Subject: Zorin OS: Chrome & Brave Crashing on YouTube (Error 5/11) – Firefox Works Fine – Here’s the Fix!
Posted by: @nainitalnomad
Date: November 10, 2025
Location: India (IST)
Hey Zorin community! 
I’m running Zorin OS (latest) on my laptop, and after a clean install, I noticed something weird:
- Pre-installed Brave → Worked for a day → Started crashing hard (Error 5, Error 11, full freeze)
- Downloaded Chrome (.deb) → Same story: smooth at first, then crashes after 10–15 mins of YouTube
- Switched to Firefox → Rock solid. No crashes. YouTube 4K/60fps buttery smooth.
What I Tried (That Didn’t Work at First)
- Reinstalling browsers
- Clearing cache/data
- Disabling extensions
- Updating system (
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade)
Still crashing.
Root Cause (Confirmed via Logs & Community Reports)
Chromium-based browsers (Chrome, Brave, Edge, etc.) conflict with Zorin's default Wayland + GPU stack when hardware acceleration is on.
This causes:
ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED(Error 5)ERR_SSL_PROTOCOL_ERROR(Error 11)- Full browser freeze / pixelation
- System sometimes locks up
Firefox uses Gecko + VA-API → no conflict → works perfectly.
Working Fixes (Tested & Confirmed)
1. Disable Hardware Acceleration (Quickest Fix)
In Chrome/Brave:
Settings → System → [ ] Use hardware acceleration when available
→ Relaunch.
YouTube now runs stable (even in 4K).
2. Switch to X11 Session (Best for Stability)
- Log out
- Login screen → Click gear → "Zorin on X11"
- Log in → Chrome/Brave no longer crash
3. Update GPU Drivers
sudo ubuntu-drivers autoinstall
sudo reboot
4. Launch with Safe Flags (Terminal)
google-chrome --disable-gpu --use-gl=egl
or
brave-browser --disable-gpu --use-gl=egl
→ Add to launcher for permanent fix.
YouTube Performance Comparison (After Fix)
| Browser | Stability | 4K/60fps | Battery | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firefox |  |
Great (AV1) | Best | Default choice |
| Chrome/Brave (fixed) | |
Slightly faster | Good | Power users |
| Chrome/Brave (default) |  |
Crashes | N/A | Avoid |
Pro Tip: Make Firefox Even Better for YouTube
- Install uBlock Origin
about:config→media.av1.enabled = true- (Optional) h264ify extension if old CPU
Final Verdict
Stick with Firefox — it just works.
Want Chrome/Brave? Disable GPU acceleration + use X11 → problem solved.
Hardware (for reference):
inxi -G
(I’ll update with mine if needed)
Shoutout to the Zorin Forum & Reddit users who helped piece this together. If you're facing the same — try the X11 switch first. It’s a 30-second fix!