Is it just me or does Zorin OS 17.2 Pro come with a fair amount of bloatware?
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This is a fair question. I would say "yes" and "no." Some of it actually is useful. Others not so much. I've had a much better experience going with the minimal install of Zorin OS Pro. I decide what gets installed, etc. And the software that it does come with is much less in comparison. Suggest you switch to the "minimal" install and enjoy.
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The whole purpose of the Pro package (aside from being a way to donate to the project) is to throw an application in for most tasks a user might have. If you install Pro without checking "minimal installation," you're kind of opting into it—the site describes it as including a bunch of additional software, after all.
That said, I've noted in other threads in feedback that I feel like even minimal installs more than I would like, and I've had issues removing unwanted software. (There are things installed by Zorin which aren't in the software store and thus can't be removed easily without finding the package name.) It's definitely a place where there's room for improvement.
I'm not moving this to feedback as right now this feels framed as discussion to me, but it's possible another regular will shuffle it over to the feedback forum at some point.
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For those who are not familiar with the Linux ecosystem, it may be needlessly difficult to find useful software that doesn't have a Windows version. It may even have a weird name that is not intuitive to search for online. It's all about making things easier out of the box.
Once you get more familiar with Linux, it's easier to navigate the waters, and more and more everything starts looking like bloatware. For example, if you don't use printers, then that driver is useless to have installed. But that doesn't mean that you should recompile a customize kernel just for that. Zorin OS is trying to make a smooth transition, I think it's important to keep that in mind.
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In fairness to the OP, the full install of Pro goes beyond smooth experience into "everything but the kitchen sink." Most users don't need CAD software, for example. Your point is 100% valid of course, but I don't think the OP is wrong in thinking Pro overshoots a bit. The problem is that there's no "one size fits all" here, and the alternative is making the user select things up front—an option I advocate for, but absolutely believe shouldn't be the default. As I said somewhere else, and in line with your own example, grandma shouldn't have to think about whether or not she needs CUPS.
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Mine was kindly installed by a friend who has his own computer repair shop, so I don't know what he chose when installing Zorin OS Pro. I am somewhat wary of uninstalling things at the moment. All still very new.
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I don't think it would be the worst option at all if you had a third option of "preselect desired software to install" during installation, so you can tailor it more for the people that need certain software. Example, you could install OBS if you stream, but not FreeCAD if you don't need it.
Some distros used to offer that as an option, and has been slowly going the way of the dinosaur.
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Up until now, I was using Linux Mint. I decided to change to give my laptop a new feel. She is 5 years old this April.
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Yeah, that's what I advocate for. I remember it being that way in the very early days, when I was trying Slackware and Mandrake, and while it shouldn't be the only option, it should be an option.
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You could make a list of apps you don't use and post it here and we can guide you what is safe to remove.
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I'm glad you thought of this question, it was thought provoking and I enjoyed reading the replies. I think the @Locklear93 @zenzen discussion really comes up with some nice proposals to solve the issue of making things easier out of the box for people, while still being less bloat for those that don't want it, by letting them either choose what they want to install or offering an easier way to completely remove unwanted things.
Perhaps even more description of the software to let new users like @JI070577 better determine what may safely be removed/what they may have no use for?
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Also, keep in mind, a lot of the concern with having all the apps installed with PRO, greatly is dependent on your drive size. Take me for example, I don't care that I have some apps I will never ever use, know why? Cause I have 2TB of drive space just inside the notebook alone. And it won't be long before I buy another 2TB in external drive space.
So unless you have a tiny 120GB drive, I just don't see the point of concern.
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Oh one thing I can confidently say though, all the stuff installed are real programs, not ads and spyware etc.
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Simple: all those applications also clog up the application launcher with irrelevant shortcuts, increase bandwidth usage/slow down updates as it updates things you never use, and so on and so forth. There are plenty of reasons not to want programs you don't use.
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I have used Zorin Ultimate/Pro since Zorin 6. Prior to that when I used WIN I would install a program only to find that it wasn't the best, or might be mainly advertising or whatever. Now when I am looking for the right app for the job, I don't need to look in the App Store - I usually find what I want, already installed and ready to use, and I know they are tested. There may be items that I never use, but I don't care. Even on my little HP notebook (SSD 512GB, RAM 16GB) I have no problem with this approach.
I did try Linux Lite which provides a list of Apps that can be installed with one click, but found Zorin Pro preferable.
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No, because those 'bloatware' is the promised suite of applications that come with Pro.
I think there's an option to install a lighter version (not Zorin OS Lite). You can try that if you don't want all the additional software.
Firstly it’s not “bloatware”, these apps are for people who have a business and make use of those (not all). If users don’t want these apps installed they should have selected the minimal installation during install process.
The apps can be uninstalled, go to the store and select the apps you don’t want.
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When nI first installed Zorin (Pro 16.1) I installed the full thing. Disk space wasn't a concern, the full install left far more space on my drive than Windows had. I had tried a few distros way back in the 90s and 00s but this was my first serious install, intending to use it every day.
The full install gave a way to test drive lots of different software and see what was available. With the experience gained, I recently installed 17.2 Pro on my new notebook with the minimal install, and manually installed just the apps I knew I wanted to use.
Perhaps the language on the install page could be clearer and give some guidance, but I'm glad the full install-everything option is there. It provides a fully functioning ecosystem out of the box, as advertised. Those with more experience can switch to minimal.
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This is for me the main reason to remove things I don't use. The extra time it takes during updates is really annoying, and the bandwidth waste is an issue that doesn't get enough attention.
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