When you boot into live does the file checksum say there are any errors ? I had it flashed once with errors.
Also the live stick is working, so i wonder why the installation does not.
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@Michel I don't see any checksum errors when installing/booting. Like I said: I can login and Zorin OS works fine. Only problems are:
- black login screen
- brightness controls don't work
@Aravisian So, I did a bit of testing and this is what I've found.
Zorin OS Lite 15
Install works, even with disk encryption. But after boot and putting in my password to decrypt it goes on to an entire black screen. The screen is just off. No cursor, nothing. Waited 15 minutes, nothing. When I pressed the power button I got a brief look at the Zorin logo fading before the laptop turned off. So the Lite version is even worse.
Linux Mint
Install works, also with disk encryption. Everything works, even login screen. Only issue is the brightness control keys. Same as in Zorin. Did some googling again and found Fix Brightness Control Not Working for Ubuntu & Linux Mint - It's FOSS and applied that fix. That script worked great and it was a 1 minute fix. That makes Mint 'problem free'.
Zorin OS Core 16
So, after Mint I tried Zorin again. Used the "safe graphics" option, just to be sure and did NOT connect to the internet during installation. Again, problems arise.
- No login screen, only cursor (same as before)
- After login, brightness keys don't fuction (just like in Mint)
- Applied the fix I found for Mint for the brightness keys, but this fix doesn't seem to work in Zorin. Checked everything again, but nothing.
- Googled for another fix and found @Aravisian post in Brightness keys NOT WORKING! - #5 by arnavpadwal You mention the same script, but also 2 grub fixes. Applied both grub fixes but they also do nothing.
My conclusion so far? This is a software issue within Zorin OS.
TL:DR
- black login screen is a Zorin only thing and no fix works.
- brightness keys is a universal thing, but the fix for Mint doesn't work in Zorin.
I have no clue how to diagnose these problems further. All the 'fixes' I've tried for Zorin don't work or even make it worse and just corrupt the installation.
Let me know if you have any ideas/suggestions on this issue.
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Which version of Mint did you install?
Did you happen to catch the Kernel Version Mint was using?
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Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see anybody asking in here if you double checked the SHA256 checksum, on the Zorin OS 16 ISO you downloaded.
Just so you know, if that ISO was corrupted, that can 100% explain all the problems you are having. Please, check the SHA256 checksum on that ISO, report back findings please.
If you didn't state that you were able to run Linux Mint on your notebook, I would have believed that your machine wasn't capable of running Linux due to major hardware limitations being built only for Windows.
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Just saying, this is exactly what I saw when I messed with files that I should not have messed with.
Which version of Mint did you install?
Did you happen to catch the Kernel Version Mint was using?
I installed 20.2 Cinnamon. According to New Features in Linux Mint 20.2 'Uma' Cinnamon Edition - Linux Mint it's using Linux Kernel 5.4
Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see anybody asking in here if you double checked the SHA256 checksum, on the Zorin OS 16 ISO you downloaded.
Just so you know, if that ISO was corrupted, that can 100% explain all the problems you are having. Please, check the SHA256 checksum on that ISO, report back findings please.
certutil -hashfile Zorin-OS-16-Core-64-bit-r1.iso sha256
eabd2a222175f3556f277a0722664af1f11230285c4ce6bf69984ac40c48b1c3
sha256 checksum on Download - Zorin OS
eabd2a222175f3556f277a0722664af1f11230285c4ce6bf69984ac40c48b1c3
Identical. I used RUFUS for burning the iso files to a USB. For both the Core and Lite version I used 2 different USB's. Also checked the sha256 checksum of the Lite iso file. That is also a 100% match.
If you didn't state that you were able to run Linux Mint on your notebook, I would have believed that your machine wasn't capable of running Linux due to major hardware limitations being built only for Windows.
That's exactly why I think there is a bug of some sorts in Zorin OS.
I was running Mint just fine for a couple of years. And as I mentioned earlier it still installs without any problems (minus the brightness keys, but that's an easy fix). On the other hand, Zorin OS just won't play nicely on multiple occasions. Tried both Core 16 and Lite 15.3, both on seperate USB's, tried multiple install methods, but nothing seems to get Zorin working out of the box. Core is usable if you don't mind loggin in blind, but Lite won't even give me a screen.
Just saying, this is exactly what I saw when I messed with files that I should not have messed with.
Yeah I know, but I only try solutions posted in forums where other people are dealing with the same problems. The fact that those 'solutions' can cause such serious harm to the system, is a bit scary.
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Did you try pop! os 21.04 ? Brightness keys here on my laptop do work. Just tested.
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Did you try pop! os 21.04 ? Brightness keys here on my laptop do work. Just tested.
Just installed POP. The experience is a bit worse, performance wise. I get a login screen, but after login I stare to a black screen for about 5 to 10 seconds. After that all works, except (again) the brightness control. The brightness keys show brightness control on screen, just like in Zorin and Mint, but nothing changes.
