Can I put the icons in the circle on the left in one panel, like the system tray on the right?
Be like Windows's system tray.
Be like Windows's system tray.
Not on Gnome. But Plasma can do that imitate Windows tray.
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I found this, but it's for Gnome 45 and 46 (Zorin uses 43), which allows what you are looking for in Gnome. So when Zorin 18 comes out, you can use it:
https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/6771/hide-items/
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The gnome devs intentionally removed / broke "system tray" functionality without providing an alternative besides suggesting that developers hook into the Notifications API instead... completely ignoring a bunch of other key aspects of the system tray. They get very pedantic and a bit rude when people don't agree with their superior decisions:
https://old.reddit.com/r/gnome/comments/7x7qc6/by_what_logic_was_system_tray_removed/
They also lie and double-speak about it, claiming that removing functionality and locking down the system to the point you need a dozen 3rd party Extensions to get a functional desktop experience is good for you: "Another key design principle for GNOME is to put the user in control. We aim to ensure that how the system looks and behaves is determined by the user."
https://blogs.gnome.org/aday/2017/08/31/status-icons-and-gnome/
Honestly, vanilla gnome - the desktop and their apps - are so frustratingly basic and opinionated, it's a terrible and unintuitive experience. I'd buy a Mac if I wanted to feel like I'm wearing a straightjacket while using my computer; actually, Mac is probably better out-of-the-box than gnome these days. Unfortunately, gnome is widely supported and does have some of the best trackpad and touchscreen support / gestures, making it one of the strongest contenders for laptops and tablets in the linux world.
Thank the gods for the Zorin devs who understand good desktop design despite using a gnome base.
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What you outline here is why I find it imperative that distros show support for competing desktop environments and keep diversity and user options alive.
If Distros drop support for all but Gnome, they empower Gnome all the more, which is exactly what Gnome has been gearing toward for years.
Once Distros and users are locked into One D.E., extensions, features and custom configurations can be far more easily whittled away.
To take a direction that supports this believing that Gnome will not do so is naive and incredibly short sighted. Enough so to stretch credulity.
Gnome has already been doing so... And double-speak and misdirection has come from others than just the Gnome devs.
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Is there a way to update Gnome 43 to Gnome 45 or 46 in Zorin OS?
Short answer, no. There's more under the hood going on that makes this harder than it seems as it's not just another program running, but more like a suite of little wheels and cogs spinning to make "visible layer", if you will, of the desktop experience.
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That is one of the nice things about Q4OS Plasma (and their TDE (Trinity Desktop Environment = early KDE)) edition offers additional DE's from the Welcome screen:
Plus different options for profiles too!:
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The more and more I delve into "Linux Land," the more I think Zorin should break away from GNOME and develop its own desktop environment (DE) OR switch completely over to something else, like Plasma or MATE, even. When I tried vanilla GNOME (Fedora), my honest, legitimate reaction was, "what the **** is this?"
I did not like having to rely on downloading extension after extension just to regain basic functionality. This is why I have suggested to the Zorin Group that they incorporate additional functions into the OS itself without having to have users download additional stuff unnecessarily just to make things "work," so that Zorin OS can become even more of a standalone OS in that sense.
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Let us see what the PopOS guys come up with Cosmos DE.
I tried Q4OS recently in a virtual machine. Liked what I saw.
I understand what you are saying. However, I am not virtuous enough to tolerate any stagnation in Zorin OS development or reduced functionality in order to maintain the diversity of DEs. How can we ensure that we have the resources to realize that ideal?
@Hackgets Well perhaps we don't wish to follow in the footsteps of Henry Ford when he launched the Model 'T': "You can have any color you want ... so long as it is black!"
This is a fallacy of begging the question.
It assumes the premise as "true" to base the question on. You must first establish as "true" that supporting more than one D.E. would stagnate Zorin OS or reduce Zorin OS functionality. You must also demonstrate this against the history of the past 15 years of Zorin OS releases.
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