Zorin OS is an open door to the Linux world. Zorin OS - Open doors to the Linux world Easy to use, familiar desktop

Zorin OS is an Ubuntu-based distribution designed for Linux beginners.

The system has a graphical interface similar to Windows and includes many analogs of Windows applications. Zorin OS comes with applications that let you run regular Windows programs.

The main goal of the distribution is to provide Windows users with an alternative Linux system that will allow them to enjoy all the platform's functions without any difficulty.

Zorin OS Versions

Zorin OS Core (free) provides all the basic functionality you need from a computer in a fast, secure and easy-to-use package. Whether you are surfing the Internet, working on documents, or exchanging messages with friends and editing photos, you can rely on Zorin OS to perform these tasks reliably.

Zorin OS Lite (free) brings together the most basic features of Zorin OS in a compact and lightweight package that runs fast, even on older hardware. The interface and software choices are optimized for smooth and stable performance on your computer.

Zorin OS Business (8.99 €) provides the tools needed for corporate needs. Here you will find a rich set of software products, including applications for accounting, databases, accounting, retail, word processing, spreadsheet tools, and more. In this assembly, exclusive premium applications are available, as well as premium technical support.

Zorin OS Ultimate (9.99 €) allows you to unleash the full potential of your computer. Whether you're using your PC for business, multimedia entertainment, or gaming, you can rely on the powerful suite of Zorin OS Ultimate software. In this assembly, exclusive premium applications are available, as well as premium technical support.

Zorin OS Features Overview

Powerful desktop

Zorin OS provides a number of competitive advantages:

• There is no risk of virus infection;
• Fast work and low demands on system resources;
• Easy to use and familiar desktop;
• Stability through the use of a reliable Linux kernel;
• A rich set of software that allows you to solve a wide range of tasks;
• Versatility and flexibility of customization of open source applications;
• Use of open source software under the GNU GPL license;
• First-class security.

Users are constantly afraid of viruses and malware in the digital world. Thanks to the immunity of Zorin OS to Windows viruses, you never have to worry about the threat of infection. Zorin OS also comes with a built-in firewall for optimal system security. When a potential security threat arises, the update is usually delivered within a few hours using the update manager. With Zorin OS, you will find peace of mind.

Easy to use, familiar desktop

The main goal of Zorin OS is to provide new users with easy access to Linux. This is why Zorin OS has a Windows-familiar interface - thus reducing the barrier to entry, but the user gets all the benefits of Linux. You can change the desktop environment. Zorin Look Changer lets you change your desktop to match the style of Windows 7, Windows XP, or GNOME 2 in free versions of Zorin OS. The premium versions also let you install a Windows 2000, Unity, and Mac OS X look and feel.

Ready-to-run programs

Zorin OS is packed with software that is completely ready to go. The system includes a wide range of tools, ranging from the versatile office suite LibreOffice to the functional video editor OpenShot. Zorin OS makes your day to day tasks easier, including surfing the web, creating documents, chatting on social networks, creating videos, messaging with friends, all without installing additional packages.

Zorin OS has been split into different versions to suit the needs of different categories of users. Available editions include Core for basic use, Lite for use on older and low-end computers, Educational for school and university use, Business for enterprise, and Ultimate, which includes the most complete and powerful Linux software suite.

Abundance of programs

If the preinstalled software isn't enough for your needs, don't worry. Zorin OS comes with a Software Center that allows you to download and install tens of thousands of free and commercial software. All you need to do is open the Software Center from the start menu, find the program you want and press the install button. You can even install Windows programs on Zorin OS in the same way as PlayOnLinux. You can download stable packages (.deb and.exe) just like in the current OS.

Compatibility

Almost every file used on the current OS will work fine on Zorin OS without any additional configuration. All office documents, music and video files, images, etc. will open right out of the box. Zorin OS supports a large library of devices such as printers, scanners, cameras and keyboards, these devices will work immediately after connecting to a computer without the need to install separate drivers. You can even use Windows programs and games on Zorin OS thanks to WINE and PlayOnLinux products.

