Zorin OS 17 Banner
The new version of Zorin OS 17 has already been released and comes with great internal improvements ranging from package updates, performance improvements, the introduction of a new spatial desktop, among other things.
For those who are unaware of Zorin OS, they should know that this is a Linux distribution based on Ubuntu with the aim of reaching people who are still novice users used to working on Windows.
To control the appearance, the distribution offers a special configurator that allows you to give the desktop a look typical of different versions of Windows, and the package includes a selection of programs close to the programs Windows users are used to.
Main new features of Zorin OS 17
In this new version, which is presented of Zorin OS 17, it stands out that The Ubuntu 22.04.3 LTS base has been updated and with the Linux Kernel 6.2, in addition to updating user packages and applications.
As for the improvements, stand out those of the application manager design, as well as the improved performance (using GNOME 45.2), offering a new home screen implementation and redesigned pages with detailed application information. The program unifies access to applications installed through APT, Snap and Flatpak in a single interface. Zorin OS 17 also offers the possibility of installing programs in AppImage and deb formats, as well as exe and msi files with programs for Windows.
In addition to that, Settings that affect interface performance and responsiveness have been optimized, Because loading times have been reduced, application opening times have been accelerated and animations have been made more fluid. The Requirements for the minimum amount of RAM have been reduced from 2GB to 1.5GB, which allows the distribution to be used to extend the life cycle of obsolete equipment.
The system menu has been redesigned and optimized, Besides that has added a universal search interface that lets you search for files, apps, settings, calendar events, and address book entries in one place. The search bar defines the entry of mathematical expressions and can be used instead of a calculator.
It is also highlighted that A new interface has been added to create screenshots, which provides integration with a tool for creating screencasts and the ability to create a screenshot of a specific part of the screen or a separate window.
On the other hand, the "spatial" mode stands out to switch between virtual desktops with three-dimensional cube-shaped navigation (Desktop Cube) and in which a three-dimensional interface has been added to switch between windows using Alt+Tab. New modes can be enabled in the layout settings in the visual effects section.
Of the other changes that stand out:
- A new “All Apps” category has been added to the Apps menu, allowing you to immediately display a list of all installed apps, arranged in alphabetical order.
- Improved options for switching between applications and virtual desktops. Desktop thumbnails when browsing in “Overview” mode now appear as a horizontal ribbon that can be scrolled on the trackpad using three-finger swipe gestures or by pressing the Super key.
- Double-clicking the Super key now displays the applications grid, from which you can launch applications by dragging their icon to the desired virtual desktop.
- Added new options for tiling windows on the screen, which can be enabled in the interface management section of the configurator and allow the use of a 4-part screen layout.
- An indicator with buttons has been added to the panel to quickly change the most frequently used settings and evaluate their current status.
- In power settings, you can select a performance profile: power saving mode, balanced power mode, and maximum performance mode.
- The applet layout has been changed to display the weather forecast.
- Improved support for launching programs created for Windows. The Wine package has been updated to version 8.0.2.
If you are interested in knowing more about it, you can check the details in the following link
Download Zorin OS 17
For those who are interested in being able to obtain this new version of Zorin OS, only they will have to go to the official website of the distribution where you can obtain the image of the system from its downloads section. The system image can be recorded with Etcher, which is a multiplatform tool.
The bootable iso is 3.5 GB in size (four versions are available: regular GNOME-based, "Lite" with Xfce, and its educational variants). In the same way, for those who prefer it or if they are already users of the system and want to support the development, they can obtain a paid version of the system for a modest amount.
The link to download the system is this.
As for those who are already users by Zorin OS 16.x, they should know that there is no need to have to reinstall the system, since there is the possibility of updating your system to the new released version either using the terminal to perform the upgrade or from the "Software Updater" application
To perform the update from the terminal, they only have to open one on their system and in it they will type the following commands:
sudo apt update sudo apt full-upgrade sudo reboot
At the end of the process, it is necessary to restart your system so that all the changes are applied and you can also start the system with the new version of the Linux Kernel implemented.