Unofficial Manual For Zorin Os 15 Core Completed!

[swarfendor437 14]

Hi everyone, anyone who is considering wanting to give Zorin 15 Core a try either as an additional OS to Windows or a replacement I have completed the manual (E. and O.E) finally today. The Core version is free and Zorin no longer ask for a donation before you get to download it.

 

The pdf version link is: https://app.box.com/s/sp7uzb7r2o731g7jkn6tcb8gxvtz6gvy

which is 57 Mb in size.

The .odt (LibreOffice/OpenOffice) version link is: https://app.box.com/s/7bcbwkdwits36q8ilkgmsz0jbleoy27w

and is 20 Mb in size.

 

If you don't want to download the manual you can view it in your preferred browser and use the 'hyperlinked' Contents page to view the section you want to view. Hope some of you will find it useful.

Edited July 27, 2019 by swarfendor437
Entered Os instead of OS

[me-and-pippo 12]

Thank you.

[swarfendor437 14]

Thanks for your message of support me-and-pippo - After I posted I remembered I had made a glaring error only providing the GNU/Linux utility of checking SHA256 sum! LOL! Have updated this to include the link to Raymond's utility hosted by Softpedia.com! This in turn split the hash key of one particular iteration of Zorin so all the SHA245 sums are now on one page. Phew!

[Ghozer 112]

My laptop's dedicated GPU recently died, and  the manufacturer is refusing to repair it - I can use onboard Intel HD graphics, but for my use-case it's kinda pointless having it at all..

so I have thought about sticking a linux distro on it, and getting back into linux a little, you keep on about Zorin so I thought i'd check it out...

Anything you can recommend before I do? is there any caveats etc?

Laptop is specced as such
i5-6200
8GB DDR3
1TB HDD
Intel integrated (default) graphics
Nvidia 940MX for '3D applications' (which I would disable as it's faulty)

[swarfendor437 14]

Hi Ghozer,

 

The only reason(s) I go on about it is because it is probably the most Windows like interface for Noobs who want to give GNU/Linux a try. Your specs are more than adequate to run Zorin 15 Core - my only caveat is that if you do give it a whirl and get round to installing then don't boot into the Wayland Desktop - there is a little cog near to the Password field and selecting Zorin on Wayland prevents you from using any Package Manager, i.e., Synaptic, which you have to install post installation. That is why it is well worth the read. I am aware that hybrid graphics have been an issue for some GNU/Linux installs and whilst you have the nvidia bit disabled there may be an Intel issue, can't say - that is why it is always best to run in live mode to check it out - you could edit the bootsplash at boot time to add 'nomodeset' and 'acpi=off' just to play safe. Apart from the Windows feel, Zorin is the only GNU/Linux distribution I am aware of that integrates the Orca (Gnome) screen-reader into the Desktop Environment well. The other Windows lookalike distributions of FerenOS and Makulu Lindoz fail to integrate Orca properly as it does not work with the Cinnamon DE Menu - sure it works within applications but a blind user is going to have to access the Menu to find the application they want to open! For a really close similarity from purely a Visual perspective, I have managed to replicate a Windows 8(/10) look for a family member on Feren OS - similar to their own Windows 8 desktop in terms of look and feel of the pale blue transparent panel with the Windows menu logo that appears in 8 and 10. The one annoying thing I found with Feren OS was the placement of the Clock on the Desktop in terms of it's size and position - I modified this and now when I boot into it it keeps warning me that it could not load something (the clock). I have it themed like Windows 10 desktop when I boot into that. For a very nice lightweight distro there is of course Zorin Lite - 15 is not out yet but 12.4 LIte is also free. Zorin produces Ultimate versions of Lite and Core but you have to pay for those. Zorin Lite uses xfce (as does SolydX Community Stable Edition). Then there is AntiX 17.4 which has a Windows 2000 like menu, similar to Sparky Linux. What I like about Sparky Linux is that you have a basic working OS and then it actually has multiple DE's (Desktop Environments) that you can install afterwards and boot into your desired DE - a first in the GNU/Linux arena. That said Enlightenment has only ever succesfully worked in E-Live - now that is quite a futuristic OS as there is no 'set menu' it has a Mac-like doc, with context menus with a left-click anywhere on the desktop, or with right-click, a compartmented menu. One of the great things about GNU/Linux is you get spoilt for choice! Whatever you decide to do, enjoy your chosen distribution!

Oh and before I forget, if you do install and get gnome-tweaks present in the OS you could always swap out the Zorin Menu for the Gnome-shell extension Gno-Menu - fully configurable as shown in the Manual.

Edited July 29, 2019 by swarfendor437

[swarfendor437 14]

OK, Just to let anyone interested in the manual that the location has now changed due to being messed about by Box.com - it claims it is not Linux or Firefox compatible - yet when I logged in on Zorin I could quite happily download. Recently they have started to try and get people to push for an account in order to comment on the manual, "... in the meantime your content is being downloaded" - which was a lie! If I logged in on latest Firefox, no issue - I told them this and now they have blocked Firefox! Clearly must have some serious backing from other OS's. I now store the manuals on pCloud. You do get a message to join but you can continue to download anyway.

 

 

New links for the Unofficial Zorin 15 Core Manuals (.pdf and .odt):

 

pdf: https://my.pcloud.com/publink/show?code=XZN2bskZmMDfqoi7IrkmwqA7m0NRTFTogjo7

 

odt: https://my.pcloud.com/publink/show?code=XZhsbskZF12cQ9u5q4BvnRSN03bw6RLFMfHV

Edited February 14, 2020 by swarfendor437

[theob 0]

Dear Swarfendor,

 

I tried to download your manual from Sheffield forum but was declined.

I have a problem with Zorin 15-3, I lost the desktop GUI and can only

login to tty1. I was hoping to find an answer.

 

best regards

Theo

[swarfendor437 14]

Hi Theo, I no longer use Zorin but you can get the manual from here (until April 2023 when support for it ends):

 

https://my.pcloud.com/publink/show?code=XZv85DkZMtmfw942v9f12U9CHFW17JkbhEK7

 

It's a large pdf 72 Mb - if you have bandwidth problems, the LibreOffice version at:

 

https://my.pcloud.com/publink/show?code=XZUacskZqjpt8drFwQ4cpbktaz1H3uVHQyoy

 

only 31.4 Mb

 

Just realised that I updated the file in January of last year with additional recovery issues, like the login loop and a host of other things. Apologies!

Edited January 31, 2021 by swarfendor437

[swarfendor437 14]

Updated pdf here:

https://ecloud.global/s/JXeM682da9MxDA2

 

Note I have not bothered to update the cover page date!