Flexibility

Zorin OS provides a lot of flexibility. The system can be used in conjunction with the current OS. When installing the distribution kit, you will be offered the option to save the current OS and select a system to boot at system startup.

Availability

Developers are of the opinion that computers should be used by all people, including people with disabilities, so Zorin OS integrates the appropriate tools: Orca Screen Reader, a screen magnifier and a mouse click function to automatically press a pointing device button.

Mentioned both on the official website and in almost all reviews - it is targeting migrants with Windows. And since there are two sides to every coin, a fairly significant proportion of experienced Linux users are likely to take this decision with a certain amount of condescending irony.

Our compatriots in this distribution should be attracted by the fact that it was created and developed by Irish developers of Russian origin - the parents of the Zorin brothers moved to Ireland from Ukraine many years ago. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that they will take into account the specifics of the requirements of the Russian user as much as possible.

Alas, this thesis is refuted even at the stage of installing the system. The fact is that the choice of the Russian language at its first stage makes it impossible to enter the Latin alphabet, which is required at least to indicate the username.

Interestingly, in this case, switching between layouts is possible, but all four layouts are Russian. Therefore, the user will first have to boot the system in Live-USB mode, and then manually remove the three extra input languages \u200b\u200band add English.

Perhaps the developers considered this problem insignificant, since they assume that most users, for one reason or another, will use the Live-USB mode and try to configure the system even before installing it. If you remember who exactly the distribution is intended for, then the hypothesis seems very plausible.

The desktop of the Zorin system is specifically customized by Gnome 3.18. To fine-tune it, you can use roughly the same techniques as in Fedora 25. However, there are still some differences.

First of all, you can assign an arbitrary key to switch layouts, including Caps Lock, in the "Keyboard" section of the main set of customization tools. If all the user's needs are limited only to this, then there is no need to install additional applications for configuration.

The core set also includes two Zorin-specific tools: the Zorin Look Changer and the Zorin Theme Changer. They are combined into one set of Zorin Appearance, and with their help you can quickly change some elements of the desktop design.

However, in the general case, fine-tuning will require both "Additional parameters", and the DConf editor, and manual work with configuration files. In particular, in order for the touchpad to turn off when printing, you need to add a script to startup that contains the syndaemon command with the necessary parameters.

By default, the system includes Wine and PlayOnLinux applications. They will allow the user to install some Windows programs, if necessary for work. Apparently, the developers are confident that this measure will also simplify the migration to Linux.

If we talk about Linux users, then the Zorin distribution will be of interest primarily to those who follow the development of the Gnome desktop environment. Alas, the mass of controversial decisions made at the beginning of the development of this interface made many people rather skeptical about it.

But the desktop is evolving, and on its basis, ergonomically sound products are created that may well satisfy the requirements of a certain circle of users. Zorin OS is one such solution.

Zorin OS is an Ubuntu-based distribution designed for beginners. Uses the GNOME desktop environment. Has a beautiful theme. Installed with a basic set of software.

Zorin OS Core 15: Desktop

Programs

The system is installed with a set of programs and several small games. The distribution kit can be used immediately after installation.

Available programs:

• libreOffice office suite:
• and some others.

Prior to 12.4 (inclusive), Zorin OS was installed with Wine and PlayOnLinux. From the 15th version, these programs are not pre-installed.

Prior to version 12.4 (inclusive), the distribution included several utilities developed specifically for it:

• Browser Manager. Utility for quick installation of browsers).
• Background Plus. Allows, for example, to set video as wallpaper.
• Splash Screen Manager. Setting a theme for the loading screen.
• Look Changer. To select a design.

History

Zorin OS was originally conceived as a distribution for those users who want to painlessly migrate from Windows to Linux.

The interface (skin) could be customized to look similar to Windows 7 or Windows XP. The Look Changer utility was used to change the interface.

Later, the developers moved away from such a concept of the distribution kit and began to promote it as an alternative to Windows and MacOS.

Editorials

There are several editions of Zorin OS, including a paid version.

Free editions:

• Zorin OS Core is the basic edition for most users.
• Zorin OS Lite is a lightweight edition with an XFCE desktop designed for use on older computers. Previously, this edition used the LXDE environment.
• Zorin OS Education is a training edition. Includes many educational applications at various levels.