This script fixes brightness isssues on Mint, but does not on Zorin or Pop
Section "Device"
Identifier "card0"
Driver "intel"
Option "Backlight" "intel_backlight"
BusID "PCI:0:2:0"
EndSection
And I can't find any working solution for the brightness control issue for both Zorin or Pop. And still, Zorin is the only OS having issues with showing a login screen.
TL;DR (to summarize it all)
MINT
All works, except brightness control. Easy fix with script.
POP
All works, except brightness control. No fix found/works.
(and, unrelated, worse performance somehow)
Zorin
All works, except brightness & black login screen. No fix found/works.
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sudo add-apt-repository ppa:apandada1/brightness-controller
sudo apt update && sudo apt install brightness-controller
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That does not work on Pop OS. It installs, but even after a reboot the brightness still does not change. And because we're talking Zorin here I installed Zorin OS Core 16 again.
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:apandada1/brightness-controller
Gave me
Cannot add PPA: 'ppa~apandada1/ubuntu/birghtness-controller'.
ERROR: ' ~apandada1' user or team does not exist
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WOW, that sounds like the PPA died, its rare that happens, but it usually happens cause the person drops support of their PPA's. Sad 
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What does that mean exactly? And why does it install on Pop but not on Zorin?
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I'm sorry, I missundershood, I thought you were saying the PPA was no longer working anymore. OK, if it works on POP OS but not on Zorin, it could be cause Zorin is missing a repo that needs added that POP OS has.
I'm not sure which REPO needs added, you might have to check Aravisians post for more info, or do a Google search on it. Literally, all I did, was do those first two commands on my Zorin installation and it worked.
But of course when I did that, was at least a week ago now.
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I'm such a... totally forgot to connect the WIFI after installation... My bad
Just re-ran those commands and, like in Pop OS, they install just fine.
However, it fixes nothing unfortunately. Brightness is still not responding.
Did you restart the computer?
Launch APP, I keep mine in the taskbar so I can use it like a toggle.
Once launched, move the slider that is on the very left.
Then its a good idea to save this as a PRESET just incase. After each restart my system defaults. But as soon as I launch the APP, it will return my brightness to where I set it, then I simply close the APP.
Putting items in trash and emptying the trash does a weird thing where it causes the brightness to go back to default. Which means I do have to re-launch the APP again to make the brightness pop back down.
Its a work around, but not perfection.
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Oh yeah, didn't notice that. There is indeed an app called Brightness Controller. I was testing it with the Fn+F5/6 keys and that does not work.
The brightness slider in the app works. It's a semi-fix, because I kind of want to use the F keys to control brightness, but guess that's not an option?
And the black login screen remains. Still can't find a solution for that one.
Does this all have something to do with the Linux Kernel version you mentioned?
POP OS 20.4 / Zorin OS 16 = 5.11
Linux Mint 20.2 = 5.4
Did something break in the update? Or does it have something to do with unsupported / EOL hardware. I mean, the laptop is 10 years old. Although I thought Linux was meant for old hardware like this.
EDIT:
Kernel version is not the problem I think. Because I tried Zorin OS Lite which is 15.3 with linux kernel 5.4. And that just didn't install, or it did but turned off the screen completely after boot with no way of logging in etc. (see a few posts back)
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I wonder... if you added the Uma repository, then ran your Updater without Cinnamon or Nemo installed on Zorin, if it would install any additional graphics drivers or files...
That was the method that I had used originally to get Nemo 5 on my Zorin OS.
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Pop OS! has a newer kernel in use 5.13.x
You already tried this in the terminal to see if its working
xbacklight -inc 10 -time 0
and
xbacklight -dec 10 -time 0
Also is fn lock enabled ? You can disable this by using fn + escape
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I don't understand what you're saying here, sorry.
Sorry, didn't try this anymore.
After spending 2 days of trying to get Zorin to work I give up. I don't mind fixing something, but I feel I've tried everything and am a bit fed up for now. The brightness control is somewhat working with that app solution, but there is still the matter of the black login screen. I haven't found any solution for that problem.
So... I went back to Mint. And this time I installed Linux Mint MATE 20.2 (rival for Zorin Lite? Which installed but only gave me a dead screen...) because of the age of the laptop. Saw a video which showed it uses lesser resources.
And believe it or not, everything works out of the box with MATE. Even brightness control with FN+F keys. Really confused here, because that didn't work in Cinnamon... And FYI the brightness levels in Mint MATE are much better than the brightness control app in Zorin. In MATE the screen goes more gradual to zero. The slider in the app was 25% down almost dark already.
So I'm going to stick with this for this laptop. Hope you understand. Thank you all for trying to help. Best of luck with Zorin. When I get a new laptop I'll be sure to try it out again. My potato is unfortunately too old/weird I guess.
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Well the brightness controls are working fine on my acer predator g9-793 machine, infact all the fn combos are working out of the box here.
If mint works for you i would suggest to use that one.
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