I just wanted to say that I have had a great experience, dual booting ZorinOS on a HP Envy as EOL (it is not possible to update to Win11) and I just wanted to add my appreciation here as I know that in OpenSource the Devs get to hear about bugs, problems and wishlists.
I installed following the Zorin website and used Balena Etcher which worked fine (also worked for my installation of Linux Mint on a more low-specs laptop). The best thing for me has been the compatibility with Drivers - everything has worked with drivers and ZorinConnect etc!
So hats off to the devs - as I gather it is a very small team
My only suggestion would be having a bit more documentation on the volume controls PulseAudio, I believe. It has been no biggie but I am still fiddling with the module-echo-cancel and trying to get a balance between volume and my video calls hearing the computer over the microphone. (If I've missed something, please let me know!)
Also, I want to send some love to the Bottles project and the fact that they can be straight installed (they had a call out for donations as they have lots of users but not many donors to cover costs).
I'm still getting my footing but am really enjoying exploring ZorinOs!
I'm afraid I don't know much about audio issues so I'll let you investigate that on your own... hopefully someone else might be able to help out on that. If you ever get that fixed, please report back!
Another update that I'd like to see on the documentation is in regards to the use of Balena Etcher, due to privacy concerns:
You could try fiddling with audio channels settings and volume using alsamixer.
Open terminal then type:
alsamixer
First hit F6 to check correct sound card is selected.
Then F5 to show All audio channels i.e. capture + output.
Have a play with [Loopback Mode] and [Auto Mute] channel settings.
Some sound issues defy logic so you sometimes have to try different things. Make sure you make a note of your original settings, in case you need to reverse changes.
I followed the instructions on the Zorin website for setting up audio, and I managed to get the sudden crackle of the audio to stop and install the Pulse audio controller installed. It helped a LOT!
But unfortunately, and I think this may be moreso a problem with the quality of my hardware (hp envy laptop with intel audio drives) the problemsolving for the machine noise and audio input-output ratios has been a lot of trial and error but the sound profiles seem to jump around.
After searching, I ended up loading the echo-cancel modules but then the audio output and input were very low. So, I didn't understand whether they were not in the troubleshooting page because this is a known thing that happens or whether it is an uncommon issue people look up.
I will keep on searching - I'm trying to understand what pipewire and ALSA are and how/whether they will help. As I have some meetings on a weekly basis, I just wanted to see if I can get the audio more 'comfortable' to use for me and the people I'm talking to.
The documentation would just let users who do not have extensive experience with Linux know, or where to get further information (I don't mind being told to go and read an external wiki page or website of something I can install), or whether their issue is known.
But I also understand that it would be impossible to troubleshoot every issue in existance due to differences in hardware and user experience levels. I'm really happy with Zorin so far!
