Had to Revert Back to Windows 10 - Lack of Support

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I bought Zorin 15.3 Ultimate x64 FULL edition as I wanted to support this distribution but also get support and have a more complete install.

I paid GBP46 which was with £6 tax which I thought overall was expensive.

I tried to install HPLIP for my standard HP Laserjet Pro MFP M28w and could not get it to work. Modules were missing and Zorin was not even in the distros.dat file which checks for the release and distro and then sets up which modules need to be installed.

I am a retired IT professional. On researching and asking for help I realised that Linux still does not support peripherals very well if at all. Printers are an essential part of most peoples computing experience.
I sent a email request for support linked to a CUPS issue to Zorin using my ULTIMATE registration code on 21st April 2021 and only got a reply a few minutes ago some 4 days later. The reply says CUPS was already installed but that is not what the default package manager said.

On my search I found out that ext4 FS should not necessarily be used on an SSD due to the journaling overhead which causes many reads/writes and wondered why this was not part of the install process asking and suggesting what to do. SSD and now a norm for a boot device for obvious reasons.

Overall if Zorin wants to be a replacement for Windows it has to improve hardware support.
I had my Bluetooth working and then not working and could not find out why. I have not listed all my issues. I wanted to move off Windows 10 and tried hard spending hours trying to create a working system.

There is a lack of good documentation on how to install Zorin and the best practice.

I feel I have wasted GBP46 and left feeling that Linux will never mature enough to compete with Windows until the LINUX community comes together and addresses the lack of peripheral support and produce good installation docs including best practice and known possible conflicts like M2. NVME SSD and journaling FS.

Kind Regards
Raymond

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Raymond,
CUPS does not show in the Ubuntu Software Store (default package manager) as it is a service. Cups comes pre-installed on Zorin. You can check by entering into terminal:

sudo apt install cups

If installed, the terminal will relay that cups is already the latest version.
Personally, while I have observed others ask about printer issues on occasion on the board, I have never had any trouble across three different printers- So I lack a lot of experience in helping to troubleshoot those issues.
HPlip, if needed, will need to set up based on Ubuntu 18.04, as that is what Zorin OS is built from. This is normal across many distros- for example Mint and MX Linux. I recall recently answering this question in another thread.

SSD: Any journaling file system will create a build up of writes and re-writes on any SSD. It is the nature of SSD, not a flaw in the journaling file system. Older documentation often warns of the perils of SSD. This is because SSD has a limited number of read/writes in its lifetime - and heavy use can shorten the life of an SSD. However, in recent years, much progress has been made in SSD manufacturing and design. Today, even a cheap 128 GB SSD can support a minimum of 20 GB of written data/day for over 5 years which is a thousand write cycles per cell. Higher quality will last better than that.
Zorin OS comes with Trim feature for SSD performance.

Hopefully I have managed to address some of your questions and concerns.
I remember, a couple years ago now... When I left Windows and journeyed over to Linux via Zorin OS. It was a struggle. Everything seemed unfamiliar and difficult. I never knew the proper search terms to search for troubleshooting. And I often unknowingly was reading outdated articles on the web.
As time passed and familiarity grew, it got much, much easier. And I have no regrets about not having to rely on Microsoft support...

I have never installed HPlip. However, I am willing to see about it if you would like to set some time aside to get Value for your purchase of Zorin OS Ultimate. Perhaps it is not too late to solve some issues and restore your confidence in an operating system that I have found to be sturdy and reliable. I have it even installed on my little shop Toughbook, which is the Mechanics Shop computer.

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Hello Raymond!

Yes I did see your other post, and yes I know how you feel. Part of the whole app support deal with Linux, is that many manufactures, like MSI for example, don't support Linux. It doesn't mean that you can't use Linux however, it just means, the manufacture provides no apps or drivers for Linux.

This means, that as a Linux user, you have to find workarounds. For example, MSI's Dragon Center GUI APP is not available for Linux, but if you enter the bios, and use the hidden key combination to unlock the full bios, you can get access to everything the Dragon Center software does, and much more.

Another example, Logitech, Razor, and Corsair also don't support Linux with their Windows APPS. But you can install the Open Razor driver, and then the Polychromatic GUI APP, which allows you to administrate your Razor mice and keyboards.

You can install the SOLAR GUI APP, which allows you to setup your Logitech wireless devices that work with the famous Logitech Unifyed receiver unit. And you can install PIPER, which is a GUI APP that allows you to administrate your Logitech mice.

With Corsair keyboards and mice, they can be administrated via the CKB-Next GUI APP, which is a powerful tool IMO! And a must have one, if you own a Corsair K95 keyboard.

In regards to printers, Zorin was able to find my really old but still working HP 2100 Lazer printer that is on my network, without any input from me. It scanned the network, found it, and told me it needed to download a driver to install it, I said yes, and done.

