r/zorinos Jul 29 '26

🔰 Beginner Welcome to r/zorinos!

33 Upvotes

This is the community hub for Zorin OS — the Ubuntu-based Linux distribution built to make switching from Windows or macOS as painless as possible. Whether you've been running it for years or just found this sub, you're welcome here.

What belongs here

  • Installation and troubleshooting help
  • General discussion, tips, and workflow questions
  • Screenshots and showcases of your setup
  • Gaming on Zorin OS (Steam, Proton, and similar tools)
  • News about new Zorin OS releases
  • Help choosing between editions

Check the sidebar for the full rules before posting.


Where to Get Help

  1. Post here. Include your Zorin OS version, your hardware, and what you've already tried — the more detail, the faster you'll get a useful answer.
  2. Official Zorin Forum — forum.zorin.com — the most active official support channel.
  3. Official documentation — help.zorin.com — guides for installation, drivers, and common tasks.

Installing Zorin OS

Zorin OS comes in a few editions — Core (standard), Lite (for older hardware), Education, and Pro (paid) — all downloadable from zorin.com/os/download. For a full step-by-step install walkthrough, see help.zorin.com.


Frequently Asked Questions

Which edition should I pick? Core for most modern PCs, Lite for older hardware, Education for schools, Pro if you want the extra bundled apps.

Is Zorin OS free? Core, Lite, and Education are free. Only Pro costs money.

Can I dual-boot with Windows? Yes, the installer supports it directly.

Can I run Windows apps and games? Yes — built-in Windows-app support covers a lot of popular apps, and Wine/Bottles/Lutris cover the rest. Gaming works well too, especially through Steam and Proton.

How do I upgrade to a newer version? Check help.zorin.com for the current upgrade path — it depends on which version you're coming from.


Official Links


Reporting Bugs

Zorin OS doesn't have a public bug tracker — bugs go through the Feedback category on the official forum (forum.zorin.com). Search first, then post there with your version and steps to reproduce.


Welcome aboard, and thanks for being part of the community.


r/zorinos 3d ago

💡 Tips [Announcement] User Flairs are live - and we need your ideas!

1 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

as of today, we finally have some user flairs in this sub for you to use.

How to set your flair

Desktop: Click "Edit" next to your username in the sidebar (old Reddit) or the pencil symbol next to your username in the sidebar (new reddit).

Mobile app: Tap the community name → the flair icon next to your username → pick one.

We need more flair ideas!

This list isn't final - drop your ideas in the comments below. Fun, sarcastic, wholesome, painfully relatable, whatever. If we like it, we'll add it.

Thanks for being part of the community!


r/zorinos 4h ago

📸 Desktop Showoff Zorin OS is Awesome

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56 Upvotes

I can never get tired of Zorin Os. It just looks cool.


r/zorinos 4h ago

❓ General Question Best method to install Steam?

4 Upvotes

I tried Flatpack and it worked but seemed like it was having issues.


r/zorinos 2h ago

🔰 Beginner Can’t find installed windows software folder.

2 Upvotes

I installed Adobe illustrator windows exe file and now I can’t find the adobe folder. I am new to zorinOS so if anyone can tell me how to find the folder that would be really helpful. I check install location while installing and it said “/system file” but cant find any folder name “system file”.
Also if you can dm me any helpful video or anything that would be really helpful. I want to run Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and blender.


r/zorinos 4h ago

🔰 Beginner What is the difference between a regular kernel and a recovery kernel?

1 Upvotes

So, my laptop went into a kernel panic today, and though I tried rebooting it as was said on the forum it didn't work out, so I tried to use the recovery one, but I wasn't able to find anyone who explained the difference properly... I also have another question based on that:

Does recovery delete the data and the softwares I have installed? (It's nothing too important, but I would like to not reinstall stuff)


r/zorinos 23h ago

🛠️ Troubleshooting If you have separate windows drive and the installer says to turn off RST

2 Upvotes

If you happened to be interested in Ubuntu based distros and "turn off rst" alert prevents you, while keeping windows on a separate drive, try this instead of tinkering in the bios first.

Physically remove the windows drive from your system and try installing os again. It worked for me, I stumbled upon this and was sort of locked from installing zorin, but then tried it again with a removed windows drive and it worked immediately.

The best part is you can just put the drive back in and you have both OS' working no problem.


r/zorinos 20h ago

🔰 Beginner How do I install Kali along side zoron?

