Multiple questions on migrating from Linux Mint to ZorinOS 17.3

[verizonhireless]

Hello. I am migrating from one computer with Linux Mint. I am migrating to another computer, and I am trying ZorinOS 17.3 on it. This is because ZorinOS uses Wayland, which is supposed to be more secure than X11. Linux Mint uses X11. I am also impressed by the decision to make Brave Browser the default browser for ZorinOS.

I will probably upgrade to ZorinOS 18 when an upgrade path becomes available, but I started my migration before ZorinOS 18 came out. I have a few questions, but I am not sure whether I should post them all as one thread or as several threads.

1- How do I update flatpaks via the Software Updater? They do not seem to update flatpaks by default, unlike the Linux Mint software updater. I have to update them via the command line.

2- The gnome-firmware package in software center is listed as having a zorin os apt package and two snap packages available for install. But there is also a flatpak package for it at org.gnome.Firmware. This flatpak package is newer than the apt package and the snap packages. Why does it not show up in software center?

3- How do I make the distance between pinned icons on the taskbar smaller? I can change their size by changing panel thickness in taskbar settings, but I cannot change the amount of space between them. I am able to do this on Linux Mint but not ZorinOS.

4- How do I make it so that my touchpad is enabled when I do not have a mouse plugged in but disabled when I do have a mouse plugged in? Linux Mint has this feature.

5- The Mullvad VPN app tray icon does not show up correctly in the taskbar. Why?

6- How do I disable snap packages, like Linux Mint does, and remove them from the software center?

7- How do I remove the workspace button from the taskbar? I do not use workspaces, other than one for everything.

8- In Files, how do I toggle location entry to write in the file path with text, like file manager nemo allows in Linux Mint? Edit- apparently I can use ctrl + L to temporarily toggle this on, although it is not permanent.

9- Why is "Files" app Nemo registered as a proprietary app with proprietary code in the software center? It claims "proprietary code" under permissions, and it says it is under a "Special License" which is LicenseRef-free=Intellectual property rights policy | Terms and policies | Ubuntu and Canonical Legal.

10- How do I migrate files from Linux Mint computer to ZorinOS computer? Is deja-dup backups able to do this without messing up accounts?

11- What is the equivalent to Timeshift / System Restore for ZorinOS? Timeshift is what Linux Mint uses, and System Restore is what Windows uses. I see that I can install Timeshift from the software center, but I do not know if ZorinOS uses anything by default.

12- What is the application that ZorinOS uses for screenshots by default? I can see that I can take screenshots, but I do not know exactly what the name of the application is. Is it built in directly to the gnome desktop environment?

13- I can install flatpaks from the command line without needing a password. How could I set it up so that a password is required?

14- The software center includes chromium web browser as flatpak or snap packages. I want an up-to-date .deb, since I am told that chromium sandboxing can conflict with flatpak/snap sandboxing. Linux Mint compiles their own .deb for chromium, which is more up-to-date than debian's .deb. How do I add their repository in order to use their .deb version of chromium?

Thank you for your help, and please let me know if any of these questions are more suitable for their own topics. And if you need me to give system information for any of these questions, I will use the instructions at Introduction to General Help - Please Review before posting. Thank you.

[Aravisian]

@verizonhireless

This is because ZorinOS uses Wayland, which is supposed to be more secure than X11. Linux Mint uses X11.

This is one of those fun topics where it is like talking to a conspiracy claimant about the Moon landings.
When you point out that the Xorg team patched the claimed vulnerabilities, they change the subject to something else, then later return to the same claim as if the rebuttal had never been issued.
In the meantime...
Xserver has multiple layers of security - so even if you gain access by means of a window management exploit, you get caught between layers.
Wayland has none. So if you hack Wayland, you get access to everything. And since Wayland is fundamentally structured to be without any kind of server - there is no way to patch that.

[Ponce-De-Leon]

Okay, this is a lot of Stuff ...

@verizonhireless

I can install flatpaks from the command line without needing a password.

You shouldn't need a Password for installing flatpaks, only for APT Packages.

@verizonhireless

14- The software center includes chromium web browser as flatpak or snap packages. I want an up-to-date .deb, since I am told that chromium sandboxing can conflict with flatpak/snap sandboxing. Linux Mint compiles their own .deb for chromium, which is more up-to-date than debian's .deb. How do I add their repository in order to use their .deb version of chromium?

Unfortunately there is not official .deb File for download. Not on their Website or on their Github Page.