I've had the same exact experience, if not even better, with POP OS, setting up my printer. I don't know anything about your printer specifically, but sometimes you have to add a repo, in order to download/install 3rd party software and or drivers for your system, not sure how much you searched on that.

Most drivers come already installed on Linux to use your hardware. On POP OS, they already had my Nvidia GPU driver installed! Sometimes you have to do a little digging, to get what you want done in Linux. And yes, I know Linux can be frustrating at times, trust me, I've been there.

Now in regards to lack of support, or communication from the dev's, I can agree with that. I haven't had a great experience with that over the years. If you go to POP OS's website, you will see they have a much greater resource of information, a huge section providing answers for all the common questions, including, setting up a printer.

I think you might be a candidate for trying out POP OS, as that is what I am running and I am enjoying it. While I understand your reasoning for going back to Windows 10 for now, I highly suggest, as soon as you can, to try out POP OS. Windows 10 is simply not an option for someone who values the ability to chose for themselves. Microsoft is about choosing for you.

Things to think about...

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Thanks for your input and feedback.

The reason I looked at installing cups was that HPLIP was complaining about some CUPS modules that were missing. In installing a different CUPS it broke the system so I could not boot into Zorin. This I find quite strange as surely this should not cause Zorin to stop working.
I understand the SSD issue but HDD drives handle journaling FS much better than SSD.

I have now gone back to Windows and removed the dual boot. I really did not have time to spend trying to troubleshoot issues with Linux.

If support is improved for MFP Printers then maybe I will go back.

Thanks Raymond

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CUPs is integrated into systemd (cupsd), so I can see how it could have some interesting side effects. This can stand as an example as to why some of us are so supportive of Non-Systemd distros, like Antix, MX Linux, Devuan and others.

I believe we could have done some troubleshooting and helped you sort things out. On my end, time has also been shorter and me own presence on the board has been less, too. I think many of us can understand how you feel about lacking the time.
Your feedback here is very important for consideration because I believe it is probably quite common. With a pandemic, home networking and everything else; time is trickier now more than ever. And having things work properly right away more pressing.

Since you purchased Zorin OS Ultimate to support development and also to receive support; I would encourage you to ensure that the Zoringroup consisting of @azorin and @zorink are aware that you ended up unable to use your copy of Zorin OS in a timely manner. Perhaps they can offer suggestions to help make that right.

While time may be pressing now, you may consider keeping that copy, however. I sat on Zorin OS on a disk sitting in my closet for months. When an emergency struck and I had to replace my HDD with a blank one- it was there. At your leisure, you may take some down time to revive an older machine or explore Linux while the pressure is off.
Jumping into the hot tub may not always go as hoped- but it doesn't mean you can never enjoy a hot tub when the time is right. :wink:

Here's looking forward to seeing you around again someday RTB. Stay safe and best regards for your computing needs.

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Hi Raymond, I'm sorry to hear about your experience. I would be happy to help you with this.

If you would be interested in trying Zorin OS again in the future, I would recommend you to install the latest official HP drivers by following these steps:

  1. Please open the Terminal (by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T) and enter this command: sudo apt install python-dev libcups2-dev libusb-1.0.0-dev libtool-bin libcupsimage2-dev libcrypto++-dev libssl-dev libsnmp-dev libsane-dev python-qt4 python-qt4-dbus python-pyqt5 python3-pyqt5 python-dbus.mainloop.pyqt5 python3-dbus.mainloop.pyqt5 python-notify xsane libdbus-1-dev
  2. In order to install the drivers for your printer please download this package here
  3. Please follow this guide to install the drivers on hp's Developer Portal | Installer Walkthrough
  4. You can select the Ubuntu 18.04 option during the installation (as Zorin OS 15 is based on Ubuntu 18.04).
  5. After installing the drivers please restart your computer and the printer should be working with Zorin OS.

You should now be able to view the printer settings by opening Zorin menu > Settings > Devices > Printers.

Alternatively, if you don't wish to use your copy of Zorin OS Ultimate in the future, please let us know and we would be happy to give you a full refund.

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Thank you for your reply. I would be really good if I could get a refund.

I will however when I have time install free Zorin Core into a VMware instance on Windows and see if your instruction work. The only difference I can see is some of the names of the modules that you have listed. I will then give you feedback as I really believe this is important overall. I really like Zorin and it clean design and look.

I did use the HP Install Guide steps etc and I had much practice at it all. I think I tried to install about 10 times and 3 of those times was with a fresh install of Zorin.

What information do you need from me for a refund?

Thanks
Raymond

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No need for any additional information, we have now refunded your purchase.

If you would be interested in Zorin OS in the future and wish to keep updated with news about the project – including when the upcoming Zorin OS 16 will be released – you can sign up to our newsletter here.

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Thanks Azorin

I got the email yesterday.

I appreciate the way you have handled my case.

Thanks Raymond