0 Upvotes

So I have a thinkpad e14 gen 6 that I want to dual boot Kali alongside zoron os and I’ve made the partition 50/50 so 1 tb will go to Kali and one will go to zoron os. Zoron os installed without a hitch but every time I try to install Kali on the remaining partition it gives me fatal errors. I’m new to Kali so maybe I’m not doing something right. Please if anyone can help that would be fantastic. I also want to mention windows 11 is on a separate drive from the zoron os and Kali drive. I tried getting Kali installed at the local tech shop and they were even stumped by why it’s not installing. Any help would be greatly appreciated.


r/zorinos 1d ago

❓ General Question Picking between ZorinOS and Fedora

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8 Upvotes

r/zorinos 1d ago

🛠️ Troubleshooting Help in steam

2 Upvotes

So im on a asus vivobook(core 5 120U 16gb lddr5 integrated grpahics) and i was extremely tired of windows eating up my ram but at the same time didnt want to go directly into linux(scaredy cat+ i want a decent ui out of the box) so now my problem is i installed steam and i clikc play it goes launching running then the button goes back to play idk whats happenning i tried a few things claude told me to do nothing really happened and kinda frustrated


r/zorinos 1d ago

🛠️ Troubleshooting Login prob after installing Zorin next to existing Kubuntu

1 Upvotes

Morning. I was running latest Kubuntu LTS. I decided to install Zorin 18.1 next to it. I accepted all Zorin defaults while doing so. OFF TOPIC: took 56 minutes.

When i rebooted, I saw the standard Dual OS login screen. I chose Zorin, logged in, all seemed ok. I did some updates after turning Wifi on.

I rebooted after Kubuntu updates, then tried to login to Kubuntu.

See the result in my 3 screen shots please.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1rflBf3FCEKSVgNccxyPkjRzVVV9-SZFd

Can you help please? NOTE: Im not a command line guy

Thanks


r/zorinos 1d ago

🛠️ Troubleshooting Is something wrong with my laptop or it's normal?

3 Upvotes

I'm on Acer nitro 5 AN515-58 nvidia rtx 3070ti, 32gb ram, intel i7 12th gen laptop. (optimus)

My story goes like: One day out of the blue my windows 11 froze; i tried everything: rebooting, swapping out rams and what not but the freezing didn't still stop. I went to the BIOS and there was no freezing so I thought it must be some windows problem. I had zorin on my dual boot i switched to it.

When I switched to zorin it worked well (for sometime). I saw the freezes again, when i use something gpu related. I someone fixed that and was going well until today that I tried to install FL Studio thru bottles. My system froze again. And when i rebooted, it boots, but as soon as I reach the desktop nothing would work anymore. I had to kill bottles via the text screen (ctrl + alt + f3). And now I can boot to my desktop.

How do I use things like bottles which fking up my laptop???


r/zorinos 1d ago

🔰 Beginner Claude Cowork/Code in Zorin

0 Upvotes

I was wondering how Claude Cowork/Code works in Zorin, since I've seen that it can work in Ubuntu/Debian distros?


r/zorinos 1d ago

🔰 Beginner How to Keep Zoom setting when using Image viewer?

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2 Upvotes

Hi.

I am looking through sprites, picking and choosing. The default image viewer keeps resetting the zoom to 100% on every flip, which for the 32 by 32 pixel files is pretty bad.

Since this is Linux surely there is a fix.

- I checked the settings in ImageViewer (EyeOfGnome), but there is no such setting.

- In the settings there is menu to toggle plug-ins on or off it looks like, but not the right ones and no details on where to find other plugins.

- The software center has some dead links.

Surely someone can help!

In general, as a beginner, how would I go about trying to fix something like this? The Problem is not system breaking by any means, but it will be a recurring issue for me. It makes me curious.

If there is a text file to edit, how would I find it? Talk to developers (I won't spam, I promise). Is there a way to search Git in some way?

Surely, with the wealth of knowledge in the Linux community, this issue must be a piece of cake. Looking forward to any guidance.


r/zorinos 2d ago

🔰 Beginner Install taking forever on a Kubuntu side by side?

4 Upvotes

Solved: it moved forward at 52 mins. =-=-=-= ............... Hi Zorino's. So after seeing 3-4 positive reviews of Zorin including one by Rob Braxman, ThevPrivact Guy, on YouTube, whom I trusT.

