For Windows users want to try out Linux, Zorin OS is a good choice for people being lazy and don’t wanna make efforts to tweak the system.
Linux is a family of open-source operating systems based on Linux Kernel. There are so many Linux Distros in the world that beginners get confused which one to try first.
For business or programming, I will recommend Ubuntu or Linux Mint. But for general purpose, Zorin OS is a good choice for beginners to get started.
Zorin OS is based on Ubuntu, the most popular Linux Distro. It privides 4 editions in the download page:
- Ultimate – full edition need to pay for downloading.
- Core – features modern Gnome desktop which is also default in Ubuntu.
- Lite – features XFCE, a lightweight desktop for old machines.
- Education – both Gnome and XFCE with some educational apps and games.
Different to default Gnome and XFCE UI, the Zorin OS desktop appearance is customized to look like Windows. If you’re switching from Windows, you’ll feel familiar with the default user interface.
It has a ‘Zorin Appearance‘ utility allows you to switch desktop appearance to classic Windows style, or full-screen launcher layout. As well, there are options to toggle desktop icons, theme colors, dark mode, fonts, and more.
As an Ubuntu based systems, it gets all the benefits from this popular Linux Distro. It’s stable, reliable. And you can easily install the latest Firefox, NVIDIA proprietary drivers, add Ubuntu PPAs, download & install .deb packages, and install all apps & games that can install on Ubuntu.
And for any issue, you can ask on askubuntu.com. But you need to first find out which Ubuntu edition it’s based on. To do so, open terminal from start menu and run command:
lsb_release -sc
It will output the Ubuntu codename. And you can find all current Ubuntu releases as well as codenames here.
Download Zorin OS:
You can download the Linux Distro from the link below. Then create a boot-able USB installer to install or try it out.
Final Word:
As a beginner friendly Linux Distro, Zorin OS is good for those switching from Windows for general purpose use. It’s ready to use straight out-of-the-box. However, for advanced users it could be customized version of Ubuntu system with some applications pre-installed.
So for lazy man just looking for an alternative OS, or don’t wanna go further into Linux world, Zorin OS is great!