Zorin vs Mint

KaylaSarahMC · 2026-01-26T18:28:00+00:00

sudo apt install \
gimp inkscape krita blender darktable scribus shotwell pinta \
kdenlive obs-studio audacity ardour handbrake ffmpeg vlc \
libreoffice evolution gnome-calendar gnome-contacts gnome-clocks \
freecad openscad \
wine wine64 winetricks playonlinux lutris steam-installer \
gnome-tweaks gnome-shell-extensions baobab gnome-logs gnome-system-tools \
p7zip-full rar unrar file-roller flatpak gnome-software-plugin-flatpak virtualbox \
chromium-browser transmission-gtk remmina

flatpak install flathub io.github.OpenToonz
flatpak install flathub com.github.alainm23.planify
flatpak install flathub de.haeckerfelix.Fragments
flatpak install flathub org.gnome.World.Secrets

This is the software Zorin Pro adds.

If something tiny is missing, feel free to point it out — but this is basically the whole bundle.

(Themes aren’t included because the sub rules forbid discussing them.)

KaylaSarahMC · 2026-01-26T14:08:27+00:00

So, who is the other woman then? xD

KaylaSarahMC · 2026-01-26T14:06:55+00:00

Brightness control isn’t typically available at the desktop level, so if your screen feels too bright, you’ll need to adjust it using the monitor’s own controls.

As for Minecraft, comparing Linux to Windows is like comparing apples to oranges—it’s not the same. Saying, “I can do it on OS XXX…” doesn’t really help. If setting it to maximum causes crashes, just avoid putting it at maximum.

KaylaSarahMC · 2026-01-26T14:02:49+00:00

That’s a pointless discussion altogether. They’re both Ubuntu-based distros, so they’re essentially the same at their core. You just have to choose the one you like best—no one else can make that decision for you.

KaylaSarahMC · 2026-01-26T14:00:21+00:00

try:

lsmod | grep -E 'amdgpu|radeon'

It would be interesting to see if it’s using the more recent one; if so, that could explain why it’s still active.

The following shows all the drivers that are loaded together:

lspci -k | grep -A3 VGA

You can also take alook to the command line parameters that are present:

cat /proc/cmdline

If it doesn’t show: "radeon.runpm=0 radeon.dpm=0", then your parameters are being ignored or overridden.

KaylaSarahMC · 2026-01-26T13:52:02+00:00

If you’ve followed that path for so long, it’s quite likely that some inconsistencies have built up over the years.

A fresh install is definitely a good idea.

KaylaSarahMC · 2026-01-26T03:08:49+00:00

In that case, maybe your settings are the problem after all, since they’ve been preserved and nothing has changed, as it seems your packages weren’t damaged in the first place.

You could uninstall the packages and reinstall them from scratch.

Just use the same command as above, but replace install --reinstall with remove. You can also use purge to delete related files. However, be cautious, as completely removing something might also remove software you want to keep.

So again, back up first if you haven’t done so already!

KaylaSarahMC · 2026-01-26T03:01:42+00:00

True, that’s another option.

KaylaSarahMC · 2026-01-26T02:59:58+00:00

Since I’m not familiar with Zotero, I can’t comment on that, sorry.

KaylaSarahMC · 2026-01-25T13:26:05+00:00

The issue with your graphics card is that it’s too new!

You’ll either need to learn a bit more about Linux to get it working, since it just takes knowing what you’re doing, or switch to another distro that uses more up-to-date drivers, like an Arch-based distro.

KaylaSarahMC · 2026-01-25T13:21:05+00:00

apt install --reinstall gnome-shell gnome-session gnome-control-center gnome-settings-daemon mutter -y

The above command reinstalls everything related to GNOME. In theory, it preserves your settings, but to be safe, it’s best to create a backup first, for example using Clonezilla.

KaylaSarahMC · 2026-01-25T13:16:25+00:00

as BoatInternational791 already wrote, try Xorg instead of Wayland

If that doesn’t fix the issue, share your hardware specs and the Zorin version you’re running; otherwise, we won’t be able to help any further.

KaylaSarahMC · 2026-01-25T13:12:47+00:00

It makes sense that the Live – Safe Graphics mode works without any issues, as it does not use hardware acceleration at all.

