Installing ZorinOS 15.1 Education - Experience Post

Attached is a blog post on how I managed to convince a school and install ZorinOS 15.1 Education (including setting up Veyon but this is not in the post). And how at the last moment I switched from Manjaro Linux to ZorinOS and also felt confident about it..

https://www.albertobarnoy.blog/2020/01/reviving-old-hardware-en-mass-or-how-i.html

If anyone is reluctant to do the same (and in fact ditch Windows) you may contact me on my experience or even ask for any help in PM or the forums.
By the way the community was a major factor on the decision so it is time to give back rather earlier than later.

The pilot I made will be followed by another 30 machines especially now that Windows 7 goes belly up.
Also if you are not using any right to left languages you are even better off with Libre Office vs MS Office compatibility.
Enjoy and ask away. I will be more than happy to assist and learn new things even in remote.

This was too important to be buried in the How-To's and Tutorials Section of the forum, especially as we are nearing 20.01.2020 and the end of Windows 7 support.

Are you using some way to clone the installation for the other computers? Or will be clean installation for each one?

I ask because we are planning to deploy 50 Zorin OS Desktops, but while we do all the test for applications and usability for our users, we can install computers, but for 50 we need to clone instead of installing one by one, but we have had no success by now using clonezilla and software like that, so any recommendation is welcome.

Greetings from Bolivia, South America.

carloseguez wrote:Are you using some way to clone the installation for the other computers? Or will be clean installation for each one?

I ask because we are planning to deploy 50 Zorin OS Desktops, but while we do all the test for applications and usability for our users, we can install computers, but for 50 we need to clone instead of installing one by one, but we have had no success by now using clonezilla and software like that, so any recommendation is welcome.

Greetings from Bolivia, South America.

Hi, and Welcome, Hola!
I would advise you to sign up for the upcoming Zorin Grid:

https://zorinos.com/grid/

carloseguez wrote:Are you using some way to clone the installation for the other computers? Or will be clean installation for each one?

I ask because we are planning to deploy 50 Zorin OS Desktops, but while we do all the test for applications and usability for our users, we can install computers, but for 50 we need to clone instead of installing one by one, but we have had no success by now using clonezilla and software like that, so any recommendation is welcome.

Greetings from Bolivia, South America.

Hi there @carlozequez!
I apologize for the late response. Next time PM me for specifics, I will be glad to help.
I am using clonezilla and I am cloning the entire disk. So in that respect find the smallest disk in your setup and back it up as a disk and not as a partition. When in restoring to larger disks you just have to go in and resize the partition after installation. Or make a new partition with the unallocated space via the Disks app. . Your choice really. BTW all settings on clonezilla are left on beginner level.

Or wait for Zorin Grid. I have gathered critical mass and momentum and stopping now will be a huge loss but I plan to adopt Zorin Grid to manage the whole thing down the road.

Exciting news!!! Kids find Zorin easier to navigate than Windows! And I am trying to make them interested in Scratch and PyGame

Hi Alberto, thanks for your experience with Zorin Os!
We waiting new feedback from you your students, and your colleagues!
Regards,

Albano

Well the feedback is... They love it! 0 complains. Teachers adopted it very fast. The only hitches I have are minor keyboard shortcut issues all solvable with gnome tweaks.

Hi, Can we take it that it is Zorin 15 in use Alberto?

In full use beyond my wildest dreams! They use it at a class with 10 laptops for group work and at an 18 seat computer lab. Teachers are not scared of it, children are not scared of it. The district education inspector said we are the first middle school in the country to adopt Linux and after hearing the feedback they consider bringing over IT specialists from other cities and councils to learn from us

What great news Alberto!
As an ancient (80!) retiree, only the threat of what the end of Windows 7 meant finally got me to move. Zorin has been a magic experience for someone who was forced to deal with many Linux attempts to change/save the world over many years. I even tried VBox UNSUCCESSFULLY as per info above many times.
I'm posting a separate query now about two failed installs on old machines - with high hopes now!

I installed 2 computers at work and I am very satisfied. The elegance and performance of the system impressed me a lot. Thanks!

Excellent, this is a great success story. Schools and government could save so much money by going down this route. Perhaps this school would be a good candidate for the Education edition and new Grid coming out?

Hi Zorin
Has nice integration with your mobile device and offers .This improvement fits also perfectly in the existence of Zorin OS 15.1 Education edition.

Hello Zorin,
I am wondering if Zorin Education will make its way to the new arm processors ? ( If or when ? )
Pine 64 has plans to distribute its Pinebook laptop to needy children, I think that the Zorin Education Edition may may a great OS for that project.
> The 'PineTab' has the same main board so it would play nice there as well, They just started accepting orders for the PineTab.
( My opinion ) The original One Laptop organization seems a little politically driven, while Pine will make its decisions by Linux Developers and .org persons.

Thanks for your forum, BC

bcnaz wrote:Hello Zorin,
I am wondering if Zorin Education will make its way to the new arm processors ? ( If or when ? )
Pine 64 has plans to distribute its Pinebook laptop to needy children, I think that the Zorin Education Edition may may a great OS for that project.
> The 'PineTab' has the same main board so it would play nice there as well, They just started accepting orders for the PineTab.
( My opinion ) The original One Laptop organization seems a little politically driven, while Pine will make its decisions by Linux Developers and .org persons.

Thanks for your forum, BC

I thought OLPC was a good idea but in reality what is needed before technology is water, food and healthcare

WE HAVE INSTALLED IN DELL WYSE 5020 ZORIN OS (PREV WINDOWS) INTERNET 200 MBPS SPEED WE ARE GETTING ONLY 30 MBPS PLS CHECK WHAT CHANGES NEED TO DONE IN ZORIN OS

hafeesu wrote:WE HAVE INSTALLED IN DELL WYSE 5020 ZORIN OS (PREV WINDOWS) INTERNET 200 MBPS SPEED WE ARE GETTING ONLY 30 MBPS PLS CHECK WHAT CHANGES NEED TO DONE IN ZORIN OS

I am not aware that ZorinOS can honestly run on a Thin Client - remember the hardware will have WindowsOS drivers. Curious to see that DELL now owns what was once BULL equipment. I remember 'building' 60 of those in one day for install the next. Poor users were limited to an awful 15 inch black and white monitor! Pants!