Paid edition:

• Zorin OS Ultimate is a paid edition. Previously, the paid edition was called Zorin OS Premium. If you purchase a paid version, you get technical support from the developers.

Installation

The distribution installation process repeats the Ubuntu Linux installation process and shouldn't be difficult.

Installation can be performed from live mode.

Development

The founder of the distribution kit is a programmer Artem Zorin. He is Russian, but lives in Bulgaria. His parents are Russian, who moved from Ukraine to Ireland many years ago.

Zorin OS Distribution Releases

Zorin OS Is an Ubuntu-based distribution designed to provide a familiar working environment for Windows users on Linux. Typically, each release includes four versions of Zorin OS: Core, Lite, Business, and Ultimate. The Core and Lite versions are free, while the Business and Ultimate versions cost € 8.99 and € 9.99 respectively. Paid versions include technical support and some additional features. For Zorin OS 11, only Core and Ultimate editions are available at the time of this writing. I'll be looking at the Core version, but I'll touch on some of the additional features available in the paid versions.

Zorin OS 11 is built on Ubuntu 15.10 and uses the 4.2 kernel. Both Zorin OS 11 Core and Zorin OS 11 Ultimate have 32 and 64 bit builds. The 64-bit Zorin OS 11 Core ISO weighs 1.6GB. Version 11 will be supported until July 2016. Users interested in Zorin OS but needing longer support can use Zorin OS 9, which is built on Ubuntu 14.04 LTS and will be supported until April 2019. The LTS release additionally has free Educational and Educational Lite versions.

Since Zorin OS 11 is Ubuntu 15.10 with additional packages, the installation process is familiar to anyone who has ever used Ubuntu or derivatives. The download is fast, the user is offered to try the distribution kit without installation, or install it. Choosing the try option loads the desktop of a fully functional system, and when choosing install you will see a slightly modified Ubiquity installer from Ubuntu.

Based on Ubuntu, Zorin OS gets all of its benefits, including a familiar installer and a wide range of programs, but at the same time it has major differences. Instead of the Unity desktop and other optional graphical environments with a large selection of themes, Zorin OS uses a combination of different components to create a unique desktop environment. Most programs are from GNOME 3.16, but instead of GNOME Shell it uses Avant Window Navigator, Compiz and its own Zorin Start launcher / system menu, which together provide a very Windows-like look and feel.

By default, the desktop is made similar to Windows 7. It is not a complete clone, but similar enough to provide a comfortable environment for Windows users. What's really good about it is that despite the similarity to Windows 7, this clone has its own unique look. The pre-installed apps are also well integrated into the overall theme.

For users who want something different, there are two more desktop styles available in Zorin OS Core. It might look like Windows XP or GNOME 2. Switching to Windows XP mode changes the layout of the application menu, making it look like it was in Windows XP, and makes other changes. In GNOME 2 mode, you get a standard layout with a bottom and top bar.

Paid users also get Mac OS X, Unity, and Windows 2000 modes. In addition to the different modes, Zorin OS offers three color themes (White, Black and Dark), each of which can be further customized by choosing a different primary color (blue, green, orange, red and gray).

Of the three modes available in Zorin OS 11 Core, I prefer Windows 7. It looks more polished and polished. When I tried switching to Windows XP mode on my test machine, I found that the context menu for the application menu items did not work at all. In order for the context menu to remain open, I had to hold down the right mouse button, so I could not press the left to click a menu item (we are talking about working with a laptop touchpad with one physical key). Nowhere else, except for the application menu in Windows XP mode, I have not encountered such a problem. GNOME 2 mode is fine on its own, but the application menus use old monochrome icons that look odd enough, and few modern programs still support them.

In truth, I don't understand the logic behind having only three desktops in the free version of the distro. I can understand that the distro has a paid version and has premium features that are only available for money. I just cannot understand the logic behind choosing these premium features. In addition to three additional desktop modes, users of the paid version get a utility for changing the boot screen saver and a utility for using video as desktop wallpaper. None of the additional features made me want to upgrade to the paid version.

