Zorin OS 12 Beta

Just reading through the Zorin Group Blog and found this.

http://zoringroup.com/blog/2016/04/29/t ... -zorin-os/

(8 days ago, so around the 19th July I guess, today being the 27th July when I posted this)
Artyom Zorin said:
"We're currently hard at work on the new version, and we can say that it's going to be the biggest release in the past few years. We expect to release a Beta within the next few weeks. It will introduce an entirely new Zorin Desktop environment, based on Gnome Shell, but still being the easiest and most user-friendly version of Zorin OS yet. Because Zorin OS 12 will be based on Ubuntu 16.04, it will be a Long Term Support release, supported until April 2021."

I assume I can quote him on here?

8 days ago so it is not long now till the beta arrives!
Looking forward to this myself, excited to see what the team have done and how it looks and feels also. Bring it on.

Thoughts anyone?

Interesting news indeed!

I check the blog from time to time but usually don't read all (new) comments - a big mistake I see

Looks like the option to download OS 11 has been removed from the download page.
Getting close, I can taste it.

I would guess (hope) that 12 would be out tomorrow, as that is when support for 11 ends. I would hate it if they made 11 users install 9.

I would guess (hope) that 12 would be out tomorrow, as that is when support for 11 ends. I would hate it if they made 11 users install 9.

Whilst support for 11 might end tomorrow that does not mean you suddenly have to stop using it!

If there was a security flaw discovered I would have to immediately change OS. I would rather do it now when I have some free time.

Why doesn't zorin use twitter and facebook to inform customers of developing zorin 12?

As a new fan of zorin i went to this site: http://zorinos.com/contacts.html
and clicked all the social media links

http://www.twitter.com/ZorinOS

http://www.facebook.com/ZorinOS

http://gplus.to/ZorinOS


Just try it too and imagine that would you think about zorin?

you installed the beta version

I am getting really antsy for Zorin 12. I couldn't wait, so I tried Linux Lite, just the live DVD. Very impressive,but not enough to install, with Z 12 on the horizon. I know I must be patient, it's better to have it work later than to have it not work now, but I'm now thinking of trying the beta. Just to relieve my anxiety.

Two questions:

1) can I try the beta live?

2) can I upgrade from the beta if I install it?

I'm pretty sure the answer to 2 is "no." But before I burn a DVD, it would be good to know if I can try it live without installing.

Good questions! My biggest concern is installing version 12 which will wipe out my entire drive, loosing all my apps and games and custom curser that took forever to figure out how to install. I would really like to have an import functionality in the new installation. Something where it says, would you like OS 12 to save your apps, games, and custom settings and import them into OS12? If there was an option like that, I'd say, YES 100% YES! lol

I am getting really antsy for Zorin 12. I couldn't wait, so I tried Linux Lite, just the live DVD. Very impressive,but not enough to install, with Z 12 on the horizon. I know I must be patient, it's better to have it work later than to have it not work now, but I'm now thinking of trying the beta. Just to relieve my anxiety.

Two questions:

1) can I try the beta live?

2) can I upgrade from the beta if I install it?

I'm pretty sure the answer to 2 is "no." But before I burn a DVD, it would be good to know if I can try it live without installing.

Yes it is like all other Zorin releases - you can try it live. And no you can't update to final from Beta - but await to be corrected on this!

Thank you Swarf. I may have to jump in on the beta, on the theory that the minute you give up on waiting, the thing you're waiting for will happen. I'm tired of the you-tube videos, some of which are so boring I actually fall asleep watching them.

Well, I am trying the Beta on live DVD. I tried to boot from usb, using unetbootin, but the process got stuck loading drivers. My computer won't boot from usb, so I use the CD that lets you boot from usb. I successfully burned the iso to the usb, and the process looked like it would work, as I got the start screen, which showed Zorin 12 beta, but as I said it got stuck loading drivers. I have used this method successfully before, with Ubuntu Mate.

Anyway...I then burned a DVD, and I finally have my first taste of Zorin 12. Whoa. I'm pretty sure I will be back to using Zorin as my primary system. I am impressed with everything, and it all works so far. This looks like the the closest Linux yet to Windows 7, and I will probably choose it to teach my wife about Linux as well. It's gorgeous, intuitive and I can't wait to use the map and weather apps. Great calendar also. The attention to detail is amazing. It recognized my printer out of the box, no need to add it. Extremely impressed.

My only concern is the already expressed reservation I have about Google integration. But if I don't have a Google account, which I don't, and don't use Google as my search engine, I think it will be OK. I will probably install Vivaldi browser anyway. also Thunderbird, as my email is POP, and it looks like it won't wotk with Geary, but it does with TB, so again I should be fine.

Woohoo, and bring on the final version!

Well, I am trying the Beta on live DVD. I tried to boot from usb, using unetbootin, but the process got stuck loading drivers. My computer won't boot from usb, so I use the CD that lets you boot from usb. I successfully burned the iso to the usb, and the process looked like it would work, as I got the start screen, which showed Zorin 12 beta, but as I said it got stuck loading drivers. I have used this method successfully before, with Ubuntu Mate.

Anyway...I then burned a DVD, and I finally have my first taste of Zorin 12. Whoa. I'm pretty sure I will be back to using Zorin as my primary system. I am impressed with everything, and it all works so far. This looks like the the closest Linux yet to Windows 7, and I will probably choose it to teach my wife about Linux as well. It's gorgeous, intuitive and I can't wait to use the map and weather apps. Great calendar also. The attention to detail is amazing. It recognized my printer out of the box, no need to add it. Extremely impressed.

My only concern is the already expressed reservation I have about Google integration. But if I don't have a Google account, which I don't, and don't use Google as my search engine, I think it will be OK. I will probably install Vivaldi browser anyway. also Thunderbird, as my email is POP, and it looks like it won't wotk with Geary, but it does with TB, so again I should be fine.

Woohoo, and bring on the final version!

Hi mdiener,

Just a gentle reminder that Weather app does not yet work as stated in their blog and as for looks, Maps looks far superior to Bing or Google - the downside this side of the pond is that none of the Post (ZIP) Codes are correct! But Maps is a separate app nothing to do with Zorin and I haven't got round to changing my forgotten Launchpad password to report the Bugs to the project team. I am going to reinstall today and see if I can successfully remove Google using synaptic as advised by Admins.

Just to add I do like how they have included the Accessibility options on the panel like PearOS did - I just hope they include Galculator in the final release as from memory this, apart from being able to be resized is the only calculator app that works with Orca the screenreader.

The other nice thing now about the menu is that all text can be made bigger which you couldn't with GnoMenu/ZornMenu.

An issue has cropped up. I am using the live dvd, and I will only have sound if my usb audio interface is plugged in when I start. As I have two computers, and use one for internet and the other for music creation, I need to switch the audio between the two computers. So, if zorin is running already when I plug the usb in, I have no sound. The interface is listed in the sound utility, and you can highlight it, but when you go to test the speakers, it lists the output device as spdif, rather then the Steinberg analog interface I'm using.

As I recall, this may have been a problem in Zorin 9 as well, and was probably one of the reasons I stopped using it. I was hoping it would be corrected, but it looks like it hasn't, at least on the live dvd.