@verizonhireless

12- What is the application that ZorinOS uses for screenshots by default? I can see that I can take screenshots, but I do not know exactly what the name of the application is. Is it built in directly to the gnome desktop environment?

Yes, it is built-in the Desktop and no individual Program.

@verizonhireless

11- What is the equivalent to Timeshift / System Restore for ZorinOS? Timeshift is what Linux Mint uses, and System Restore is what Windows uses. I see that I can install Timeshift from the software center, but I do not know if ZorinOS uses anything by default.

Deja Dub is it. It comes preinstalled.

@verizonhireless

8- In Files, how do I toggle location entry to write in the file path with text, like file manager nemo allows in Linux Mint? Edit- apparently I can use ctrl + L to temporarily toggle this on, although it is not permanent.

In zorin 18 this is default Behavior. If I remeber right, You can use Dconf Editor to make that in Zorin 17, too. But I'm not sure about that.

@verizonhireless

7- How do I remove the workspace button from the taskbar? I do not use workspaces, other than one for everything.

Go in the Taskbar settings and there to the Position Tab. Scroll down and there You can disable the Indicator by clicking on the ''visible'' Button.

@verizonhireless

6- How do I disable snap packages, like Linux Mint does, and remove them from the software center?

Type one Command at the Time:

sudo systemctl stop snapd

sudo systemctl disable snapd

sudo apt purge snapd gnome-software-plugin-snap

sudo apt autoremove

and then roboot.

@verizonhireless

5- The Mullvad VPN app tray icon does not show up correctly in the taskbar. Why?

Did You followed the Install Instructions here:

Mullvad VPN for Linux

@verizonhireless

1- How do I update flatpaks via the Software Updater? They do not seem to update flatpaks by default, unlike the Linux Mint software updater. I have to update them via the command line.

There are not be updated by the software Updater. There are updated by Gnome Software. check the Settings there. By default automatic Updates should be enabled. You can as an Addition enable a Notification when a Program was updated.

And for the Wayland Thing: The Implementation of it in Zorin 17 isn't so good. So, it can come to Issues where it would be neccessary to switch to X11 - especially when using a Nvidia Card.

[swarfendor437]

@Ponce-De-Leon Deja Dup is not the same as Timeshift from my understanding, my understanding is that it is just a backup tool.

@verizonhireless Timeshift is available in Software, but i prefer to install it from the official site.

I detest both snap and flatpaks as they add bloatware and sometimes need to have something called flatseal. Becaus such based applications are sandboxed they cannot access system resources. APT for me every time, and if APT not in Software I use Synaptic Package Manager. Actually I remove gnome-software and just use Synaptic Package Manager which means when I apply an Update, any application updates get updated at the same time whereas Snaps and Flatpak need to be updated separately. Not ideal period.

[MidnightRose]

3 and 8 are both improved in Zorin 18. Space between icons on taskbar is smaller, although I don't think it can be customized. And in file manager you can just click on the path and be able to copy it, without using any keyboard shortcuts. To be able to fully customize spacing between taskbar icons, you will need to use Dash to Panel extension.

[Forpli]

To question no. 8:
In dconf-editor go to gnome>org>nautilus>preferences
and enable the first point there: always-use-location-entry

If you don't want to do it with dconf-editor, you can use this terminal command:

gsettings set org.gnome.nautilus.preferences always-use-location-entry true

You can undo it with

gsettings set org.gnome.nautilus.preferences always-use-location-entry false

To question no. 4: You can set this with dconf-editor as shown here

Touchpad, deaktivieren Sie es während des Tippens oder wenn eine Maus...

or in terminal

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.peripherals.touchpad send-events disabled-on-external-mouse

To undo it

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.peripherals.touchpad send-events enabled

It doesn't work with every mouse.

[Forpli]

To question 13:
I'm not entirely sure, so please wait for a moderator to confirm this suggestion.

I think it can be changed by editing the file

/usr/share/polkit-1/rules.d/org.freedesktop.Flatpak.rules

In Zorin 18 it is line 9:
change return polkit.Result.YES;
to return polkit.Result.AUTH_ADMIN;

before editing:

after editing:

@Aravisian Can you please help and tell us if this is right?

[Aravisian]

@Forpli

@Aravisian Can you please help and tell us if this is right?

Flatpak's install per user rather than systemwide - so the installed Flatpak package is sandboxed and only accessible by the user account which installed it.

You can change that to systemwide add a polkit rule as @Forpli suggested.