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Hi all, new here. Had a few questions

bennylava

Sun May 08, 2016 5:14:54 pm

I have a few questions I'd like to ask about Zorin, and some may just be linux in general. Its probably best if I just number them, so here they are:

1. I'm still looking into which linux distro I'm going to use. But I have decided, that its going to be one that focuses on making the transition easy for new linux users coming over from windows. That's what attracted me to Zorin. But are there any others I should know about, which have the same goals as Zorin? Is Zorin really the only one that does this, or perhaps Zorin does it the best?

2. There does seem to be some small support for Linux, from Nvidia. I know that its sort of a blanket driver, and as such newer games aren't going to run as well. But does anyone know how often Nvidia updates this driver? That is something I'd like to know.

3. What can be done, if I do run into a piece of hardware that doesn't seem to have drivers for my Distro?

Thanks!

Swarfendor437

Sun May 08, 2016 8:00:36 pm

Hi and welcome to the forum!

1. Zorin is the only distro that I am aware of that closely 'mimicks' Windows 7 in respect of its menu in Core, and Win2k in Zorin Lite. One of the bug-bears that some transitioning have found is the absence of the Left Windows (or Meta Key) not being bound to the Menu - MakuluLinux "Aero" edtion (sadly only available in 64-bit flavour) uses Cinammon DE and Mate Menu - the latter doesn't look like Windows 7 but both Left and Right Windows Keys will launch the menu. I have suggested workarounds for this in Zorin 9 - install GnoMenu and at least you can bind the menu to the Windows key, and remove the ZorinMenu applet from AWN (avant-window-navigator) - the panel at the bottom of the Desktop.

2. You need to ask nVidia that question! ;)

3. Most should work - for reference see this guide here:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=5440

As a small aside here, last year I purchased a Canon All-in-One - I had to install Canon proprietary GNU/Linux drivers to get the scanner and printer to work correctly - simple scan failed to see it - I am writing this response from Deepin 15.1 32-bit that mimicks MacOSX but you can have a traditional panel (efficient panel) but no menu - what it uses is 'slingshot' equivalent of having groups of apps according to their genre - Internet, Sound and Video etc. A handy App Store but no uninstaller - you have to get to grasp with command-line 'aptitude' to get rid of stuff, and sometimes install stuff via the command line - and what you may want may not be there as they limit what THEY think you need! It is a pleasing interface but no Assistive Technology period - I don't need Assistive Technology but ANY operating system should be judged on how inclusive it is to all users - only Apple sadly can hold that as GNU/Linux, or to be more accurately, Gnome Project has failed in this area after being a leader until they brought out Gnome 3! :cry: :evil:

bennylava

Mon May 09, 2016 3:36:50 pm

Swarfendor437 wrote:...but no Assistive Technology period...


Thanks for the reply!

As for the quote, that is the only part of your post that I really didn't understand. I was hoping you could expand upon that some. Could you please explain what you mean by assistive technology, and maybe what a new user might run into that they would need it, or be expecting it to be there.

Swarfendor437

Mon May 09, 2016 8:35:40 pm

Assistance technology includes screen reader for someone who has no sight that can be configured to meet that person's preferences.

bennylava

Mon May 09, 2016 9:00:13 pm

How about an on-screen keyboard? One that can be operated by using only the mouse. Is there such a thing for Zorin?

Swarfendor437

Mon May 09, 2016 9:09:33 pm

An on-screen keyboard is useful for people with poor motor skills or even with a touch screen and something worn on the head for those with no use in their/no arms - but that is not going to help someone who cannot see a screen - even Zorin comes unstuck here - the only talking menu is 'YAMA' and even that is not bound to the left Windows key - a non-sighted user with good motor skills needs to have ease of access via the keyboard. From recollection Zorin does have an on-screen keyboard.

bennylava

Tue May 10, 2016 3:05:46 pm

I haven't installed Zorin yet... do you happen to remember if the on screen keyboard comes already installed in Zorin, or is it something I need to get from the repository?

qnarkill

Tue May 10, 2016 4:42:28 pm

bennylava wrote:I haven't installed Zorin yet... do you happen to remember if the on screen keyboard comes already installed in Zorin, or is it something I need to get from the repository?

Its called onboard and can be called from tty or from settings -> accessibility -> typing -> on-screen keyboard << not sure of the correct names of the menu items since don't have EN-language.

bennylava

Wed May 11, 2016 3:28:54 pm

Thanks for the help!

I'd like to go ahead and move on to my next questions. At this point, I'm really just wanting to try out Zorin, and indeed linux in general for my desktop computers. Do I absolutely have to install grub? My previous experience with grub, didn't go so well. I couldn't find anywhere in the grub startup menu, where you could select an OS to just boot automatically. In other words, I had to be physically sitting at the computer, and wait for grub to ask me which OS I wanted to boot, and then select either Ubuntu or W7.

I couldn't just turn the computer on, and have it automatically boot into whatever OS I had pre-set. Has this changed? Perhaps I was doing it wrong? It was back in 2008.

