When I installed Zorin 17.2, Blender did not start. Zorin Tech Support helped me with some useful tips. Their comments may be useful if you encounter a similar problem...
There could be several reasons why Blender is not starting up on Zorin OS, especially considering your ATI Radeon 5450 graphics card. Here are some troubleshooting steps you can take to diagnose and potentially resolve the issue:
AMD ATI Drivers:
If your computer has an AMD Radeon graphics card, installing its proprietary AMDGPU-PRO driver software may fix the issue you're experiencing. You can do this by following these instructions: Activate AMD Radeon Graphics Card - Zorin Help
Try Xorg, instead of Wayland :
To try and resolve this issue, please follow these steps:
- Restart your computer
- At the login screen, please select your username.
- Click on the gear icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen to open the desktop environment menu.
- Select the "Zorin Desktop on Xorg" option, not "Zorin Desktop" or "Zorin Desktop on Wayland".
- Afterward, log in normally again.
Check System Requirements: Ensure that your version of Blender is compatible with your hardware and operating system. The Radeon 5450 is an older card, and newer versions of Blender may have higher requirements. (See below, older versions of Blender may be more suitable for your hardware).
Update Graphics Drivers: Make sure you have the latest drivers for your ATI Radeon graphics card. You can check for updates through the terminal:
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
You may also want to look for proprietary drivers in the "Software & Updates" application under the "Additional Drivers" tab.
Run Blender from Terminal: Open a terminal and try running Blender from there to see if any error messages are displayed. You can do this by typing:
blender
Look for any error messages that might indicate what the problem is.
Check for Missing Dependencies: Sometimes, Blender may require additional libraries that are not installed by default. You can check for missing dependencies by running:
sudo apt install blender
Reset Blender Preferences: If Blender was previously installed and has configuration files that may be causing issues, you can reset its preferences. You can do this by renaming or deleting the Blender configuration folder:
mv ~/.config/blender ~/.config/blender_backup
Check for OpenGL Issues: Since Blender relies heavily on OpenGL, ensure that your system is properly configured to use it. You can check your OpenGL version with:
glxinfo | grep "OpenGL version"
If you encounter issues, you may need to install or configure Mesa drivers.
Try a Different Version of Blender: If you're using the latest version of Blender, consider trying an older version that may be more compatible with your hardware.
Reinstall Blender: If all else fails, try uninstalling and then reinstalling Blender:
sudo apt remove blender
sudo apt install blender