Zorin OS 9

[naboo]

Hi,

Zorin OS 9 seems to be really good for beginners to Linux. Its the best Windows interface clone I could find, and having previously had bad experiences with Ubuntu and wireless networking, I figured I'd be better off sticking with a more familiar interface whilst I learn the back end.

Having successfully installed Q4OS on a neighbour's dying XP machine, I decided that my PC was next. After some research, and given that my PC spec is semi-decent, I thought Zorin OS 9 64-bit Core edition was for me. Loaded up a bootable USB, tried it, liked it, installed it over Windows 8.1 (non-genuine, this being one of the push factors, the other being that Windows 8.1 is really not worth spending 5000B on, nor is it any good). I highly recommend Zorin OS 9 to anyone new to Linux.

That said, I do have a few issues.

• The wireless does drop out on occasion, and seems to cause not only issues with this Zorin machine, but also prevents our mobile devices connecting to the router for a few minutes. I will probably set up a LAN connection to the PC, but to do that I'll need to buy a new router - mine has one LAN out which I use to connect an Android TV box.

• I can't get flash to add to Firefox. I love the online golf game WGT which requires flash. No problem to play it in Chrome which comes with flash built in, I just prefer to use Firefox. I have downloaded the file install_flash_player_11_linux.x86_64.tar.gz and unpacked it, I just don't know how to proceed.

• After installing Zorin over Windows, all my partitions disappeared. How do I partition a drive? I've done it before on Ubuntu, but that was a very long time ago.

• I'd be willing to pay the 300-400B for the premium edition, can anybody tell me what it has over the free version other than supporting the developers? This would be a question for people who have bought the premium version as the website doesn't really say much.

• I have a copy of Windows 7 OEM. Is it possible to install this alongside Zorin in a dual boot?

I'd like this thread to be one for Zorin OS 9 users who are new to Linux to share knowledge and ask for help. For that to happen, there need to be others running Zorin OS 9, so I encourage you to download it!

http://zorin-os.com/index.html

[steve187]

Hi i have been using Zorin os 9 for a few months having upgraded from os8, that said i'm new to linux, i find most how to do's on google, look for ubuntu how to's

Can you not install flash from 'software centre'

I use zorin with windows 7 as a dual boot but separate hard drives. i had trouble with same disk dual boot due to UEFI bios.

hope you stick with Zorin

[dharmabm]

If you want to give Linux a try, why in the world would you want the most 'windows like' distro available? Take the advice that most anyone gives and use mint or lububtu. Far more support available of you encounter any problems

sent from my slimkat 1+ using tapatalk

[naboo]

If you want to give Linux a try, why in the world would you want the most 'windows like' distro available? Take the advice that most anyone gives and use mint or lububtu. Far more support available of you encounter any problems

sent from my slimkat 1+ using tapatalk

Because in the past, when I've used Ubuntu, half of my frustrations were not being able to find anything.

With Zorin, I know where everything is.

[steve187]

there's a nice friendly bunch of helpful people on here

[naboo]

Can you not install flash from 'software centre'

I've installed Adobe Flash installer from the software centre, but flash still doesn't work in Firefox. How do I activate it?

edit: I found these instructions on a comment in the Software Centre:

I did these steps in the terminal:

1. sudo add-apt-repository ppa:nilarimogard/webupd8

2. sudo apt-get update

3. sudo apt-get install freshplayerplugin

This will install pepper flash(google chrome's flash player) to firefox

4. sudo apt-get install flashplugin-installer

Flash is now working in Firefox. Success!

Edited January 16, 2015 by naboo

[dharmabm]

If you want to give Linux a try, why in the world would you want the most 'windows like' distro available? Take the advice that most anyone gives and use mint or lububtu. Far more support available of you encounter any problems

sent from my slimkat 1+ using tapatalk

Because in the past, when I've used Ubuntu, half of my frustrations were not being able to find anything.

With Zorin, I know where everything is.

I didn't say anything about Ubuntu, I recommended mint or lubuntu

sent from my slimkat 1+ using tapatalk

[dave_boo]

If you're happy paying for the work that Zorin adds to Debian...go for it!

Mint was mentioned for the n00b; with the large installed base it is easy to get answers to your questions.

Unfortunately you're going to have to bust out some install disks again. The easiest way to do it would be to reboot with the disc in and choose the 'live environment'. After it finishes loading, look for 'gparted'. If not installed "sudo apt-get install gparted" grabs it for you. You then open it up and go to town on partitioning. If you run Steam on Windows, as I do, keep a large partition for it. If you want to share files, create another NTFS partition that won't FURBAR your Win7 install if something goes wrong with the Linux writing to your NTFS partition (which has never happened to me...but I still keep a separate partition just in case things go tits up!).