Swarfendor437

Wed May 11, 2016 9:17:37 pm

See my video on how to dual-boot without affecting the mbr:

https://vimeo.com/110085401

bennylava

Wed May 11, 2016 9:50:13 pm

Thanks! That pretty much solves that. Well, might as well keep chugging along.

I have heard that games that run natively in Linux, actually see somewhat better framerates than they do, when running the same game, in windows. Is this true? And if so, how can that be? Is it because linux doesn't have everything and the kitchen sink installed?

Next question.

This is a question about those light weight distros. Specifically puppy linux. I think that is the most popular super lightweight distro. If I installed Puppy Linux, and then I went about installing all the things that I want and need, is there a chance that I will have made it a lot heavier? What I'm trying to find out is, what exactly is lightweight about it? How is puppy linux, lighter than Zorin?

Swarfendor437

Thu May 12, 2016 10:36:45 pm

bennylava wrote:Thanks! That pretty much solves that. Well, might as well keep chugging along.

I have heard that games that run natively in Linux, actually see somewhat better framerates than they do, when running the same game, in windows. Is this true? And if so, how can that be? Is it because linux doesn't have everything and the kitchen sink installed?

That could be true but depends on what system is running - for example Core uses Gnome DE which uses a lot of resources, especially compiz config and evolution data and calendar - 'buntu made a big mistake tieing evolution to the system (open source equivalent to Outlook) and if you remove it it is rumoured you will lose all date and time functionality. As regards framerates that is still going to depend on Processor and Graphics card being used, regardless of how light the OS is. And you are likely to need Cross-Over for that qualification to be upheld as it is/used to be given on their youtube channel in respect of Cross-Over Mac - not sure about GNU/Linux

Next question.

This is a question about those light weight distros. Specifically puppy linux. I think that is the most popular super lightweight distro. If I installed Puppy Linux, and then I went about installing all the things that I want and need, is there a chance that I will have made it a lot heavier? What I'm trying to find out is, what exactly is lightweight about it? How is puppy linux, lighter than Zorin?


Well, 'light' refers to the Desktop Environment - xfce and LXDE are both lightweight Desktop Environments and some are forks of other mainstream distributions. All you may need to know here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puppy_Linux

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lubuntu - on which Zorin Lite is based - uses LXDE

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xubuntu - uses xfce (DE) ;) :D

bennylava

Thu May 12, 2016 11:13:46 pm

Thanks for the link. Didn't know Puppy only ran in the RAM. Kind of odd, actually.

Anyway back to my train of thought...so when they say "lightweight" they mean ONLY the desktop environment? I mean that does make sense. You can't really start stripping away the kernel, or your OS isn't going to function right, if at all. So how much are we able to actually strip away? I realize it all depends, but there's an answer in there somewhere. You have to have so much, to even get the computer to boot into the OS and have it run the way people expect an OS to function.

And I know linux is very modular, but I'm sort of at a loss on all these different distros. I mean if I take any distro at all, and set it up to my personal needs and wants, its going to get heavier. Maybe a lot heavier. So I'm trying to skip all that, and just download one that doesn't really need all this tweaking, but is still "lightweight". It is said that Zorin is "lightweight". How lightweight is lightweight? Is it as light as Mint? Or is it somewhat heavier like Kubuntu?

Its a pretty strong learning curve trying to figure all this out, when coming over from Windows. With windows, its either "buy windows" or "don't buy windows". There really isn't any "lightweight" outside of a few tweaks here and there.

bennylava

Sat May 14, 2016 5:26:40 pm

Swarfendor437 wrote:See my video on how to dual-boot without affecting the mbr:

https://vimeo.com/110085401



Well I watched the video (most of it) and I don't think that is what I'm looking to do. I'd like to install Zorin on its own hard drive, that I have set aside for it. But I don't really want to have to deal with grub every time I turn on the computer. I want it to load into windows by default, but perhaps show a countdown timer where I can select zorin. But if I press nothing, it will just boot into windows on its own. Is it possible for me to set it up this way?

Swarfendor437

Sun May 15, 2016 10:19:45 am

Yes - you can't get rid of GRUB altogether - if you are going to make the drive that has Zorin on it the bootable one then you need to edit the GRUB2 file:

http://askubuntu.com/questions/52963/ho ... oot-loader

Or you change your Boot order in your BIOS settings at every boot, or press the appropriate Fxx key for your particular machine for 'one-time boot' preferences

Or you follow my video. ;) :D

bennylava

Sun May 15, 2016 4:12:40 pm

Yeah I think I have it figured out, thank you.

Next question!

What do you guys think is the best way to make a bootable Zorin USB flash drive? Yumi? Or is there one that doesn't really care what ISO image it is, its going to try to boot it. I'd prefer that method.

Swarfendor437

Sun May 15, 2016 8:05:26 pm

So long as you have GNU/Linux installed, for me it HAS to be MultiSystem every time:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=8933&hilit=+MultiSystem#p43425

Tutorial video:

https://vimeo.com/104187694