 24.04
I'm running Zorin OS 17.2 on my older Dell laptops and on my Gateway all-in-one ZX6971. I could run Windows 10, but I'd rather have the better performance I get with Linux.
"I get with *GNU/Linux*."
I've always wondered why people want a desktop if they're not gonna put any icons on it. Wouldn't it be more efficient to fill the whole screen with one big panel if you're not using all that space for anything?
OCD issues.
we installed in 2015 MacBook Air and wifi did not work. spent hours to fix wifi but no success.
well... two days ago I updated(no major updates) my pop os which is LTS and guess what ? No wifi for me either. It doesn't matter what "flavor" of linux you choose. And the worst part - there is no recall back unless you planned for it. Want to go back to previous kernel ? Well you can't since it requires this and that and you can't have it now.
I do like learning new things, but I don't like solving a meriad of problems thown at me when I got other stuff to do....
@@kukla-mukla6000 Linux is for those who have plenty of time to hoping from distro to distro.
New release - but still based on 2 year old version of ubuntu
So it's Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy with a different theme? Why would I want that instead of Ubuntu 24.04?
Because the installer gives you the btrfs Subvolumes to use bootable Snapshots with Timeshift, for example.
Because it looks friendlier to newcomers and maybe doesn't force snapcrap on you.
@@drakemallard6100 that is super interesting I could not find this documented anywhere on their website or forums. I think it’s worthwhile to make known. I only ever try a distro if I can easily choose btrfs (I’m too dumb to use a manual scheme and assign volumes or whatever)
Man . . . where are your explorations into hyprland? i don't get it . . . you are the go to linux guy . . . you demand the respect of thens of thousands of followers . . . and hyprland is so fun and easy to work with . . . and the documentation is literally SECOND TO NONE . .. why haven't you ventured it on video yet? It is userful, stable, modern . . . and . . . again, that documentation is BEAUTIFUL. Where'd you go on this one man? It is b-e-a-utilful.
You are truly gifted with computers. Great video.
😊👍
Yeah but it still takes a long time to boot. and if you use magic lamp and window effect it takes lot of smoothness. Zorin 15 was the best for one me. After that it just went downward. If you like gimic, its perfect but if you want speed and get work done find something else.
Gotta pay for those Zorin pro features 💀😅💸
As a Linux FOSS developer I don't blame them. It's hard to get donations when people have no reason to actually do it.
Adwaita is pronounced AD-‘VY-TAH.
i have been a linux user for >20 yrs- but i have never once found a GNOME implementation i liked
imo it just looks bad. like the whole thing was written w tkinter or something
Maybe someone knows, but what Linux distro is indestructible today (in terms of file system)? I have several cheap chinese SSDs which degrading just by storage (incredible garbage) and btrfs Ubuntu-type Pika Linux there failed miserably, it's died by corrupted certain symbols in the parts of code. This file system cannot restore itself or repair the code. Maybe someone made distro of self-repairable file system, i want to test that.
👍
Zorin is a great Bridge OS for those migrating from Windows, by its appearance and suite of apps,
But it is in the heavier side of OSystems, with more resources usage!
Appreciate your first look at this version 🙌
Not bad, looks very welcoming to Win users.
Interestingly, they ship the latest Firefox, not an ESR ver. Also, their LibreOffice is the latest I think too.
Another thing I've noticed on the installation screens is - it looks Zorin supports joining an Active Directory, if I'm not mistaken, which is what some people need, esp for work. No idea how well and how deep is it integrated, since I've never used Zorin.
Ubuntu-based distros don't ship ESR version of Firefox
@@penguin2137 yes, just checked the manifesto. It looks they ship snaps now, which allows them to ship newest version. I use Ubuntu on servers with no GUI, so didn't realize this change.
Last time I've used Ubuntu for Desktop was at least 7-8 years ago, if not more.
I just can't see myself paying for another version of Ubuntu.
$50…. Just keeps creeping higher with each version
I like the easthetics of Zorin but the developers pushing a payware variant makes me want to skip it.
Love me a nice snap
Weird how you have to pay for extra desktop layouts... On a Linux system you can customize it on your own anyway if you do not want to pay
If you're not a programmer can an average user really manage to customize the exact features Zorin offers in it's pro/paid version?
@@kychemclass5850 That's a great point, but I still don't like to see paywalled content on a Linux distribution
@@kychemclass5850 how do they activate/deactivate paid version?
@ 5:02 ? Y does Linux only give U LibreOffice & not the ability 2 choose like OpenOffice instead...
