Hi to everyone. Will make this review short. Bottom line: I cannot in good conscience recommend Zorin OS 18 to anyone at this time. In my experience, there were multiple bugs that the developers had (in my honest opinion) more than ample time to discover on their own and fix, as well. But these bugs were not fixed. And I see there are multiple other posts about bugs that've emerged, too, for other folks. The increasing integration of Snap with Ubuntu is not good. Installing a .DEB file expecting to get the .DEB version of Firefox only to get a Snap installed is not good, plain and simple. Either rip out Snap from Zorin (like how Linux Mint did with Snaps), or move to a different code base entirely (like Debian). There is nothing wrong with how Zorin looks, etc. I love the aesthetic. But the bugs are just too much (especially after having gone through quite a few hit-and-miss experiences on Zorin OS 17 as a Linux newcomer and learning much about Linux, which in retrospect, was not horrible, but as an user coming from Windows, having to tinker endlessly just to make Zorin OS 17 usable in my case took away from the user experience in some ways, and resulted in frustration). As I've said in a couple other posts, I'm now on Debian XFCE and am enjoying it. Yes, being on Debian itself and using a desktop environment like XFCE does require some elbow grease, but it comes with the territory, and Debian doesn't promise the sky to users. It is honest about what it offers, and what users can expect. The skills I've learned in the terminal, etc., have helped quite a bit with my transition to Debian. If Zorin OS is to truly succeed long-term, changes must be made. Better Q&A. More effort by the developers to communicate on a regular basis (e.g., like with a monthly blog). Anticipate the future (as bleak as it is) with Ubuntu and Canonical's relentless drive towards a Snap-only Ubuntu (ugh), and change over to Debian (with [both] .DEBs and/or Flatpaks). (No Arch.) Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) has shown for years it can be done. So can Zorin OS. Rating: 3 out of 10.
Thank you for your honest personal review and experiences with Zorin OS.
From my point of view, I cannot agree with many of your points. I started out as a complete Linux novice over a year ago with Zorin 17.1 and did not encounter any of the problems you mentioned. Before that, I only knew Windows 95-11.
I think everyone has different experiences with Linux, and different hardware will certainly cause different errors.
In the beginning, I tried several Linux distributions, including Linux Mint, Debian, Ubuntu, Kubuntu, etc., and Zorin was the best fit for me personally.
It was easy to install and everything worked right out of the box.
I am currently using Zorin 18 core and have had no problems with it either. I have been using it as my daily driver since the beta version.
I agree on one point: it would be nice if the Zorin brothers communicated a little more regularly (e.g., with a monthly blog).
To say something to the Firefox Thing: They have adressed it. When You install it, You should get an Info Screen where stands that the Mozilla Repo will be added and then Firefox will be installed. I think when You do that in the Terminal, You should get an Info, too. But I'm not entirely sure about that.
It is a Way to handle that. But in my Opinion, it would be smoother to add the Mozilla-own repo by default. And when an User installs Firefox .deb it will be simply installed. I don't think that it is neccessary to use this middle Step. You could argue that it is transparent to say that there will be a Repo added to install the Software but they have their own Zorin Repo's, too. And there You don't get an Info when You install something.
To kick out Snap wouldn't be enough; it wouldn't go far enough. Because when You do that but then would install Firefox with a sudo apt install, it would simply install Snap again and then Firefox Snap.
It works in Linux Mint because they haven't only kicked out Snap. They also implemented a Replacement. They use the mozillateam PPA for installing Firefox and Thunderbird as .deb Package.
So, Zorin would have to go a Way like this, too. The Mozilla-own Repo, I already mentioned, would be an easy Thing to add by default. But Thunderbird ist a Popint because that doesn't have an own Repo and doesn't come over the Mozilla Repo. They could pack it by theirown or use the mozillateam PPA, too. But I don't know how this will interfere in Case of Firefox with the Mozilla-own Repo.
Switching to Debian as Base could help here because it offers Thunderbird ESR as far as I know. They have Firefox ESR, too. So, it would be possible to rely on that or add the Mozilla Repo to get a more up-to-date Version. It would avoid Snap entirely. For Flatpak, I would think, it would be nice to ask during the Installation or in the Post-Installation if You want install it. But on the other Side new Users might not know what it is and couldn't know what to do with that. Maybe adding by default is the better Way to offer a wide Range Support for installing Software. That would be my Point of View.
Some kind of Zorin Debian Edition would be nice to have - especially with the future Course of Canonical/Ubuntu.
This I like. I wish Zorin would do the same for Thunderbird as for Firefox.
Thank you.
Agree 100%. For sure.