Also, for the love of sweet baby Jesus...create a separate /home partition! Figure it to be at least 2x as big as the files you are going to be downloading/editing/whatever so that fragmentation is kept to a minimum and future growth is planned for. I always have at least 3 partitions; "/", "/home", and "swap" (which I still keep at 4GB for...well I don't know other than habit).

I'm going to catch flack for the last paragraph; but when you tire of Zorin and want to install something else, or you want to fresh install a new version of Zorin it's simply a matter of formatting the "/" partition, installing the new OS and going to town. Also if you are doing back-ups it's much quicker, as well as resulting in a smaller back-up, to only rsync the "/home" partition rather than everything.

After you partition the drive do a full shutdown. Take out the Zorin install media and put in the Win7 install media. Install as normal using the first (or only) NTFS partition. After getting that setup, reboot with the Zorin install media and install there; just make sure that you link the "/" and "/home" to the proper place (don't worry about swap as every Linux install in recent years just finds it and uses it). You can choose to format them if you didn't do that in the 'live environment'. Make sure that the install recognises your Win7. Make sure that a shared partition, if used, is mounted to a place like "/backup". Let it work its magic and you should be good to go.

As an aside, assuming that you have a single hard drive in, it is called "sda". Partitions are labeled from "sda1" to "sda128". So if you first have a Win7 partition, it is recognised as "sda1". A shared partition is "sda2". I always put the swap next (due to old platters providing the best speed on the outermost edges or lowest partition numbers) and so it ends up being "sda3". Your "/" is "sda4" and "/home" is "sda5". Hope you get the gist and can do the subtracting/adding if you don't have partitions I recommend or you add others in.

If any of that did not make sense, please ask away. That's how I learned (other than RTFM) and I'd be remiss not to return the favour.

As an aside, your issues with the wireless are the exact opposite of mine on my Lenovo Y500. Under Windows it is as flaky as hell needing to be disabled/re-enabled every couple of days at least. Further off track it would also take the TP-Link router down with it for some reason...never understood why but I simply stopped using the Wifi under Windows. Under Linux it just chugs along.

[WhizBang]

If you want to give Linux a try, why in the world would you want the most 'windows like' distro available?

Actually, I would consider that a MAJOR PLUS.

One of my biggest frustrations with every attempt to give linux a try, is trying to find my way around and getting things done. I always end up giving up and going back to windows.

[SpaceKadet]

If you want to give Linux a try, why in the world would you want the most 'windows like' distro available?

Actually, I would consider that a MAJOR PLUS.

One of my biggest frustrations with every attempt to give linux a try, is trying to find my way around and getting things done. I always end up giving up and going back to windows.

I agree with that. It definitely helps people that are used to widoze to feel more at home on Linux. And let's remember, that's only a customized and skinned desktop. The rest of the stuff is pure Linux, from the kernel and up, no matter what distro. Most of the currently popular Linux desktop managers can be made to look like Win desktop with some customization effort. In fact, the Windows desktop is probably the best part of that particular operating system, well, excluding Win8 of course...

I'm using CentOS 7 with KDE customized to approximate Windows desktop, and Linux Mint with Cinnamon that looks close enough to Windows. Havent tried Zorin, but there's always time to play with another distro

[A1Str8]

I agree. Zorin is good.

[naboo]

This is the sort of problem I have.

Last night, I installed a program. Had to go to Software Centre, Edit, Software Sources, Other Software, Add........

I'm fairly competent, so learning these things isn't too much of an issue. I know I can do it in terminal, but I'm just a better than average computer user, no expert, and so I just want things to be done simply.

Got it installed. Realised I didn't want it after all. So I thought I'd remove it. Went into software centre, found the program, selected it, now where's the uninstall button? Right click, nothing. Looked around for a good 20 minutes, can't do it. Google, got to find the Synaptic Package Manager and uninstall from there. Why can't it be an option in the Software Centre?

I'm willing to learn a bit, by choosing Zorin, I can do that without spending 30 seconds trying to figure out where the basics are every time.

So lesson for noobs like me.

Install via Software Centre (sometimes).

Uninstall via Synaptic Package Manager.

