We wanted to give you a heads-up that we're currently uploading a newly revised set of Zorin OS 17.1 .iso files with the -r2 label. You'll be able to download them from our website soon after our official download mirror servers have completed syncing the .iso files, most likely within the next 24 hours.
This is a minor revision of Zorin OS 17.1 which includes the following changes out of the box:
The latest software updates and security patches are pre-installed.
Newer hardware drivers including the updated NVIDIA 550 driver, which adds support for the following graphics cards out of the box:
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER
Now includes the APT version of Firefox by default (provided directly by Mozilla), instead of the Flatpak version from Flathub.
Many other bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements throughout the system.
Starting today, users upgrading from Zorin OS 16 -> 17 through the Upgrade Zorin OS app will also have the APT version of Firefox installed by default instead of the Flatpak version, in line with the upcoming r2 release of Zorin OS 17.1.
Hi, Kyrill. Thanks for the excellent communication. Very good.
Just two questions, though, please:
What about the Zorin OS Pro ISO? Is that updated, too? I just checked my Pro download link, and I don't see an updated name for the ISO as I see is the case with the Core version with the "-r2" label. Please clarify.
Any idea on when the additional files and whatnot will be made available through the Software Updater, so we all know when we'll be updating to the latest version of Zorin OS that'll constitute the "-r2" version?
Thanks again. Appreciate it.
EDIT: Disregard my first question. I did a search, and found this.
Hi Omnimaxus,
The Pro isos have been updated and are live on the download servers.
We will be updating the checksums on the website shortly.
Regarding updates, the latest package versions are available from the Software Updater. Users upgrading from Zorin OS 16 to 17 using the Upgrade Zorin OS app will also have the latest updates and the APT version of Firefox.
Please note that existing users who have the Flatpak version of Firefox installed will not be automatically migrated to the APT version.
If they wish to install the APT version they will need to follow the instructions on Mozilla's website: Install Firefox on Linux | Firefox Help
I think it is good that Flatpak and Snap are there as options for users, but the existence of multiple package management is not easy to understand for users migrating from Windows. So applications essential to a desktop OS, such as a web browser, should be native.
I am glad that user feedback was incorporated into the development of Zorin OS.
If you had downloaded "Z17.1" only an hour ago it would be Z17.1r2. What does the .iso file name say it is?
FWIW I downloaded Z17.1r2 on 18/06/2024 (but am still using good old Z16.3 Core for now)
@zabadabadoo , unfortunately it's plain old Zorin 17.1 Core, according to the "about" section. I've just finished installing it after downloading it from the Zorin website. There wasn't an option for anything else: -r2 wasn't available.
IDK??? I double checked using the "about", and running neofetch, which incidently tells me it's installed the 6.8.0 -40-generic kernel! I think fresh installs have many less issues than upgrades do, but it can't keep being an option.
@Ultrabenosaurus , I honestly don't know. Is there another way to check apart from "about" and neofetch? Maybe I'm just not seeing it and it is in fact the -r2 version?
It should just be in the filename of the ISO file you downloaded, like in my screenshots, if you still have it somewhere? I don't know if Zorin self-identifies as r2 after installation, because it's just to denote that the ISO has been updated with newer versions of some packages, or some other "fixes" to Zorin, it's not a distinctly different version from the original ISO or r1.
You can manually download a different ISO, but I doubt you'd have done it by accident? You'd need to find somewhere on the Zorin website that lists alternate mirrors (e.g. by clicking "Download from a different server..." in my second screenshot after cancelling the automatic r2 download or on the Getting Zorin OS Lite help page) and copying the link, then pasting it into your browser and deleting the ISO filename, and then manually browsing the directories to pick out the OG release or r1.
Unless there's a specific page somewhere on the Zorin website with an old, hard-coded link for some reason... which you should probably notify the devs about so they can fix it.
Thanks for the reply. I just downloaded the main one on the website...
The iso in on the Windows partition, so I can't see that at the moment because I'm having to reset up Zorin after the kernel update killed Zorin 17.1 Education I had up and running... it's taking a while!
That is the only way to determine if you have an r* release. Neofetch and About will only reveal as version 17.1. Hence me asking people to look at their download .iso filenames. I hope that is now clear and understood
@Ultrabenosaurus, @zabadabadoo & @Ponce-De-Leon, I booted into Windows and it does indeed say -r in the ios file. Obviously, I couldn't see that before because I was in the Zorin partition.