I do not support someone making $ off someone else's work . Some of these extra features can be installed for free because that's how the creator wanted it but distros like this will charge you😒
You don't know their financial arrangements. Zorin OS could send money to devs whose features get included in Zorin. Then again, maybe Zorin don't do this... I have no idea of Zorin's financial arrangements either.
Yeah tell that to Redhat, Suse, Canonical, Google, Facebook, ect….
You’re not really paying for extras. Your paying for their time and the work they put into the distro. People coming from Windows or Apple you paid all them years for that but you won’t chip in a few bucks to help out the many devs that have made Linux what it is today and continue to do so. Scumbags!!!!!
The only thing I don’t agree with is the extra software, since not only all the software is in the store but also you cannot choose what you need, it just installs a bunch of random software.
But other than that, the other features are
Layouts:
They are charging for the one click feature, but you can achieve the same result with the installed extensions, which by the way some where developed by Zorin and then forked into other extensions (dash 2 panel and Arc menu).
Extra artwork:
I don’t see a problem of including these in the pro version.
Installation support:
If you have any problems during the installation you can contact direct support, I think this is fine although I wish they could give support for the distro as well but I imagine that would be a lot more difficult.
Support Zorin development:
At the end of the day this is the most relevant point, if you like the distro then you can support it.
They charge you to do it because the people they're targeting AREN'T going to do it...again, not everyone wants to learn 10 commands to install a damn program.
@@KosmicWolfI agree about the extra software point. I'm certain there's just a themes option when installing the pro version.
You know. I considered switching Zorin to my mom's laptop when started watching this, but then saw the premium part. Man no. No no no.
(she's on Arch BY THE WAY 🙂↕️)
You can ignore the pro version.The free version literally has all function.The pro version is only for supporting developments and additional desktop layouts.
The premium option is actually one of the things that veered me away from installing it. Having a paid option sorta goes against the Linux mentality. Most software that's free with a paid option, means they're holding back something I could really use or want. That's the Windows world, and I don't live there anymore.
@@joelyoungcbi same xx I have 0 trust for such devs. Either make it cost money, take donations or make it foss. Ain't no other way in my eyes. Don't paywall features. Especially on Linux. Paying for a theme is so r* anyways in my eyes.
Sorry. Didn't mean to come off this angry? Just the way I talk. Ended up keeping her on Arch for the time being. Might move her to Debian
I'll still try this out on a VM, seemed interesting. Just wish they didn't ruin it with the paywall. So sad.
Regolith Linux in 2024 please..
installing and check software versions is not an OS review DT. grow the hell up
The G is silent, btw…
GNOME stands for "GNU Network Object Model Environment". GNU stands for "GNU's Not Unix", and has always been officially pronounced "guh-NEW" to minimize confusion. Since GNU is GNOME's first name, GNOME is officially pronounced "guh-NOME".
No it's not
So no "Thanks, DT, for spending more time and effort to make a new video" from you then?
All you can do is pick him up on what you consider to be a minor pronunciation issue?
How do you think that looks over all?
I have to use windows due to I run Trimble Business Center to build models for Civil construction.
I just got tied of Windows all together and switched to Zorin Os Pro. I was able to use there GNOME virtual Boxes and run TBC in it with only one issue so far. I need to figure out how to get my video card to work in the virtual machine. TBC requires a graphics card to handle the point cloud data. Other then that I have been running full time Zorion OS going on two months now. If I need to deal with point cloud data I just use my company laptop.
Works GREAT!
When KDE and Gnome have a child
Why did the idiots at zorin put a root password on a live environment? Oh well, they didn't put one on the user account, and the user account can run any sudo command w/o password. At least I can set my own password, with an annoying workaround, why not just leave the root password blank? It's a live environment, what are people gonna do, especially since the user can boot the environment, open terminal and type 'sudo passwd' and change the user/root password with no security what's so ever.
Really never got mentioned that there is free AND a paid version of Zorin? When there is a paid version of anything, then the big question is: how much crippled is the free version compared with the full-fledged paid one?
I bought the pro version. It just has extra themes and the option to have various programs installed for you. It's more of a donate to its development version IMO. You don't lose any functionality.
Nice
Why use Zorin vs say Mint for example? I would think as nice as it looks, having a bright background sort of negates the purpose of dark themes. I use dark because I don't like blaring brightness in my eyes, otherwise I would be perfectly fine with a lighter theme.
49.99 for the pro version
Yikes