Hello, and thanks for reading this.
I would like for start menu items to display subcategories when I mouse over, as we see on Mint (for example). So I was wondering if there is a way to achieve this from within Zorin. Or do I need a different desktop environment?
I am using 18.1 with Cinnamon
Found this info for you (result of prompt submitted to Google Gemini):
By default, when you switch to the Cinnamon desktop, your file manager changes from Nautilus (GNOME) to Nemo.
While Nemo is generally considered more "power-user friendly" than Nautilus, it handles folder navigation differently. That "mouse-over" or "hover to expand" behavior you're missing—often called Tree View or Expandable Folders—is actually a feature Nemo handles via the sidebar or a specific list-view setting.
In the standard GNOME/Nautilus setup on Zorin, "expandable folders" in list view is a toggleable preference. In Nemo, the behavior is slightly different:
If you find you can't get Nemo to behave exactly how you like, here is the breakdown of what you're working with now:
| Feature | Nautilus (Zorin/GNOME) | Nemo (Cinnamon) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Goal | Minimalist & Clean | Feature-rich & Traditional |
| Dual Pane | No (requires extra steps) | Yes (Press F3) |
| Type-ahead search | No (opens full search) | Yes (finds files as you type) |
| Sidebar | Simplified Places | Full Directory Tree available |
| Customization | Low (via extensions) | High (built-in settings) |
You can install the gnome extension ArcMenu and use it as start menu instead of Zorin start menu.
Install the extension manager
sudo apt install gnome-shell-extension-manager
and then open it and go to tab browse to search for ArcMenu and install it.
After it is installed you can make the settings at the cogwheal for ArcMenu and select a layout which offers that.
You have also to enable the option that it is shown when hovering. By default it is set to mouse click.
Edit: You added now that you are using cinnamon. That extension is only for gnome desktop.
Thank you,this information is very useful to me as well.
I should have been more clear it the title. By menu, I mean the start menu. Or button all the way left on the task bar. Sorry for that, I will edit the title.
Thank you very much, I will take a look at this.
It doesn't work in Cinnamon.
Now I'm not really sure what you mean with subcategories. I thought you mean to show the apps by hovering which is not possible with the Zorin menu.
You could try cinnamenu or stark menu and look if they offer what you want.
I'll take a look later, now I have to sleep...
No problem, and thanks for the updated info.
I will keep this in mind, and thanks.
As far as I can remember in Cinnamon App menu preferences an option is available to toggle it on or off.
Right Click on the menu icon on taskbar > Configure
Check through all the tabs and options.
I took a look at the menu on my Zorin 17.3 Lite VM with cinnamon desktop, and there I have enabled "change category when hovering" at tab menu > behavior
So when I move with the mouse over a category the apps in that category are shown without clicking. Do you mean that with subcategories? I'm not sure.
If you like another start menu which is a bit more customizable take a look at StarkMenu or Cinnamenu. You can install them as Applets when you right-click on the panel and select Applets. There you can download Applets.
StarkMenu in Mate menu layout:
Cinnamenu:
To add that to @Forpli's Suggestion:
I use ArcMenu and it would look like this:
older Cinnamon Menu:
newer one:
You can adjust of Course the Stuff like Size of the Icons. Entries the overall Size, Searchbar etc.
Yes, that is what I meant.
Thank you for the tip, and suggestion. I will have a look at both of these options!
This looks like another good option. Thank you so much for the suggestion, and illustration. 
