The latest version of Zorin OS, a popular Windows-macOS-like Ubuntu Linux remix, looks good, but there’s one change that causes this vulture some concern.
Zorin OS 17.3 is the latest point release in the 17.x series, meaning it’s still built on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. It’s a free upgrade for anyone already running a previous 17.x release.
This version still has some of the older components from its upstream OS, such as kernel 6.8 and GNOME 43. (Depending on your hardware, this may be a benefit – for instance, if you have an older Nvidia GPU.)
Zorin OS 17.3 gives GNOME a major makeover, including a nifty tour with animated graphics – click to enlarge
Even so, the Zorin devs have updated this version’s apps and added new features. The release announcement makes one target market clear: Windows users whose machines aren’t allowed by Microsoft to run Windows 11. As such, there are some handy adaptations. For instance, Windows folks are accustomed to getting apps by just going to the relevant website and downloading and running an installer.
That’s not the Linux way of doing things. If you attempt to do this, the latest Zorin OS tries to identify the installer, and if it can, it automatically pops up a message telling you that there’s a native Linux version of that program in the Software Store – or the nearest available equivalent, such as the Document Viewer in place of Acrobat Reader. It also offers to install Windows App Support, which will install and pre-configure WINE for you.
It also includes an updated Zorin Connect app, based on KDE Connect, which lets Zorin OS link to and interoperate with Android phones.
Zorin’s first-run helper spotted that it was running in VirtualBox, which gives it an edge over Linux Mint – click to enlarge
Zorin makes extensive customizations to GNOME to make it more Windows-like and hence familiar to users coming from other OSes, and adds a neat Zorin Appearance app that makes it trivially easy to flip between different layouts that resemble Windows 7, 10, and 11, along with a few others.
For those who aren’t bothered by other GNOME-isms, such as the combined title-and-toolbar controls or the lack of menu bars in most apps, this is a great-looking and more familiar GNOME-based desktop.
The default browser is now Brave, but Zorin gives this lion the snip – click to enlarge
Perhaps the most significant change in this release, though, is a new default browser. Zorin OS 17.3 replaces Firefox with Brave. Zorin Group says that this is in response to the recent privacy changes at Mozilla.
The Reg FOSS desk was personally dismayed to learn about this choice. Your vulture has grave concerns about Brave, especially its embrace of cryptocurrencies. The FOSS desk is not alone in this. For instance, see this article titled “Stop using Brave Browser” from 2023, or more recently, “Why I recommend against Brave” from last month. We asked Zorin Group about its reasoning, and co-founder and CEO Artyom Zorin told us:
The issue around Firefox’s policy changes was originally raised by community members on our forum – as well as other users contacting us directly.
Because privacy is a fundamental value of Zorin OS, we had no choice but to take our users’ concerns about this seriously and be proactive about protecting their data and security.
He explained that his company was looking for a browser that was FOSS, privacy-respecting, popular and recognizable, mature and well maintained:
Any browsers that didn’t respect users’ privacy – like Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge – were initially disqualified from our shortlist.
As we aim to maintain the Free and Open Source nature of Zorin OS as one of our core values, we weren’t able to go ahead with browsers that were wholly or partially proprietary such as Opera and Vivaldi.
He also explained issues around playing DRM-protected content, which are legitimate concerns, and concerns about niche browsers, which are a real issue, that could apply to some new and experimental tools such as the Firefox fork Zen.
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Perhaps the more contentious part, we felt, was this:
Some alternative browsers – such as LibreWolf, Waterfox, Floorp, and Ungoogled Chromium – appear to be developed and maintained by small hobbyist teams, and in some cases by individuals.
He explained that this caused his biz concerns about the rapidity of security fixes and of longer-term support. The version of Brave in Zorin has been customized:
… to improve the user experience in Brave, in particular around the visibility of some optional auxiliary features around cryptocurrency and AI, which come disabled as standard. This led us to include custom default settings that hide features like Brave Rewards, Wallet, Leo AI, sponsored backgrounds, and Brave News.
These are quite significant changes, and to be fair, they do address many of our concerns. Of course, users can still install any alternative they wish.
As with other 17.x updates, in-place upgrades are supported and these work well in our testing. Notably, an upgrade won’t change the default apps, including the browser. For new users, the Pro edition costs £47.99 ($62.25). There are also free Core and Education editions, which are also based on GNOME but contain fewer apps and desktop layouts, and don’t include tech support.
Although it’s not very obvious, Zorin OS Lite is also still available. This free edition uses Xfce rather than GNOME. Despite this, it looks almost identical, with the same themes, wallpapers, and its own Zorin Appearance app.
This vulture feels that Xfce is one of the best Linux desktops around, but we often see complaints that it looks ugly. Zorin’s version looks great, so it’s a good option for those who are interested in both Xfce and an attractive, modern look and feel. The only snag is that Zorin OS Lite 17.3 is still based on Xfce 4.18, and since Zorin plans to discontinue the Lite edition when Zorin OS 18 appears, sadly it will probably never get an upgrade to Xfce 4.20. ®
***Reposted from The Register