[crabdog]

If you want to give Linux a try, why in the world would you want the most 'windows like' distro available? Take the advice that most anyone gives and use mint or lububtu. Far more support available of you encounter any problems

This sounds like an argument from ignorance because Zorin and Mint look and feel very similar in the way things are laid out. In fact most mainstream Linux distros are "windows like" in appearance with the exception of Ubuntu's Unity.

I've used Zorin and Mint on multiple machines in the past and in fact still have Zorin Lite on my HTPC. Always been happy using them both.

[dave_boo]

What get's me about those who have been using Linux for a while and deride converts for wanting a familiar environment is that they would be howling like a mad dog at the moon if someone forced them to use Unity instead of KDE/fvwm/lxde/Xfce/Enlightenment/whatever.

[SpaceKadet]

Consistence is the key, Dave. It increases productivity. That's why there is such a resistance to move to Windows 8/8.1 for the corporate users.

[dave_boo]

Consistence is the key, Dave. It increases productivity. That's why there is such a resistance to move to Windows 8/8.1 for the corporate users.

I understand. But it doesn't detract from the point that it's hypocritical for those who use F/OSS software to negatively comment on a convert's choice of DE.

[SpaceKadet]

I get your point Dave. That is what I was saying in my post earlier. People should use what they feel most comfortable with. If Unity is it, then so be it.... If you want your Linux destop to look like Windows, because you feel at home with that, cool. At least on Linux we have a choice of a Destop Manager and shell and most are almost infinitely customizable.

[dave_boo]

I get your point Dave. That is what I was saying in my post earlier. People should use what they feel most comfortable with. If Unity is it, then so be it.... If you want your Linux destop to look like Windows, because you feel at home with that, cool. At least on Linux we have a choice of a Destop Manager and shell and most are almost infinitely customizable.

LXDE is the best...and you can't argue that point! Goes back to Win95 style (at least) and can be configured as you want. Uses some of the least amount of resources for any of the DE available.

[SpaceKadet]

Whatever's your poison I kind of liked KDE3 and now struggling to make KDE4 look and behave like it. Warming up on Cinnamon on Mint though.

[dave_boo]

Whatever's your poison I kind of liked KDE3 and now struggling to make KDE4 look and behave like it. Warming up on Cinnamon on Mint though.

I had a late start to Linux, mid '99, and got a Mandrake book/cd. It of course used KDE 1 and worked just fine. I then switched over to Suse. They used/use KDE and I stayed on that until KDE4 was released. It was so buggy I wanted to reach across the internet and slap the developers. I figured it was time to try something new so I switched over to LXDE. Good decision in my book. As most of the time I have programmes open, the look doesn't matter much to me. As long as it has an acceptable level of usability and sane choices of where things are located I am good.

I will say that the idea in KDE 4/Win Vista of just typing the programme name after hitting the start key is pretty brilliant though...

[SpaceKadet]

"I wanted to reach across the internet and slap the developers"... my sentiments exactly Not only was it buggy, but they also removed a lot of handy features available in KDE3, and called it an improvement!

But I've been using RHEL/CentOS at work so when the time came to upgrade to RHEL6, it was KDE4 or die. Never managed to configure Gnome to my liking. A solution would be to install something outside of the distro, like LXDE, but that is never a good solution for corporate use. Other then that LXDE is pretty sleek.

AFAIK the SuSE still uses KDE. Haven't used it for a long while. To me, SuSE is like a soi dog. Everybody feeds it occasionally, but nobody wants it, even for free. I'm talking about the corporate edition, aka SLES.

They do have a kickass application though. Login to https://susestudio.com/ with your Google credentials, and create your own minimal (or maximal) distribution using OpenSuSE or SLES and standard distro applications. You can also clone and modify any of the thousands appliances created by users.Great if you want a dedicated router, firewall, specialized server, or something quick and dirty for special occasions. Just click, click, done and download. Bootable CD, USB or disk image.

It would be great if other major players had the same facility. Are you reading this Red Hat?

[aarn]

If you want to try zorin, formerly the .iso file had to be downloaded using firefox (not sure now). But that is OK 'coz you can add the downthemall extension to it and watch your downloads sizzle. Making a live usb using unetbootin was easy with zorin, too.

I would be very careful about removing any package (program) from a linux installation, coz there's a chance the action might also rip out some co-dependencies. I used to think that I would never need those email/bloat packages that came with the ubuntu family, better to just let them there and ignore. They don't take up so much space...

If you still want to have a play with the dozer, the latest build of windows 10 is out and it's free I found it to be better than 97, 98...7 (never touched 8). There are recent links on thaivisa.com to obtain a legal copy and install. Happy twiddling, AA