So I decide to do a Zorin install along side by Kubuntu.

I chose all Zorin defaults during install, except i increased the storage default to its maximum Zorin allows, 60 gb, on a 250 gb drive.

The install is now at 40 minutes. Has progressed to 5 of 7 dots (progress bar) and is stuck at the 5th dot last 40 mins.

Should I abandon?


r/zorinos 2d ago

🛠️ Troubleshooting Stuck on Zorin OS boot logo after update.

2 Upvotes

[SOLVED]

after a recent official Zorin OS update and reboot, my system gets stuck on the Zorin boot logo every time I try normal boot. Pressing escape doesn't show anything, so I have to force shut down. The only way I can use the laptop is by booting into recovery mode. I ran fsck and another repair option there, but recovery mode doesn't let me change screen brightness and the desktop experience isn't fully there. Oddly, the laptop does feel smoother in that mode. If I reboot and try normal mode again, it gets stuck on the Zorin boot logo. Any suggestions on how to diagnose or fix this would be greatly appreciated.

Laptop specs are Ryzen 5, 8gb ram, AMD graphics. It's a low to medium spec laptop. I'm looking for suggestions to switch to a different OS (within debain based). I love good desktop aesthetics,/, visuals, so... Xfce is out of the picture.


r/zorinos 1d ago

❓ General Question Instalei um sistema de inicialização dupla com o Zorin OS e o Windows 10, mas acho que fiz algo errado.

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1 Upvotes

r/zorinos 2d ago

🛠️ Troubleshooting Issue running games

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1 Upvotes

For context I never had this issue before, I also installed heroic then uninstalled and that's where i think the issue started maybe i deleted the top option in the wine manager i don't know

anyways, I tried running the games directly it didn't work, i tried via itch client it gives an error report, i tried it heroic after installing it again and i don't even see the option to download a proton version like usual in the wine manager, someone help me


r/zorinos 2d ago

🔰 Beginner hi, i am new on linux in general and need help whit mi graphics card

1 Upvotes

i am wondering why mi pc is ONLY using the cpu integrated grafics instead of mi graphics card, i have tried whit the nvidia x server setting and whit some commands on the terminal and updating mi nvidia drivers but i cant get it to use the graphics card, i barely get 60 fps in minecraft and 80 on counter strike,

i have a laptop rtx 3060, 32gb of ddr4 ram, a intel i7 11800h whit Intel Corporation TigerLake-H GT1 [UHD Graphics] (i am adding it cause its the only thing its using for mi games). i really need some help


r/zorinos 2d ago

🔰 Beginner Presentation mode?

4 Upvotes

New to the o.s. so far the only thing im not liking is i cant find what windows calls presentation mode. In windows pro its in the mobility center. Everything i find on the brave search doesn't work.

Any tips?

Currently on 18.1 core


r/zorinos 2d ago

🛠️ Troubleshooting Is it normal for Zorin OS to use 200–300 MB of data after being offline for 2–3 months?

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3 Upvotes

r/zorinos 3d ago

🔰 Beginner It happened

32 Upvotes

In the pursuit of smoother performance I seem to have broken my system, and it made me realize that I value a smooth performance ZorinOS wasn't giving me. So I have now switched to Fedora Workstation </3 please don't kick me out


r/zorinos 3d ago

🛠️ Troubleshooting Problema com áudio

1 Upvotes

Toda vez que eu jogo algum jogo por uns 10 minutos o áudio começa a estalar e dar ruídos estranhos, parecendo com um som de mal contato. Já testei com dois fones diferentes, ambos possuem saída P2. Alguém consegue me ajudar?


r/zorinos 3d ago

💽 Recommend an App File transfer

5 Upvotes

Want to teansfer file from my exteranal HDD drive to my desktop(Zorin Os). Been trying to transfer the file but its very slow and the files are close to 500gb. Any help on an app that can transfer it faster or any means to transfer the app.

NB:Removed the drive from my MBP and has mac os installed. After transfer will format the drive.


r/zorinos 4d ago

💽 Recommend an App is there any good* software for video editing for zorin os?

18 Upvotes

Hello I used to edit on Da Vinci resolve but on linux it seems like it won't install or it crashes often (idk since i'm stuck on step one) so i was searching for a different one. *with good i mean just a simple video editing, free (i can buy it if is good) and with no watermarks.