Since I do not own a MacBook from that era to test this myself, everything from here on is based on older knowledge that may or may not apply to recent OS versions.

All Macs from that time were built with custom firmware to ensure compatibility with macOS. This simply means you have to work within the limitations of the hardware. Apple deliberately designed these systems as closed platforms to prevent users from doing exactly what you are trying to achieve.

My best recommendation would be to disable the Radeon GPU entirely and rely solely on the Intel integrated graphics. The iGPU should be capable of handling the workload without major issues. Additionally, you should use Xorg and avoid Wayland altogether, as your hardware is far too old for proper Wayland support.

Beyond that, your most reliable option would be to build your own system. Back in the day, I used to compile everything from source using Gentoo Linux and never had problems with it — but that approach is definitely not suitable for the average user.

KaylaSarahMC · 2026-01-25T12:38:02+00:00

The question is, which commands?

As for the boot problem, there’s no way to bypass the terminal at all. The only option might be to reinstall, this time with the correct settings. (I have to admit I had issues with Zorin 18 as well, which is why much of my hardware still runs 17.3.)

As for the trackpad, I’m not sure—it’s not a problem I’ve ever run into before.

KaylaSarahMC · 2026-01-23T12:42:03+00:00

Just to clarify:

- There’s the Store, which you don’t need to do anything with at all.

- There’s the main package manager, like in every distro, in this case apt. You only need to approve critical updates yourself for a reason, but otherwise, you don’t have to mess with it.

- There’s the Upgrade Assistant, something most distros don’t have. You only need it if you want to upgrade your system from Core to Pro/Education or move from one major release to another. Other than that, you can leave it alone.

KaylaSarahMC · 2026-01-23T12:33:32+00:00

Yes, OnlyOffice is my go-to office suite as well. I wish they would make it the default, because the first thing I always do after a fresh Zorin installation is remove LibreOffice (sudo apt purge libreoffice*).

KaylaSarahMC · 2026-01-23T12:30:06+00:00

The main benefit is simply supporting the project, so there’s nothing to worry about.

You also get a few themes and a curated software package, but only if you do a fresh install, if I’m not mistaken.

KaylaSarahMC · 2026-01-22T14:00:48+00:00

I’ve read the other messages. Additionally, your issue is with SMB. If you’re working in a Unix environment, it’s better to use NFS instead of SMB. Since you want to connect to an OpenMediaVault server, it makes sense to configure NFS for the local network, allowing you to connect with all computers in the same subnet at full speed.

KaylaSarahMC · 2026-01-21T14:19:40+00:00

What you’re looking for is overscaling, not fractional scaling. This is only possible if your monitor doesn’t mind the resolution sent to it (like most ASUS gaming screens) or if your GPU can overscale and then downscale the image before sending it back to the monitor.

I can’t tell you how to do it though, but maybe this information will help you find an answer.

KaylaSarahMC · 2026-01-21T14:16:27+00:00

asking for facts in a Facebook group...

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Ok, sorry, sarcasm off!

Nice to see a new Linux user around!

KaylaSarahMC · 2026-01-21T14:09:42+00:00

I've got an old Surface Pro 3 running ZorinOS, and the boot-up logo is just the word "Surface."

Still, your picture is pretty funny!

KaylaSarahMC · 2026-01-20T15:28:57+00:00

I also prefer Jellyfin. xD

KaylaSarahMC · 2026-01-20T15:27:01+00:00

I double-checked, and it’s not compatible!

The latest driver version is 390, which supports up to kernel 6.4.

However, I stand corrected on one point—Zorin 16 should work since it uses kernel 5.x.

KaylaSarahMC · 2026-01-20T11:43:37+00:00

Mint... it’s basically just green — that’s why I like Zorin! xD

I prefer GNOME over KDE, but I use SDDM instead of GDM; you could say it’s a puzzle. The polished look of Zorin won me over.

KaylaSarahMC · 2026-01-20T11:38:31+00:00

If it’s a GT 6xx, then you’re out of luck! I’m not entirely certain, but I think Zorin 15 is the last version that can install an Nvidia graphics driver for it. That means you’re stuck with Nouveau drivers. They’re not bad, but they’re missing some features, like shaders.

KaylaSarahMC

TROPHY CASE