Kiss Me, I’m Irish
Zorin OS is neither the first (that would probably be Linux Mint) nor the latest (that would probably be Solus) operating system hailing from the Emerald Isle, but it certainly is one of the most interesting distros I have tested in quite a while.
Now, I’m not exactly what you’d call a “distro hopper”, I do prefer rolling releases, and I (think I) made it abundantly clear in the past that I’m strongly leaning towards independently developed distros rather than forks. As such, I’d still consider myself a die–hard Debianite.
However, my preferences and opinions are not, and should not be, the subject of this review, nor should they influence your approach to the matter.
The objective of this review is, help the precious reader make their transition from Windows to Linux as smooth as any possible — with a bit of luck, you might even enjoy the ride. That is, if you are even up for this journey (if you consider liberating your computer and yourself, in other words).
Nomen Non Est Omen
Unlike many a Linux aficionado out there, Zorin’s developers do not appear to be fond of wordplay and name games. The distro is named after its head developer, Artyom Zorin, and individual versions are incrementally numbered.
Equally straightforward and pragmatic is their way of dealing with potential obstacles Windows users might experience. They definitely have gone to great lengths to make the new user instantly feel at home.
Your Computer, Your Choice
That I was not given a number of desktop environments (DE) to choose from surprised me at first. It wasn’t until I actually ran the distro (in a live session — always try out new distros before you go and shred your existing system, kids) that I realised it didn’t matter.
There was no need to decide on any particular DE, because Zorin let’s you switch desktop layouts on the fly. If you want your desktop to look and work the way you are used to from Windows, fine. If you’d rather have it the GNOME way, then go for it. Open an application called “Zorin Appearance”, and pick the structure you prefer.
If that’s still not enough for you (or if you feel it just is not right to use software without paying for it), you are welcome to buy the Pro edition. It’s €39 (at the time of writing) and offers even more options to enjoy your newfound liberty.
It Just Worked
Of course, I always try to find out if and how the peripheral devices I happen to use fare in the new environment. Well, no complaints whatsoever. Graphic tablet and printer/scanner worked “out of the box”. Setting up a fully customised and smoothly working production environment took me a shade under five hours. That’s not bad at all. I definitely have already been through worse to get less.
(Note: All times given in a review should be taken with a pinch of salt. How long it takes to set up an operating system, and even more so an entire production environment, heavily depends on a vast number of factors — the individual operating system usually being the least relevant of which.)
Caveat?
For the past 500 words I have tried to think of anything I didn’t like about Zorin. Well, it is a derivation of a derivation, so it is not utterly surprising that it is not based on the latest Ubuntu LTS version. If “bleeding edge” technology is what you need or prefer, POP!_OS might meet your expectations even better.
Anything else to Consider?
Actually, yes. Here’s a shortlist:
- There is no “perfect” operating system — otherwise, there would be only one left by now
- If you found one that’s working fine enough for your needs, stick to it
- Every new system requires a bit of getting used to — allow for a reasonable adjustment period
- Linux is not Windows — some things appear to be less easy (to the new user), but just as many (or even more) are considerably easier and more logical
- Always test whether your computer and the operating system are reasonably compatible — run the “Live Edition” before you mess up your existing system