Linux 4.18 arrives fashionably late while Zorin OS shines up its Windows

Linux lovers have received a double load of delight this week with the emission of the 4.18 kernel and a refresh of Windows-wannabe Zorin OS. Zorin OS 12.4 Zorin OS has been around for a while, with the avowed goal of weaning Windows and Mac users off their respective operating systems and into the world of Linux. The Ubuntu- …

[bombastic bob]

not sure if I want to fork over money...

not sure if I want to fork over money for a Linux OS to *STOP* looking like Win-10-nic. Devuan with mate, or Mint out of the box, is SO much easier.

When I read the title of the article, I had considered making fun of it looking like Win-10-nic, something about "windows 10 and Unity had a baby, and IT! IS! UGLY!!!" or something similar.

Now I'm just sad.

Just to clarivy: I believe that forking over money for something of value, like a support contract, or business-friendly features, is not a bad thing. RH and others have a business model for that. But like 'Lindows' aka 'Linspire' from a decade or so ago, subscription models to get UPDATES, or "pay extra for these features you REALLY want", are kinda bad. So yeah it's their business model I don't like.

at least if they do like Linspire/Lindows did, and convince some computer-makers to ship with their OS pre-loaded, you would know Linux supports the hardware and THEN just install whatever Linux flavor you want after it arrives. I did that with inexpensive Linspire boxen back in the day...

[Sven Coenye]

Re: not sure if I want to fork over money...

What business model did you expect from Zorin Industries?

Mine's the one with the detonator in the pocket...

[Korev]

Re: not sure if I want to fork over money...

>What business model did you expect from Zorin Industries?

Have a virtual beer for that one, shaken, not stirred -->

[Anonymous Bullard]

Re: not sure if I want to fork over money...

Actually, the paid-for edition has:

Added macOS, Gnome 2 and Unity desktop layouts in Zorin Appearance

So, you would indeed be forking out money to remove the Windows look.

[Cynic_999]

Wanted to try but couldn't

It sounds interesting - especially the "lite" version that I will try out on a 15 year old Dell PC with limited memory that sometimes struggles just a little with Linux Mint. But they sure make it difficult to find the buttons needed to download the free versions - it doesn't bode well for the design of the user interfaces. (Hint, it's disguised as a "Buy Zorin Core Now" donation button defaulting to a 10 Euro charge, but you can change it to 0 Euro which gets you to the free download screen) Their default automatic download site brought up an error, but hitting the "download now" button eventually initiated a download from Sourceforge.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Wanted to try but couldn't

'Their default automatic download site brought up an error, but hitting the "download now" button eventually initiated a download from Sourceforge.'

Sourceforge is a PITA, I've found that if files are hosted there, it's easier to pop open another browser tab/window and point it to https://sourceforge.mirrorservice.org/ then navigate up from there, e.g. for zorin it would be https://sourceforge.mirrorservice.org/z/zo/zorin-os/12/, it's then a case of choose you poison (and at this point rather than trust a browser, I usually copy the URL to the iso/whatever and then wget -c it in a console.)

Not that I'm the target market for this distro (the objectionable init system coupled with the Win10 user interface?..so much 'do not want'...)

[Mage]

Re: Wanted to try but couldn't

Linux Mint distro + Mate desktop + TraditionalOK theme sounds like a better idea.

Also unlike locked out Win10 desktop customisation (Vista was more flexible), most Linux distros have a wide choice of desktops and themes for them, W98, NT4, Vista, Mac OS, Win10 and other styles of GUI & Desktop free. Including traditional X or Mac OS9.

[John Savard]

PlayOnLinux

All right. I'm confused here. The article mentioned PlayOnLinux as something that lets you run Windows programs on Linux that won't run on Wine.

But PlayOnLinux is a front-end for Wine.

Maybe it's because the programs will run, but they're hard to install without the help of a front-end program like PlayOnLinux, as might be implied by some of what I saw in the description on their site, but it's not really clear.

[BinkyTheMagicPaperclip]

Re: PlayOnLinux

Strictly speaking that's true, but PlayOnLinux (and Crossover) allow for different versions of Wine to be used per program, automatically configured.

Obviously this is possible with Wine as-is, but most people are probably going to run one version of Wine without fiddling with prefixes.

[Sorry that handle is already taken.]

Zorin OS

Is it named after a Christopher Walken character?

[onefang]

Re: Zorin OS

"Is it named after a Christopher Walken character?"

Sorry, Sorry that handle is already taken, but I think that characters handle was already taken.

[TVU]

Re: Zorin OS

It's named after the two Zorin brothers' surname (Russian-Ukrainian) who live in the Republic of Ireland and who produce this Linux distribution.

I wish them well since they are offering another choice aside from the usual Windows/macOS duopoly.

[OrneryRedGuy]

Re: Zorin OS

Right. I'm not going to bother to examine their business model just to form an opinion of it, but I wholeheartedly support the general goal of helping ordinary computer users (i.e. nobody here) get more out of their machines.

And if I had both Windows and MacOS workalike interfaces, I know which one I'd charge money for.

[Mage]

Re: Zorin OS

Yes!

:)

[Tom 38]

Re: Zorin OS

It's named after the two Zorin brothers' surname (Russian-Ukrainian) who live in the Republic of Ireland

Obvs they aren't allowed anywhere near Silicon Valley

[Ian Joyner]

What they are for

Linux is for servers - where professionals test updates and new software and control security.

MacOS (and iOS) is for end users who need security built in.

Windows is for support people.