Apart from the various desktop modes, the distribution is not too different from any other Debian-based Linux with the GNOME graphical environment. The main applications are Firefox, LibreOffice, and the usual GNOME suite of programs and utilities. However, there are also noticeable differences. Geary is the default email client and OpenShot video editor is preinstalled. Although Firefox is the default browser, there is a utility to help the user install Google Chrome, GNOME Web and Midori. Zorin OS comes with WINE, WineTricks, and PlayOnLinux installed by default to make it easier for Windows users to migrate to Linux. Like Ubuntu, Zorin OS has a "restricted extras" package that provides support for mp3, Flash, etc.

If the preinstalled applications are not enough, you can install the programs using the Software Center and Synaptic Package Manager. Everything that is in the Ubuntu 15.10 repositories is available here as well. Installation of proprietary drivers is the same as in Ubuntu, and there is even a graphical utility for installing Windows drivers for wireless network cards using ndiswrapper.

On my test machine, Zorin OS 11 worked fine. Without running applications, the system consumed an average of 950 MB of RAM, and switching between different desktop modes had practically no effect on this value. With the exception of the Windows XP and GNOME 2 mode issues described above, Zorin OS 11 Core has proven to be a very reliable release.

Conclusion

My experience with Zorin OS 11 Core has been positive and I love it. I'm just not sure if I would recommend this release for Windows users looking to switch to Linux. Better to use a long term support release. This, by the way, will be a future release based on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS. Don't get me wrong, Zorin OS 11 is very good, but will only be supported for six months. It will be easier for beginners to master the release, which does not need to be reinstalled after several months of use.

So that the adherents do not assert there Linux , the number of their supporters in comparison with the number of users of other operating systems is no more than five percent, and most of this very five percent are people who have never had any business with either Windows or other platforms. If, among the Windows users, there are those who voluntarily switch to Linux , then those can be counted on one hand.

In addition, in fairness, it should be noted that after Windows, the Linux system may seem very unusual and even inconvenient, so to make the transition from Windows to Linux less painful, the developers of some Linux distributions are trying to make them as similar to Windows as possible. This is - based on Ubuntu a system that has an interface similar to Windows 7 and a set of programs, selected in such a way as to best match the software set of Windows.

Brief history of creation

The idea of \u200b\u200bcreating Zorin OS belongs to a Russian developer Artyom Zorin, which has set itself the goal of making it as easy as possible for Windows users to switch to Linux, in particular to Ubuntu. For this, the developer equipped the system with a special utility-switch Zorin look changerwhich allows the user to choose a desktop environment between Windows 7, XP and GNOME 2, and in the premium version, you can also choose the Windows 2000, Unity and Mac OS X shells.

The system was announced in September 2008 years later, and less than a year later, the first beta version became available. A year later, stable version 1.0 appeared. The second version of the system is currently available under the index 2.0 ... It was in this version that the Windows 7 graphical shell was added to the system, as well as some new programs were integrated.

Installation and functionality overview

You can install Zorin OS as a primary or secondary system. The procedure for installing the system is no different from installing Ubuntu.

In the case of installing next to Windows, everything is even simpler - the wizard itself identifies the current system, determines the unallocated space itself, installs the bootloader itself and performs a complete installation, the user only needs to specify his region and come up with data for authorization in the system.

Externally at the same time somewhat resembles Windows 7, Windows XP, Ubuntu and something else elusive. There is also a Start menu, a taskbar, a system tray and a Control Center - an analogue of the Windows control panel.

Instead of Explorer - a file manager Nautilus, simple and convenient, with a navigation bar on the left side of the window.

A player is offered for working with audio and video "Video", editor OpenShot Video Editor, Rhythmbox.

For working with images Gimp, LibreOffice Draw, ImageMagick and viewer PDF .

To view Internet sites, the system is integrated Firefox.

And also a special manager that allows you to install other browsers.

The package is responsible for viewing office documents Libre, for the solution of system tasks, about 20 -and various utilities. If the set of standard programs does not seem enough for you, you can install third-party programs using Application Center - something like a Windows 8.1 / 10 store. We should also mention the program Winewhich allows some Windows applications to run on Ubuntu.