[Tommy Pock]

Re: What they are for

Linux is for everyone.

The others are for people who haven't tried Linux yet

[keithpeter]

Re: What they are for

@Ian Joyner

So where would you locate the *BSDs and illumos based operating systems?

Coat: mine's the one with the Slackware DVD in the pocket.

[Anonymous Coward]

Zorin OS

I'd not heard of Zorin OS before, so apologies if this is a daft question, but...

"The Ubuntu-based distribution has now hit version 12.4, the last version until the platform is shifted to Ubuntu 18.04 towards the end of the year."

If it's based on Ubuntu, which I understand to be an OS built on Linux, is Zorin actually an OS in its own right, or is it just a shell for Ubuntu?

For various reasons I've never needed to get too involved with Linux. I understand about having different OS distros based on a common Linux kernel, but I haven't come across an OS based on an OS before....hence my confusion.

[israel_hands]

Re: Zorin OS

It's pretty standard, to be honest. Ubuntu itself is based on Debian. Zorin is based on Ubuntu, as is Mint and a hell of a lot of other distros out there.

They use the same basis but maintain their own software repos and often bundle different file browsers, desktops and other standard software packages with them.

I suppose the advantage is you've got a fairly stable codebase (Debian/Ubuntu) but then as a use you can pick which flavour suits you best, rather than having to take stock Ubuntu and then doing all the work of swapping packages in and out for your own preferred versions.

I think most distros out there originate as forks from Debian or Red Hat, with some notable exceptions such as Slackware and Arch Linux.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Zorin OS

Thanks for the clarification. So, as a crude analogy of the hierarchy, Debian equates to MS-DOS and Ubuntu equates to Windows 95?

[israel_hands]

Re: Zorin OS

Sort of. I think a better analogy would be the car industry where there are only 3 or 4 basic chassis types that everyone uses but then the body-kit, interiors, and optional extra are bundled on type by each manufacturer to produce their own specific models.

Even that's a bit of a tortured analogy, to be honest.

I think the basic idea is you find a distro you like because of the desktop/packages/icons/random subsystem/whatever and then you take flaming pitchforks to anyone who uses a different distro.

Mine's Mint. Death to heretics.

[Bibbit]

Re: Zorin OS

There can be no peace until you submit to the glory of Kubuntu, Godless infidel!

[Tom 38]

Re: Zorin OS

Even that's a bit of a tortured analogy, to be honest.

You do yourself a disservice, that's the best damn analogy I've heard! Zorin is to Ubuntu like a 2008 Tesla Roadster is to a Lotus Elise.

[onefang]

Re: Zorin OS

"So, as a crude analogy of the hierarchy, Debian equates to MS-DOS and Ubuntu equates to Windows 95?"

This might help, or not, it's somewhat out of date, there's more of 'em now.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Linux_distributions

[Glen 1]

Re: Zorin OS

More windows 2000 and windows xp.

Kinda the same under the hood, but quite different interface wise, and with a (sometimes) different set of default apps

[keithpeter]

Re: Zorin OS

@AC: Nope, as they all have roughly equivalent functionality. Once stuff is free (as in beer and as in spirit) you can fork the base and get your own idea up and running very quickly.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Linux_Distribution_Timeline.svg

Above gives you the family tree so to speak. I'm on the Slackware trunk.

[Anonymous Coward]

The default desktop bears a striking resemblance to Windows 10, replete with a familiar-looking start menu

All the more reason not to touch it, then.

[Anonymous Coward]

That UI...

The default desktop bears a striking resemblance to Windows 10, replete with a familiar-looking start menu.

Err... yeah, right.

It looks pretty much how I would expect Windows to look if it had been designed by Fisherprice in the 80s.

[Glen 1]

Re: That UI...

I thought that was XP. Dubbed 'the Tellytubby interface'

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: That UI...

Nah, XP was pure Disney.

[Mage]

Re: XP. Dubbed 'the Tellytubby interface'

But unlike Win 10, you could easily customise XP to be more like Win9x / NT4.0, without installing anything.

Win2K, XP, Vista, Win7 allowed extensive customisation and turning off or even uninstalling all the crap. You can't do much on Win10 which reminds me of Win 286 or Win 3.0 or Gem on a monochrome screen with a Hercules card or maybe EGA card in mono if I'm generous. Do the Win10 GUI designers know NOTHING about GUI design?

[Ian Johnston]

At last, it's the Year of Linux On The Desktop.

[Anonymous Coward]

At last, it's the Year of Linux On The Desktop.

You mean, Groundhog Day?

(Writing this on a 6 year old Thinkpad, running Centos 7 with Mate Desktop)

[W. Anderson]

More options are some times very good

As a twenty year plus Linux and BSD UNIX-like user and professional technologist, I applaud Zorin for their efforts as offering another option - Linux distribution/version for moving more common computer users away from the horrendous Windows ecosystem - whether XP/Win-7/8 or Windows 10.

I have installed Zorin -11 and 12 on business clients' desktops, who were instantly comfortable with the familiarity to previous Windows 7 desktops, and felt more secure in the option of purchasing - very reasonably priced - technical support.

In many cases, Zorin or Linuxmint users at the start, will move on to trying other more technically oriented Linux or a BSD distributions, once they are bitten by the superiority - in every sense - of Free/Open Source Software (FOSS) Operating System (OS) bug.

[DrBed]

Zorin hmmm

"Another One Bites the Dust"

If I would pay for Gnome DE, I'll pay it to Clem (>Mint).